Country music star Chris Stapleton made a special appearance at Guns N’ Roses’ Toronto concert on Wednesday, marking a significant reunion roughly ten years after he initially opened for the legendary rock band. During the performance, Stapleton joined forces with frontman Axl Rose to deliver a duet rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” while also contributing rhythm guitar as guitarist Slash performed an extended solo.
The collaboration represents a full-circle moment for Stapleton, who first performed as Guns N’ Roses’ opening act in Nashville back in 2016. That earlier performance left a lasting impression, with the country artist later describing the experience as surreal and recalling a gracious backstage meeting with Rose himself. The connection between the two musicians strengthened over the following years, eventually leading to further professional opportunities.
Stapleton’s appearance in Toronto coincided with his own scheduled performance at the same venue the following evening. The unexpected stage appearance demonstrated the mutual respect between the artists, building upon their previous collaboration when Slash invited Stapleton to contribute vocals to his 2024 solo album project “Orgy of the Damned,” where they recorded a Fleetwood Mac cover together.
Originally reported by Rollingstone →
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