Ex-GUNS N' ROSES Drummer MATT SORUM Talks About His Love For Dogs

Former GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER drummer Matt Sorum is featured in the latest episode of the "Rocker Dog Podcast".

Hosted by Tim Dill, "Rocker Dog Podcast" talks to popular musicians about their canine companions and the value these creatures bring to our everyday lives.

Matt joined "Rocker Dog Podcast" to speak about the many dogs he's cared for over his adult life, including past dogs Drac (Labrador),Anya (German shepherd),Miles, Lola and Bowie (Frenchies) and current Frenchies Ella and recently adopted Bonzo. Matt also chose to give a shoutout to Pet Orphans of Southern California who, for over 40 years, have been dedicated to the advancement of companion animal welfare and to combating overpopulation, abandonment, and the need for euthanasia.

In a 2020 interview with K9 Magazine, Sorum said that dogs are the most rock 'n' roll of all animals. He explained: "I ran into Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. That was a classic moment. I was in isle two at Petco, and Ozzy and Sharon were buying bags and bags of stuff. I don't know how many dogs they have, and I could hear Ozzy trying to find this brush. He really wanted this particular brush, and so I helped him find it, and he said, 'My dog loves it.' You know, everyone I know in rock and roll have had dogs, Izzy [Stradlin], a guitarist I played with in GUNS, had a dog, Duff [McKagan] had Labradors, Slash had two Rottweilers."

Sorum also talked Drac, his Labrador who sadly passed away not long before the interview was conducted.

"Drac was a black Labrador, he was probably the best thing that ever happened in my life," Matt said. "We got him in Malibu. My ex got him outside an apartment store in a box. Someone was giving him away. I first looked at him. I didn't want a dog. Things were just crazy — we were redecorating and I was on tour — and I just looked at his face and he gave me a look and I was just like, 'Awww.' It was right around the time of Halloween, and I remember, I picked him up, and at this point he had no name, and he bit me on the hand and I was bleeding and I thought, 'I've got the name for you: Dracula.' And we called him Drac for short."

Matt continued: "He got me through a very difficult period, the GUNS N' ROSES period. Animals are very receptive to how you're feeling — they know when you're feeling very low, when you need extra attention, when you're sick. Not long after that, I split up with my then-wife, and it was pretty much just me and Drac; he was always there."

Sorum, who replaced Steven Adler in GUNS N' ROSES, recorded the highly successful albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" (both 1991) and "The Spaghetti Incident" (1994). He also supported the group on the "Use Your Illusion" tour and can be heard on GUNS N' ROSES' "Live Era: '87-'93" (1999) and "Greatest Hits" (2004).

Sorum was among the GUNS N' ROSES members who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2012. He, Adler, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan attended the ceremony, while singer Axl Rose and founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin stayed home.

The 63-year-old musician, who has also played with THE CULT, VELVET REVOLVER and HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, is not involved with GN'R's hugely successful reunion tour, which features Rose, Slash and McKagan alongside drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

Sorum's autobiography, "Double Talkin' Jive: True Rock 'N' Roll Stories From The Drummer Of Guns N' Roses, The Cult, And Velvet Revolver", arrived in May 2022 via Rare Bird Books.

Photo credit: Michael Segal