Steven Adler says he tried heroin to fit in with Guns N’ Roses bandmates

Steven Adler, formerly of Guns N' Roses, in 2011. (Photo by Joey Foley/Getty Images)

Steven Adler tried heroin to fit in with his Guns N’ Roses bandmates.

The 59-year-old musician was the group’s original drummer but was fired after five years due to his addiction to the narcotic, but he’s now claimed he wasn’t the only member of the band to be abusing drugs and his first experiences had put him off.

Speaking on new Paramount+ docuseries ‘Nöthin’ But a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of ‘80s Hair Metal’, he said: “Who the hell do you think I was doing them with? When I started doing heroin, I wanted to be a part of what Slash and Izzy [Stradlin] were doing.

“I took two hits, I was never so sick in my whole life.

“And wouldn’t you know what an a**hole I am, I had to try it one more time. And the third time was the charm. I fell in love with it.”

While being kicked out of his beloved band could have been a wake-up call for Steven, he was ultimately so “hurt” by the decision, he descended further into his addiction.

He said: “I’ve always loved the whole team thing.

Guns N' Roses. From left to right; Duff "Rose" McKagan, Slash, Axl Rose, Steven Adler, Izzy Stradlin. Photo / Ross Halfin

“That’s why putting a band together was so important to me, where we work together and create something.

“And then when my team threw me out, I didn’t know what to do.

“I know I could either have gotten better, or continued doing what I was doing. I continued doing what I was doing. I was that hurt.”

After being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of the ‘Paradise City’ group’s classic line-up, Steven has performed with his former band on a number of occasions and is grateful to be part of their legacy.

He said: “I just loved being part of a team, and Guns N’ Roses, the five of us, were a great f***ing team.”

The docuseries uses archive footage which featured frontman Axl Rose speaking frankly about the decision to let Steven go from the group while they were recording 1991 albums ‘Use Your Illusion I’ and ‘Use Your Illusion 2′.

He told MTV in the clip: “Steven didn’t leave the band. Steven was fired. We gave him every ultimatum. We had Steven sign a contract saying if he went back to drugs, he was out. He couldn’t leave his drugs.”