Complete List Of L.A. Guns Band Members

Feature Photo: Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Emerging from the Los Angeles hard rock scene in 1983, L.A. Guns developed into one of the Sunset Strip’s most recognizable bands. Guitarist Tracii Guns formed the early group with vocalist Mike Jagosz, bassist Dani Tull, and drummer Rob Gardner under the name Pyrrhus. The band soon adopted the L.A. Guns name after Ole Beich replaced Tull. Axl Rose briefly fronted the group before Jagosz returned for the recordings later issued as Collector’s Edition No. 1.

After the original L.A. Guns ended, Tracii Guns and members of Hollywood Rose formed the first version of Guns N’ Roses in March 1985. Guns left that group within several months and returned to L.A. Guns. By 1987, the band had assembled the lineup of Phil Lewis, Tracii Guns, Mick Cripps, Kelly Nickels, and Steve Riley, which became known as its classic configuration.

L.A. Guns released its self-titled major-label debut in 1988, followed by Cocked & Loaded in 1989 and Hollywood Vampires in 1991. The debut received a gold certification, while Cocked & Loaded reached platinum status and produced “The Ballad of Jayne,” the band’s biggest crossover single. Hollywood Vampires reached number 42 on the Billboard 200 and extended the group’s commercial success into the early 1990s.

The band’s history became unusually complicated after Tracii Guns left in 2002. Phil Lewis and drummer Steve Riley continued one version of L.A. Guns, while Guns later launched a separate lineup under the same name. Lewis and Guns reunited in 2016, beginning another productive recording period with The Missing Peace, The Devil You Know, Checkered Past, Black Diamonds, and Leopard Skin. Riley subsequently operated Riley’s L.A. Guns until that group disbanded in 2025.

Leopard Skin was released on April 4, 2025, and featured Phil Lewis, Tracii Guns, Ace Von Johnson, Johnny Martin, and studio drummer Adam Hamilton. The current live lineup features Lewis, Guns, Von Johnson, Martin, and drummer Shawn Duncan. L.A. Guns released Live From The Guild Theatre on July 3, 2026, documenting a 2025 performance celebrating the Leopard Skin era.

Current Members

Tracii Guns

Tracii Guns, born Tracy Richard Irving Ulrich on January 20, 1966, founded L.A. Guns in 1983. He was the guitarist and central creative figure in the early lineup that included Mike Jagosz, Ole Beich, and Rob Gardner. When L.A. Guns temporarily ended, Guns joined Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin, Ole Beich, and Gardner in the first version of Guns N’ Roses.

Guns returned to L.A. Guns in 1985 and helped build the lineup that signed with PolyGram. His guitar playing and songwriting shaped the band’s self-titled debut, Cocked & Loaded, Hollywood Vampires, Vicious Circle, American Hardcore, Shrinking Violet, Man in the Moon, and Waking the Dead.

His lead guitar work on “Sex Action,” “Electric Gypsy,” “Rip and Tear,” “Never Enough,” “The Ballad of Jayne,” “Over the Edge,” and “Kiss My Love Goodbye” became central to the band’s identity. Guns left L.A. Guns in 2002 while developing Brides of Destruction with Nikki Sixx.

Guns launched the Tracii Guns Band in 2006, which later performed under the L.A. Guns name and operated separately from the Phil Lewis and Steve Riley lineup. He eventually retired that version and formed the League of Gentlemen. Guns reunited with Lewis in 2016 and returned to the main L.A. Guns lineup.

Since the reunion, Guns has appeared on The Missing Peace, The Devil You Know, Checkered Past, Black Diamonds, and Leopard Skin. His other projects have included Contraband, Brides of Destruction, Sunbomb, and numerous solo and collaborative recordings.

Phil Lewis

Phil Lewis was born on January 9, 1957, in London, England. He began his professional career with the British glam rock band Girl, which also included future Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen. Girl released Sheer Greed in 1980 and Wasted Youth in 1982 before ending its original run.

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Lewis later performed with New Torpedos and Tormé before relocating to California. He joined L.A. Guns in 1987, replacing Paul Black, and became the vocalist for the lineup that recorded L.A. Guns, Cocked & Loaded, Hollywood Vampires, and Vicious Circle.

Lewis’s voice became one of the band’s defining elements on “The Ballad of Jayne,” “Never Enough,” “Rip and Tear,” “Over the Edge,” “Kiss My Love Goodbye,” and many other recordings. He left after Vicious Circle but returned for the classic-lineup reunion in 1999.

Lewis remained with the Steve Riley-led lineup after Tracii Guns departed in 2002. He sang on Tales from the Strip and Hollywood Forever before reuniting with Guns in 2016. Lewis has since appeared on every L.A. Guns studio album from The Missing Peace through Leopard Skin.

Outside L.A. Guns, Lewis has worked with Filthy Lucre, The Liberators, and other projects. His long partnership with Tracii Guns has continued to drive the band’s modern studio and touring activity.

Johnny Martin

Johnny Martin joined the reunited Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis lineup in 2016 as bassist and backing vocalist. He had previously performed with Tracii Guns and became part of the group assembled when Guns and Lewis resumed working together.

Martin appears on The Missing Peace, The Devil You Know, Checkered Past, Black Diamonds, and Leopard Skin. His bass playing has helped anchor the band’s renewed creative period while connecting the modern lineup to the hard rock sound of the classic albums.

Martin has also performed with Adler’s Appetite, Quiet Riot, and other hard rock projects. He remains the bassist in the current touring lineup.

Ace Von Johnson

Ace Von Johnson joined L.A. Guns as rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist in 2018. He replaced Michael Grant after a short period during which Johnny Monaco and Adam Hamilton also filled the second-guitar position.

Von Johnson appears on Checkered Past, Black Diamonds, and Leopard Skin. His rhythm guitar work complements Tracii Guns’s lead playing and has helped give the current lineup a stable two-guitar attack.

Before joining L.A. Guns, Von Johnson performed with Faster Pussycat and other rock bands. He remains part of the current recording and touring lineup.

Adam Hamilton

Adam Hamilton first joined L.A. Guns in 2001 as bassist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist. He performed on Waking the Dead and remained with the Phil Lewis and Steve Riley lineup through the mid-2000s, contributing to Rips the Covers Off and Tales from the Strip.

Hamilton returned briefly as a rhythm guitarist in 2018. Beginning with Checkered Past, he became the band’s principal studio drummer. His drumming appears on Checkered Past, Black Diamonds, and Leopard Skin.

Hamilton has also worked extensively as a songwriter, producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist. He remains associated with L.A. Guns as its studio drummer while Shawn Duncan handles live performances.

Shawn Duncan

Shawn Duncan joined L.A. Guns as its touring drummer in 2022. He replaced Shane Fitzgibbon and became the live counterpart to studio drummer Adam Hamilton.

Duncan toured behind Black Diamonds and Leopard Skin. He also appears on the concert release Live From The Guild Theatre, recorded in July 2025 and released in July 2026.

Former Members Of The Main L.A. Guns Lineup

Rob Gardner

Rob Gardner was the drummer and a founding member of the early group that became L.A. Guns. He performed with Tracii Guns, Mike Jagosz, Dani Tull, and Ole Beich during the band’s formative period.

Gardner later joined the first lineup of Guns N’ Roses with Tracii Guns, Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin, and Ole Beich. His work with L.A. Guns appears on early recordings later issued through archival releases.

Mike Jagosz

Mike Jagosz was the original vocalist in the early L.A. Guns lineup. He fronted the group during its first Los Angeles performances and returned after a short period in which Axl Rose handled the lead vocals.

Jagosz sang on the early recordings released as Collector’s Edition No. 1. He died in 2014.

Dani Tull

Dani Tull played bass in Pyrrhus, the group that preceded the L.A. Guns name. His tenure came during the earliest period with Tracii Guns, Mike Jagosz, and Rob Gardner.

Tull left before the first L.A. Guns recordings and was replaced by Ole Beich.

Ole Beich

Ole Beich replaced Dani Tull on bass and was part of the lineup that first performed as L.A. Guns. He played alongside Tracii Guns, Mike Jagosz, and Rob Gardner.

Beich later became the original bassist in the first Guns N’ Roses lineup. He died in 1991.

Axl Rose

Axl Rose briefly replaced Mike Jagosz as L.A. Guns vocalist in 1984. His tenure was short and did not produce an official L.A. Guns studio album.

Rose later joined Tracii Guns, Ole Beich, Rob Gardner, and Izzy Stradlin in the original Guns N’ Roses lineup formed in 1985.

Paul Black

Paul Black became the vocalist of the re-formed L.A. Guns in 1985. He worked with Tracii Guns, Mick Cripps, Robert Stoddard, and Nickey Alexander during the period that produced the band’s early demos and club performances.

Black left before the self-titled major-label debut and was replaced by Phil Lewis in 1987. Early material from Black’s tenure later appeared on archival releases including Black City Breakdown and Black List.

He reunited with Tracii Guns in 2006 as the singer for the Tracii Guns Band, which subsequently performed under the L.A. Guns name.

Robert Stoddard

Robert Stoddard played guitar in the 1985 reformation of L.A. Guns. He performed with Paul Black, Tracii Guns, Mick Cripps, and Nickey Alexander during the group’s pre-label period.

Stoddard left before the band signed with PolyGram and did not appear on the self-titled 1988 album.

Mick Cripps

Mick Cripps joined the re-formed L.A. Guns in 1985 as bassist and backing vocalist. After Kelly Nickels joined in 1987, Cripps moved to rhythm guitar, keyboards, and additional instrumentation.

Cripps appeared on L.A. Guns, Cocked & Loaded, Hollywood Vampires, and Vicious Circle. His rhythm guitar, keyboards, and songwriting helped define the band’s classic sound.

He left in 1995 and returned for the classic-lineup reunion in 1999. Cripps also contributed to Cocked & Re-Loaded and Man in the Moon before departing again.

Nickey “Beat” Alexander

Nickey “Beat” Alexander was the drummer in the 1985 reformation of L.A. Guns. He performed with Paul Black, Tracii Guns, Mick Cripps, and Robert Stoddard during the band’s early club and demo period.

Alexander recorded the drum tracks for the 1988 self-titled album. Steve Riley replaced him before the record was released and became the drummer in the classic touring lineup.

Alexander later returned to work with Tracii Guns and Paul Black in the Tracii Guns Band during 2006 and 2007.

Mattie B

Mattie B briefly played bass in 1987 during the transition from the Paul Black lineup to the lineup fronted by Phil Lewis.

Kelly Nickels soon replaced him, completing the instrumental configuration heard during the band’s major-label breakthrough.

Kelly Nickels

Kelly Nickels joined L.A. Guns as bassist and backing vocalist in 1987. He completed the classic lineup with Phil Lewis, Tracii Guns, Mick Cripps, and Steve Riley.

Nickels performed on L.A. Guns, Cocked & Loaded, Hollywood Vampires, and Vicious Circle. His bass work, backing vocals, and harmonica contributions became important parts of the band’s early recordings.

He left in 1995 and returned for the classic-lineup reunion in 1999. Nickels later joined Riley’s L.A. Guns, recording Renegades and The Dark Horse.

Steve Riley

Steve Riley joined L.A. Guns in 1987 after previously performing with Keel and W.A.S.P. He entered after the self-titled debut had been recorded and became the drummer in the classic lineup before the album’s release.

Riley performed on Cocked & Loaded and Hollywood Vampires. He left in 1992 and returned in 1994, remaining with the group through the long period following Tracii Guns’s departure.

His later L.A. Guns recordings included American Hardcore, Shrinking Violet, Man in the Moon, Waking the Dead, Rips the Covers Off, Tales from the Strip, and Hollywood Forever.

Riley launched a separate version of L.A. Guns in 2018. Following a legal settlement, the group performed as Riley’s L.A. Guns and released Renegades and The Dark Horse. Riley died on October 24, 2023, at the age of 67.

Mike “Bones” Gersema

Mike “Bones” Gersema replaced Steve Riley on drums in 1992. He performed on tracks released through the Cuts EP and played on the 1994 album Vicious Circle.

Riley returned before the promotional tour, ending Gersema’s tenure. Gersema died in 2021.

Johnny Crypt

Johnny Crypt joined L.A. Guns as rhythm guitarist in 1995 after Mick Cripps left. When Kelly Nickels departed later that year, Crypt moved to bass.

He performed on American Hardcore, the Wasted EP, and Shrinking Violet. Crypt left in early 1999 before the classic-lineup reunion.

Chris Van Dahl

Chris Van Dahl replaced Phil Lewis as lead vocalist in 1995. He sang on American Hardcore, which introduced a heavier direction for the band.

Van Dahl left in 1997 and was replaced by Ralph Saenz.

Ralph Saenz

Ralph Saenz, later known as Michael Starr of Steel Panther, fronted L.A. Guns from 1997 to 1998.

He sang on the Wasted EP before leaving the band.

Joe Lesté

Joe Lesté briefly served as L.A. Guns vocalist in 1998 between Ralph Saenz and Jizzy Pearl.

His tenure was limited to live performances and did not produce a studio album.

Jizzy Pearl

Jizzy Pearl joined L.A. Guns in 1998 and became the vocalist on Shrinking Violet. He left when Phil Lewis returned for the classic-lineup reunion in 1999.

Pearl later fronted Tracii Guns’s separate version of L.A. Guns from 2009 to 2011. He is also known for his work with Love/Hate, Ratt, and Quiet Riot.

Stefan Adika

Stefan Adika briefly replaced Johnny Crypt on bass in 1999 before the classic-lineup reunion.

His tenure consisted primarily of live appearances.

Chuck Garric

Chuck Garric briefly played bass for L.A. Guns in 1999 during the transitional period preceding the classic-lineup reunion.

He later became widely known for his work with Alice Cooper and Beasto Blanco.

Muddy Stardust

Mark Dutton, known professionally as Muddy Stardust, played bass with L.A. Guns from 2000 to 2001.

He performed on Man in the Moon before Adam Hamilton became the band’s bassist.

Brent Muscat

Brent Muscat joined L.A. Guns as rhythm guitarist during parts of 2000, 2002, and 2003. He first entered during a period when Mick Cripps was unavailable and returned after Tracii Guns left.

Muscat contributed to Rips the Covers Off and the live release Hellraisers Ball: Caught in the Act. He is best known as a founding guitarist of Faster Pussycat.

Keff Ratcliffe

Keff Ratcliffe briefly played rhythm guitar in 2002 during the final months of Tracii Guns’s original tenure.

He left shortly after Guns departed and did not appear on a major L.A. Guns studio album.

Chris Holmes

Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes briefly replaced Tracii Guns in late 2002.

His time with L.A. Guns was limited to live performances before Keri Kelli and Brent Muscat joined.

Keri Kelli

Keri Kelli played guitar with L.A. Guns from 2002 to 2003. He helped the group continue touring after Tracii Guns’s departure.

Kelli appears on portions of Rips the Covers Off and on Hellraisers Ball: Caught in the Act. His other credits include Alice Cooper, Slash’s Snakepit, and Night Ranger.

Chris Paulson

Chris Paulson performed guitar with L.A. Guns from 2003 to 2004 during the transitional period before Stacey Blades joined.

His role was primarily connected to live performances.

Stacey Blades

Stacey Blades joined L.A. Guns as lead guitarist in 2004 and remained until 2012. He became the primary guitarist in the Phil Lewis and Steve Riley lineup during the long period when Tracii Guns operated separately.

Blades appeared on Rips the Covers Off, Tales from the Strip, and Hollywood Forever. He also performed on the live release Loud & Dangerous: Live from Hollywood.

Scotty Griffin

Scotty Griffin played bass and contributed backing vocals during two periods, from 2007 to 2009 and from 2011 to 2014.

He appeared on Hollywood Forever and the related live releases. Griffin later joined Riley’s L.A. Guns as lead guitarist and remained with that group until its 2025 disbandment.

Kenny Kweens

Kenny Kweens served as L.A. Guns bassist from 2009 to 2011 and again from 2014 to 2016.

His tenure was primarily associated with touring during the Phil Lewis and Steve Riley era.

Frank Wilsey

Frank Wilsey was announced as the replacement for Stacey Blades in late 2012.

His time with the group was brief, and Michael Grant replaced him in early 2013.

Michael Grant

Michael Grant joined L.A. Guns in 2013 as lead guitarist. When Tracii Guns returned in 2016, Grant moved to rhythm guitar.

He appears on The Missing Peace and the live album Made in Milan. Grant left the group in 2018.

Shane Fitzgibbon

Shane Fitzgibbon joined as drummer when Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis reunited in 2016.

He performed on The Missing Peace, The Devil You Know, and Made in Milan. Fitzgibbon later returned as a touring drummer from 2021 to 2022.

Johnny Monaco

Johnny Monaco briefly joined as rhythm guitarist in 2018 following Michael Grant’s departure.

He left after a short touring period and was replaced temporarily by Adam Hamilton before Ace Von Johnson joined.

Scot Coogan

Scot Coogan served as L.A. Guns’s touring drummer from 2019 to 2021.

His tenure covered live performances while Adam Hamilton became the studio drummer.

Members Of Tracii Guns’s Separate L.A. Guns Lineup

Jeremy Guns

Jeremy Guns played bass in the Tracii Guns Band from 2006 until 2010. The project was later promoted as a separate version of L.A. Guns.

Chad Stewart

Chad Stewart replaced Nickey Alexander as drummer in Tracii Guns’s lineup in 2007 and remained through 2011.

Alec “Big Al” Bauer

Alec “Big Al” Bauer toured with Tracii Guns’s group before officially joining as rhythm guitarist. He remained with the lineup through 2009.

Marty Casey

Marty Casey replaced Paul Black as lead vocalist in Tracii Guns’s L.A. Guns in 2008.

Casey remained through 2009 before Jizzy Pearl took over the position.

Danny Nordahl

Danny Nordahl replaced Jeremy Guns on bass in late 2010 and remained with Tracii Guns’s separate lineup until 2012.

Doni Gray

Doni Gray joined the Tracii Guns-led lineup as drummer and backing vocalist in 2011.

He remained until Guns retired the L.A. Guns name for that project in 2012.

Dilana

Dilana became the vocalist in Tracii Guns’s L.A. Guns in 2011 after Jizzy Pearl left.

Her tenure lasted several months before Tony West replaced her.

Tony West

Tony West fronted the Tracii Guns lineup from late 2011 into 2012.

Scott Foster Harris

Scott Foster Harris became the final vocalist in Tracii Guns’s separate L.A. Guns lineup during 2012.

He continued working with Guns when the project evolved into the League of Gentlemen.

Eric Grossman

Eric Grossman was the final bassist in Tracii Guns’s separate L.A. Guns lineup before the name was retired in 2012.

Additional Members Of Riley’s L.A. Guns

Jacob Bunton

Jacob Bunton was the original vocalist and rhythm guitarist in the version launched by Steve Riley in 2018.

He left in 2019 before the group recorded its first album.

Kurt Frohlich

Kurt Frohlich replaced Jacob Bunton as vocalist in Riley’s L.A. Guns in 2019.

He sang on Renegades and The Dark Horse and remained with the group until it disbanded in February 2025.

Check out more L.A. Guns articles on ClassicRockHistory.com. Just click on any of the links below.

Tracii Guns of L.A. Guns: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview

Ace Von Johnson of L.A. Guns: 13 Albums That Changed My Life

Top 10 L.A. Guns Songs

Updated August 1, 2026.

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