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Chris Stapleton Joins Guns N’ Roses for Surprise Cover of a Bob Dylan Hit at Band’s Toronto Show
Country star Chris Stapleton made a surprise guest appearance during Guns N' Roses' concert at Toronto's Rogers Stadium on Wednesday 5 August, joining the rock band on stage to perform Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door". The moment marked a full-circle reunion, coming almost a decade after Stapleton opened for Guns N' Roses during their 2016 reunion tour, and underlines the enduring links between the country singer and the veteran rock outfit.
Stapleton exchanged verses with frontman Axl Rose and played rhythm guitar alongside Slash, Duff McKagan and the rest of the band during the cover, which originally featured on Guns N' Roses' chart-topping 1991 album Use Your Illusion II. Their relationship dates back to July 2016, when Stapleton opened for the newly reunited band in Nashville, and deepened further when Slash invited him to sing on Slash's 2024 blues covers album Orgy of the Damned, which topped Billboard's Blues Albums chart for 12 weeks. Stapleton was in Toronto ahead of his own headline show at the Blue Jays' home stadium the following night.
In short
- Chris Stapleton made a surprise cameo at Guns N' Roses' Toronto show
- He duetted with Axl Rose on Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
- Follows Stapleton's 2016 tour support slot and 2024 Slash collaboration
Explained simply
Guns N’ Roses are an American rock band whose best-known line-up reunited for a tour in 2016. Chris Stapleton is an American country singer and guitarist; he first crossed paths with the band when he opened for them in Nashville that year.
The song they performed, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, was written and first recorded by Bob Dylan in 1973. Guns N’ Roses later recorded it for their 1991 album Use Your Illusion II, linking Dylan’s folk-rock songwriting with the band’s hard-rock sound.
Stapleton and Guns N’ Roses have kept in touch musically: he sang on guitarist Slash’s 2024 blues covers album. Their connection gives the Toronto performance a longer history than a one-off guest appearance, while also bringing together artists from country, blues and rock.