Just a day before their massive world tour kicks off, Guns N’ Roses have announced that keyboardist Melissa Reese will be sitting out the upcoming dates.
In a statement shared just ahead of their March 28th kick-off show in Mexico, the band revealed that Reese would miss the tour due to “unforeseen personal reasons”.
“We hope our fans understand,” the post reads.
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Initially, the tour was meant to wrap in September; however, earlier this month, the iconic rockers confirmed a string of Australian dates for November and December. It is currently unclear if Reese’s absence includes those shows. Tone Deaf has reached out to promoters for comments.
Reese has featured in the Guns N’ Roses lineup since joining their Not In This Lifetime reunion tour back in 2016. The run became the third-highest-grossing tour of all time.
She was originally brought into the fold by Chinese Democracy producer Caram Costanzo, per Rolling Stone, who was on the hunt for a musician “with a really unique set of skills.” Reese clearly fit the bill, stepping onto some of the biggest stages in the world.
Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2020, Reese reflected on her place in the legendary rock outfit. “All those experiences gave me this fire in my belly,” she said. “It made me learn shit and how to do it better than everybody else, so I could be the chick that breaks the glass ceiling.”
She also praised her bandmates for making her feel like part of the family. “Guns is definitely still looked at as this dude’s thing, where it’s a male club and there’s no place for a chick,” Reese explained. “But you could not ask for a better group of dudes… They’re protective of me. It’s beyond just having my back. We’re like a family, and they’re like my big brothers.”




