--Axl Rose Reveals Pre-GNR Gig On "Jimmy Kimmel Live"

Before Axl Rose was the boss of Guns N' Roses, he had the rather un-rock n' roll job of being a boss at Tower Records.  But the rocker explained on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Wednesday night that the gig didn't last all that long. Axl -- who has become infamous for his lack of punctuality -- also admitted that he'd have to scold his employees for being late every now and then, but he tried to be as lenient as possible.  Rose added that he hired as many of his friends and bandmates as possible, and said they had a great time while it lasted.

Rose said he and the new Guns N' Roses lineup also had a great time at Neil Young's Bridge School benefit concerts this past weekend.  He said it was amazing to share the stage with a "powerhouse" like Young, adding that he's "so the real deal."  Meanwhile, Rose and his bandmates are currently gearing up for a string of 12 shows in Las Vegas.  The singer joked that the residency might pose some problems, just because 12 shows is a long time to try to stay out of trouble in Sin City.  Guns N' Roses will kick off the Vegas stint next week on Halloween at the Hard Rock Hotel.


--Linkin Park Added To American Music Awards Lineup

Linkin Park is set to add a little rock flavor to the upcoming American Music Awards.  The band is among the newest group of stars added to the event's lineup, which now includes Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift and Christina Aguilera.  But Linkin Park will be more than just a performer at the November 18th event -- they're also a nominee.  The group is in the running for the Favorite Alternative Rock Artist award along with the Black Keys and Gotye [[ go-TEE-yay ]].  Voting for the 40th American Music Awards is under way now at AMAVote.com and AMA.abc.com.  The ceremony will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on ABC.


--Metallica's Kirk Hammett Not Planning To Retire -- Ever

Metallica's Kirk Hammett says he doesn't see his career ending anytime soon.  The 49-year-old guitarist tells Loudwire.com he has "every intention" of being around 20 years from now celebrating Metallica's 50th anniversary.  He admits "the word 'retirement' doesn't really sit well" with him.  He explains that once a celebrity has achieved a certain level of fame, stopping isn't really an option.  Hammett adds that there are some rockers who might say they're going to "hang up" their guitar, but the fans will "constantly remind" them of who they are and what they've done and won't "let you retire."  Kirk says that instead of fighting it, "you might as well keep on" playing.

And more than three decades after launching the band, Metallica continues to find ways to make their career grow.  This year the group launched their own festival -- Orion Music + More -- and Hammett says the band "definitely" wants to stage the event again.  Metallica is also starting up their own label.  The guys haven't revealed any details on the company.  But they've announced plans to issue the concert DVD "Quebec Magnetic" on December 10th, which will be their first release on the label.


--Rolling Stones Shows To Feature Special Guests, Less Alcohol

The Rolling Stones are sharing a few details about what will -- and won't -- be included in their upcoming shows.  Keith Richards tells "Rolling Stone" that they've invited former band members Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor to join them for a few songs each night.  Ron Wood adds that for the second Newark show other stars like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck might sit in with the group.  Meanwhile, Wood says he intends to maintain his sobriety during these dates.  He admits he's tried touring sober in the past, but "there was always that secret vodka" he'd down before the shows.  Richards says he's also drinking less these days, but he won't be abstaining when the band hits the road.  He explains that drugs and alcohol are "no big deal" to him, but he still enjoys the high.  Keith also admits that "if they come up with a great new drug" he'll "be the first one on it."

While Richards also claims there's little difference in his guitar playing when he's straight and when he's sober, Wood says toward the end of their "Bigger Bang" tour shows were "a pain" because Keith was stoned.  However, Ron -- who now has three years of sobriety to his credit -- promises he's "not going to preach" to Keith but he'll "step in" if he sees "any danger."  The Rolling Stones will be playing four concerts later this year -- two shows in London in November and two shows in Newark, New Jersey in December -- which are part of the band's 50th anniversary celebration.


--Jimmy Page Secretive About New Solo Project

Jimmy Page says he's working on some new music.  The Led Zeppelin guitarist tells the BBC he's developing an idea that he's had brewing for "a long time," and "now's the time to do it."  He explains that he's collaborating with others on the project, but he's not just teaming up with big name stars.  Page won't divulge any details on the project, and adds that he's looking forward to "surprising people with it."  The rocker also hasn't offered a release date, but says he might put it out before the end of the year.  The upcoming studio effort will be the first from Page in nearly 15 years.  His last offering was 1998's "Walking into Clarksdale," his collaboration with Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant.


--Quick Bites

Marilyn Manson and Ozzy Osbourne are both contenders at the inaugural Fright Night Awards.  The rockers will face off in the Favorite Male Celebrity Who Dresses For Halloween Every Day category at the upcoming virtual event, which is part of the new blood cancer awareness campaign Cancer Bites.  Voting is under way now at FrightNightAwards.com, with the winners set to be announced on October 30th.


--Today's Birthdays

Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton is 65.
Scorpions guitarist Matthias Jabs is 57.
Former Divinyls singer Christina Amphlett is 53.
Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith is 50.  He also plays with Chickenfoot.


--Today in Rock History

In 1960
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, who knew each other in grade school, met again for the first time in years while on a train, where they discovered their mutual love of R&B and blues music.

In 1980
New Order played its first gig at a club in Manchester, England.

In 1991
Red Hot Chili Peppers released the album "Funky Monks."

In 1996
Nirvana's albums "Nevermind" and "In Utero," and Guns N' Roses' album "Appetite For Destruction" were certified multi-Platinum.

In 2001
Reps for Kid Rock were denying rumors that the singer and girlfriend Pamela Anderson were expecting a child.

In 2003
Papa Roach drummer Dave Buckner married Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler's daughter Mia during an Aerosmith concert in Las Vegas.

In 2004
Ozzy Osbourne's search for a new act for Ozzfest, which he did through the reality TV series "Battle for Ozzfest," made its debut on MTV.  The band A Dozen Furies won the competition.

In 2005
David Lee Roth was named as a radio show host replacement for Howard Stern.

In 2006
The late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain topped Forbes.com's annual top-earning dead celebrity list, as his estate took home an estimated 50-million-dollars in the previous year.  The grunge rocker bumped longtime list leader Elvis Presley to second place.

In 2007
The Sex Pistols played a one-off reunion concert in Los Angeles in advance of a series of UK dates.  It was the group's first performance in four years.

Twisted Sister's Dee Snider sang the country song he wrote before a Nashville audience for the finale of the first season of the CMT series "Gone Country."  The rocker lost the competition to Julio Iglesias Jr.

In 2010
Results from Ozzy Osbourne's DNA analysis were made public, which revealed that he's a descendent of Neanderthal man, has a six-times higher predisposition for alcoholism than the average person, and is alergic to caffeine.  Geneticists wanted to study the rocker's DNA in an effort to discover how he survived decades of substance abuse and hard living.

In 2011
Metallica made their concert debut in the United Arab Emirates with a performance in Abu Dhabi.