Scottish hard rock band Nazareth paved the way for the metal stars of the 80s, which is why the tragic passing of vocalist Dan McCafferty earlier this month was a huge blow to the millions he touched. Among the many bands that Nazareth inspired is Guns N’ Roses, and frontman Axl Rose made it a point to give the late singer his flowers in a Twitter post. On November 19, in a tweet that began as a thank-you note to fans who attended his show in Perth, Rose went on to write about McCafferty’s death and the impact it had on him. Read the full post below:
— Axl Rose (@axlrose) November 20, 2022
Guns N’ Roses covered the Nazareth song, “Hair Of The Dog,” on their 1993 album, The Spaghetti Incident? Rose even asked McCafferty to sing at his 1990 wedding to Erin Everly, but was turned down due to touring commitments.
Nazareth bassist Pete Agnew said the following about Rose’s failed attempt: “They would have liked Dan to do it, but we were touring. It just wasn’t possible. He would have [gone]. Dan would have [gone] along and sung. I think possibly the song outlasted the marriage. In the early days, Guns N’ Roses used to come and see us, before they were huge.”
During a 1988 show, Rose said the following to his audience: “If it wasn’t for Dan McCafferty and Nazareth, I wouldn’t be singing. I used to lock myself in the bathroom and try to hit those notes in ‘Love Hurts,’ ya know?” (Blabbermouth)