Duff McKagan Biography – Musical Career And His Secrete Facts

Duff McKagan, bass guitarist for Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver, and Jane’s Addiction, was born on February 5, 1964.

Personal History

• Real Name- Michael Andrew McKaga
• Nickname- Duff McKagan
• Net Worth- $75 million (As of 2023)
• Date of Birth- 5 February 1964
• Age- 59 years (As of 2023)
• Birthplace- America
• Current Residence- America
• Nationality- America
• Profession- Musician
• Religion- Christianity

Early years

Michael Andrew McKagan was born in 1964 in Seattle, Washington, into a working-class family. He was the youngest of 8 children of Elmer and Alice Marie McKagan. Each of the family members played some musical instrument. Introducing the youngest to this occupation was only a matter of time.

Under the guidance of his brother Bruce, Duff learns the basics of playing the bass guitar. The guiding stars in mastering the instrument for McKagan Jr. were Prince’s album – 1999 and the Black Flag album – Damaged. Later, in his autobiography, Duff admitted that he was also greatly influenced by Barry Adamson’s work with the Magazine group.

To complete the conversation about the musicians who inspired McKagan to conquer the creative heights, it is necessary to mention his other favorites. These are Paul Simonon of The Clash, whom Duff called his favorite bass player, Johnny Sanders of the New York Dolls, Robert Plant, Dee Dee Ramone, and, oddly enough, Sid Vicious.

Young McKagan played in 31 bands in his native Seattle over several years, including one-night stands. Moreover, Duff tried on the role of not only a bassist but also a guitarist and drummer. Among the successes of the young man may include, for example, a performance as the opening act for Hüsker Dü. However, the breakthrough in his career did not come until after moving to Los Angeles.

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Musical career

Guns N’ Roses

Duff, who answered a local newspaper ad looking for a bass player, met Steven Adler and Saul “Slash” Hudson, leading to the formation of the Road Crew. However, she was not destined to live long. In June 1985, Duff became the bass player for the young band Guns N’ Roses, led by Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin, which soon included Slash and Adler. This is how the classic composition of the legendary team was formed.

As a result, Duff remained in the group the longest, leaving in 1997. His compositions for Guns N’ Roses include It’s So Easy, Nightrain, Dust N’ Bones, Bad Apples, Civil War, Get in the Ring, and So Fine.

In 1994, Duff became one of the last people to see Kurt Cobain in good health – he sat next to him on a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle on April 1 (the Nirvana leader died on the 5th). McKagan said that he had no idea during that flight that Kurt intends to make soon. However, Duff himself had a hard time then. The consequences of a lifestyle inspired by the “exploits” of Sid Vicious began to affect. In just over a month after his last meeting with Cobain, McKagan fell ill with inflammation of the pancreas. Only the doctor’s well-considered actions saved him from disability. Since then, Duff has been a teetotaler.

Neurotic Outsiders

During 1995-97, 1999, and 2006, this supergroup united musicians from three eras. Not included Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, John Taylor of Duran Duran, as well as members of Guns N’ Roses, McKagan himself, and Matt Sorum, Steven Adler’s successor at the drums. The group released their self-titled album in 1996.

Velvet Revolver

With Matt Sorum and another of his former Guns N’ Roses bandmates, Slash, Duff formed Velvet Revolver in 2002, which released two studio albums. There was no official statement about the breakup of the band; vocalist Scott Weiland left but returned, but the future of VR remains uncertain due to the busyness of the members.

Latest News About Duff McKagan

Jane’s Addiction

For 6 months in 2010, McKagan was part of Jane’s Addiction. Initially, their union seemed strong; guitarist Dave Navarro stated that Duff was accepted into the group permanently. And McKagan himself seemed flattered by the opportunity to record and perform with a venerable team. But on September 6, it was announced that Duff and Jane’s Addiction were parting ways due to musical differences.

Solo career

McKagan released his first solo album, Believe In Me, back in 1993. He recorded almost all the instrumental parts himself. Duff’s second disc, Beautiful Disease, was supposed to be released in 1999, but the musician lost the opportunity to release the work due to legal delays.

Then McKagan formed the group Loaded, also known as Duff McKagan’s Loaded. Here Duff is the vocalist and rhythm guitarist. The band has 3 studio albums to date.

Session work

The session McKagan has to his credit: Iggy Pop’s Brick by Brick, six solo works by Izzy Stradlin, two by Mark Lanegan, one by Slash, and a tribute album to Alice Cooper.

Some more facts about the musician

• Duff is actively published in the media.
• Since August 2008, he has written a weekly column for SeattleWeekly.com.SeattleWeekly.com
• Finally, since January 2011, Duff has been writing a sports column for ESPN.com.ESPN.com
• McKagan’s autobiography, It’s So Easy (And Other Lies), was released on October 4, 2011
• On October 14, 2010, Duff appeared on the same stage with G N’ R for the first time since 1993 and performed several songs with the group
• On April 14, 2012, McKagan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the classic G N’ R line-up
• In March 2014, the fifth solo album of ex-Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach was released. Bass parts for him were recorded by Duff McKagan.

If you want to know about his upcoming songs, follow him on Wikipedia, and  Instagram.

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