Rocket Queen

“For years, I drank and used drugs out of shame over it,” says Adriana Smith, known by Guns N’ Roses fans as the girl heard having sex with Axl Rose in the recording studio during the song “Rocket Queen.”

“I was dating the drummer [Steven Adler] at the time, and we got in a little tussle about whether or not I was his girlfriend.… I was boozing it up in the studio, and Axl propositioned me. Axl and I had always kind of tempted fate, and once we got together, it was like fire and gasoline.”

The track appeared on GNR’s debut album in 1987.

“Axl had visions of taking me on the road with them, and we’d have live sex shows behind a screen onstage. I mean, the guy’s a genius; he has crazy, over-the-top ideas.” However, Smith – then 19 – declined.

“I probably lost a lot of money, but I didn’t want to be seen as the groupie lowlife boyfriend-stealing slut.” She says the last time she met up with Rose was a chance encounter at a 1998 party.

Smith’s identity remained unknown for many years. She settled in San Diego nearly 20 years ago, had a daughter, and began working as a drug-and-alcohol counselor.

“I’m 15 years sober,” she says. “I went public because I’ve been trying to make my amends to my past. Axl had a girlfriend at the time, who later became his wife.… I let Axl down by shooting down his big plans, and I also let Steven down; he was really upset about it.”

Smith fronts the local band Ghost in the Graveyard, the current lineup of which makes its debut on Halloween at Bailey Barbecue in Julian.

“There’s a song on our [upcoming] CD called ‘CFM,’ ‘Come Find Me,’ which is actually written to Axl,” says Smith. “I have no doubt that at some point we’ll meet up again. Maybe the gas will be on the fire again!”

– Jay Allen Sanford