Steven Adler
Steven Adler
Steven Adler (born Michael Coletti; January 22, 1965) is an American musician. He was the drummer and co-songwriter of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s.
1965–1984: Early life and career
Steven Adler was born Michael Coletti in Cleveland, Ohio, to an Italian-American father, Michael Coletti, and a Jewish-American mother, Deanna. After his father left the family, his mother moved with her children to Los Angeles, California. Adler was originally named after his father at birth, but his mother renamed him Steven when she returned to her parents because Jewish naming conventions forbid naming children after living relatives. He took his stepfather's surname after his mother married Melvin Adler, who adopted her two oldest children (including Steven). He has one older brother, Kenny, and a younger half-brother, Jamie. Adler grew up in the San Fernando Valley until the age of 13, when he was sent to live with his grandparents in Hollywood due to his bad behavior. While attending Bancroft Junior High School, Adler befriended Saul Hudson, later known as Slash); they met when Adler had a skateboarding accident and Slash stopped to help him. After ninth grade, Adler returned to his parents' house in the Valley for the remainder of high school, during which time he learned to play drums.
1965–1984: Early life and career
After his return to Hollywood in 1983, Adler auditioned for Sunset Strip staple London). When the audition proved unsuccessful, he formed the band Road Crew)—named after the Motörhead song "(We Are) The Road Crew)"—with his childhood friend Slash. They placed an advertisement in a newspaper looking for a bassist, and received a response from Duff McKagan. They auditioned a number of singers, including one-time Black Flag) vocalist Ron Reyes, and worked on material that included the main riff of what would become the Guns N' Roses song "Rocket Queen." Slash disbanded the group the following year due to their inability to find an adequate lead vocalist, as well as Adler's laziness compared to himself and McKagan. Adler then briefly joined a local band known as Hollywood Rose, which featured singer Axl Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin (who left shortly after).
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