NEW YORK (AFP) – Axl Rose is already generating excitement over a Guns N’ Roses reunion, but a report says he has another project that could thrill even more fans — fronting AC/DC.
The Australian heavy metal veterans halted a tour this month and said they would likely hire a guest vocalist as 68-year-old frontman Brian Johnson was at risk of completely losing his hearing if he kept performing.
A radio host in Atlanta, where AC/DC stopped its tour, said that he had spotted Rose in the city and that he was practicing with the band.
“It’s all but a done deal that Axl will front AC/DC for the 10 remaining shows” in the United States, host Jason Bailey said on his show on rock station WNNX.
Representatives for Rose and AC/DC did not immediately comment on Thursday.
Rose, with his high-pitched but wide-ranging voice and emotional passion, led Guns N’ Roses as the heavy metal band became a global but short-lived sensation after its 1987 debut album “Appetite for Destruction.”
The band will reunite for the first time since 1993 with its original lineup — including guitarist Slash, who frequently clashed with Rose — next month for the Coachella festival in California and several other shows.
Johnson, known for his punishingly harsh vocal style, has reportedly voiced dismay at his swift departure from AC/DC.
US comedian and radio host Jim Breuer recently said he met with Johnson who felt “kicked to the curb” by his bandmates as he believed his hearing issues were not as serious as announced.
Johnson joined AC/DC in 1980 after singer Bon Scott died following a night of heavy drinking.
His first work with the band, “Back in Black,” remains one of the top-selling albums of all time.
