Name	Duff Mckagan
Height	6' 3"
Naionality	American
Date of Birth	5 February 1964
Place of Birth	Seattle, Washington, USA
Famous for

Duff McKagan started his musical career by playing such instruments as bass, guitar and drums for a number of bands, including the legendary Seattle pop-punk group the Fastbacks, where he served as the band’s drummer. Joining the band at age 16, McKagan tried his luck in California three years later, and performed with multiple rock bands around Los Angeles like Ten Minute Warning, and a hardcore punk band, The Fartz. It was with The Fartz that McKagan earned the name “Duff.” A meeting with future Guns N’ Roses bandmates guitar player Slash and drummer Steven Adler, who at that time was in the band Road Crew, at L.A.’s legendary 24 hour deli and rock hangout Canter’s led to a gig as the Road Crew’s bassist. Recalling, he said, “When I met Slash and Steve Adler for the first time, it was weird, ‘cause I’d never met guys like this before - L.A. locals. We went out that night and got drunk, and then we had this ill-fated band. It was Slash’s band, Road Crew.”

McKagan’s career gained real momentum in the mid of 1980s, when he was hired to replace Ole Beich as the bass player for Guns N’ Roses, whose members including Axl Rose (lead singer), Izzy Stradlin (guitarist), Steven Adler (drummer) and Slash (guitarist). The newly shaped band had their first gig as GN’R on a Thursday night at the Troubadour. A big fan of The Clash and Ramones, McKagan brought his punk rock power to the group.

Officially departed Guns N’ Roses in 1997, McKagan also pursued a solo career during his fruitful stint with the band. In 1990, he and Slash co-wrote and played a few tracks on Iggy Pop’s Brick by Brick. He went on to release his solo album in 1993 called “Believe in Me,” but a year later, a tragedy truck. The drug and alcohol addict McKagan was sent to a hospital to undergo emergency surgery after his pancreas exploded because of drug and alcohol abuse. After this, he became sober, and in the years that followed he cleaned up his life, became a father and focused on his solo career.

In 1995, McKagan teamed up with Slash in Slash’s solo project Slash’s Snakepit, in which he co-wrote a song, “Beggars and Hangers-on,” and performed it lively at the Palace during a Snakepit show in May of that year. He also formed an alternative rock super-group, Neurotic Outsiders, along side GN’R drummer Matt Sorum, John Taylor of Duran Duran on bass and Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones. They played the L.A clubs circuit in the late 90s, and toured the U.S. in 1996. 1996 also saw Neurotic Outsiders launch a self-titled album. After that he arranged different bands, such as Duff McKagan’s Black Dog, 10 Minute Warning, and Loaded.

In 1999, McKagan joined forces with drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., Izzy Stradlin and Michael Barragan for his sophomore effort, Beautiful Disease, which was released by Geffen Records. However, the album was never given the American release because of company merger troubles. A year later, McKagan put together another band named “Mad for the Racket” (also known as The Racketeers), and it was discovered playing in London in December that same year. But, he did not play on that show.

McKagan next rejoined Loaded for the club circuit in Seattle in 2001 and stayed with the band for a Japanese tour in August. He also toured Japan with former bandmate Izzy Stradlin to support Izzy’s new album, River. McKagan branched out into producing with the controversial debut EP Get Off by Betty Blowtorch. He also appeared in Betty Blowtorch And Her Amazing True Life Adventures, a documentary film helmed by Anthony Scarpa.

Currently, McKagan plays bass guitar for the group Velvet Revolver together with ex-Guns N’ Roses’ members, Slash and Matt Sorum, as well as former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland and guitarist Dave Kushner. Formed in April 2002, the band released their debut album, Contraband, in 2004 and became the No. 1 hit at the Billboard 200 chart. Their next album, Libertad, is expected out in 2007.