What happened to the voice of Axl Rose from Guns N' Roses? 

Last Thursday (8), one of the most expected and acclaimed hard rock bands took to the stage of Rock in Rio for the fifth time: Guns N' Roses. However, not everything seems to have turned out as expected and, despite the fans' affection for the artists that put the group together, a flood of criticism and questions emerged on the internet about the voice of Axl Rose, lead singer of the band. 

Several people have posted on social media that the artist's voice is no longer the same, as he no longer reaches the treble that drove the rock world crazy in the 1990s. in the singer's tone is pointed hardness. 

Since 2001, according to a report by O Globo, Axl Rose has been undergoing changes in his voice. However, in the current scenario, the idol has even had to cancel shows and promises due to his vocal health – Guns N' Roses canceled a performance in Glasgow, Scotland, which would take place on July 5th. In a single, Rose said he was following medical recommendations and revealed that he was making adjustments to reach the notes comfortably for his vocal cords. 

The cancellation came after receiving further harsh criticism at a show in England. “As you can see, I'm having some issues, but these shows are really important to us. So I'm going to need to change the songs a little bit vocally, I hope you don't mind. We would like to continue”, informed the singer during the presentation, which lasted less time than usual. 

“Axl was really struggling. He damaged his vocal cords. Sorry to hear you were disappointed. He really didn't want to cancel,” Richard Fortus, guitarist for Guns N' Roses, replied to a fan on the internet who complained about the sound quality at the English show. 

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But, after all, what could have happened? According to otolaryngologist Dr. Rodrigo Pêgo, in an interview with Technology Refugee, there are two possible causes for the loss of voice power: inappropriate use of it or changes in the body, inflammation of the vocal cords and throat, as well as allergic conditions.

“However, in addition to organic causes, we can also think of emotional conditions, such as stress, which can also alter the vocal pattern. The bad use of the voice, or voice imposition in the wrong way, also leads to failures. The continuous or permanent use of the wrong voice can lead to loss of voice power, both in the acute and chronic patterns”, explained the doctor. 

Many fans even questioned whether, in Axl's case, age would be an aggravating factor, after all, the idol is in his 60s, although he has shown willingness and promise, most of the band's shows no longer last as long as they used to (reason for debate on Twitter, because at the recent show in Brazil the band held it for three hours, even though Axl's voice wasn't the same).  

It's worth remembering that we don't even have to go that far to see singers who, at the height of their success, reached an exceptional treble, but who today no longer deliver the same tone or even retired their voice for good. An example of this is Zezé Di Camargo, who doubles up with his brother Luciano – but they are also working on solo projects. In 2008, the Spanish artist suffered a ruptured cyst on his vocal cords. At the time, surgery was performed on the area, but his voice was never the same. 

“Age interferes, yes! Aging, mainly of the voice, is caused by the natural action of our organism, where there is thickening of the vocal cords and, therefore, the reduction of joint movements, hormonal and emotional changes, bad habits, cartilage calcification, decrease in laryngeal musculature and loss of lung capacity. All this interferes with the vocal pattern”, said the expert, emphasizing that sex, in these cases, also interferes. 

“Male people tend to start the process of vocal alteration around 30 or 35 years of age. Women, on the other hand, only after 50 years of age, which is when changes due to the onset of menopause occur”. 

The voice and other diseases 

Here is an interesting point. For those who don't know, other diseases can also interfere with the vocal pattern. Although there are several conditions, such as cases of laryngeal cancer, which directly affect the region, the doctor highlighted two diseases considered one and predominantly present in the world: diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure). 

“In both cases, patients have symptoms such as dry mouth, cough, sensation of a foreign body in the larynx, have a rougher and rougher voice quality, and this negatively affects the vocal part and quality of life. But, especially in the case of diabetics, they have difficulty performing vowel extensions; they cannot prolong the vowel naturally because there is a reduction in breathing capacity when people without the disease are stopped”. 

It is important to point out that this does not mean that people who have diabetes or high blood pressure cannot sing, but special attention from their specialist professional is necessary.

Why do some singers lose their voices and others don't? 

Many performers who work with their voices have already experienced setbacks related to vocal performance, regardless of the onset of the aging phase, as many, who are still young, sometimes also take a break from the stage to recover. In addition to those already mentioned, we also have Adelle, Anitta, Steve Tyler (from Aerosmith), Justin Timberlake, among others. Everyone at some point in their career needed to rest their voice, temporarily moving away from shows.

However, the question that remains is: why do some lose their voices and others not? Is it care or genetics? Here in Brazil, for example, the singer Xororó, his brother Chitãozinho's duo, is known for a very fine vocal range – one of the famous interpreters of the song Galopeira, considered one of the most difficult to sing in the sertanejo world. 50 years into his career, the artist remains undefeated (as far as we know, although he does have some minor changes) when it comes to vocal power. 

“Some singers manage to reach or maintain the highs and others cannot due to several factors, including the medications they are taking. Misuse also sets him apart from peers; pre and post singing care is essential, vocal rest, not drinking cold things, but drinking lots of water, speaking slowly, taking care of breathing, all of this involves the pattern that will affect the vocal part of this singer”, detailed Dr. Pêgo, highlighting that a scenario of lack of care added to aging can explain why some, even after years of career, still manage the highs or lows and others do not. 

It is worth mentioning that both a singer who has a higher tone and a more serious one need to take care of their voice, since in both cases loss of power and failures can occur. However, people who work high pitches are more prone to wear and tear and injury. “The higher the voice, the better he has to do the warm-up of the voice and, later, also the cool-down”. 

Can singers who lose their voice get it back? 

It depends, in general, yes. But in the case of tumoral lesions in the vocal region, irreversible problems that sometimes require surgical treatment, the structure is altered, also modifying the person's vocal pattern.  

“When it's just a case of bad voice delivery, the indicated treatment is carried out and the correct way of singing returns to normality, as well as the power. Vocal rest is necessary, as well as medication, therapy and regular intense exercise. Since it is an organic issue, laryngeal cancer or injuries that require surgery, the patient will probably not be able to return to his normal vocal pattern”, said the otorhinolaryngologist, pointing out that, even in these cases, there are also therapies. 

In summary, for a durable, powerful and healthy voice, especially for professionals who work with the voice, singers, ENTs and speech therapists, it is essential. Voice care over the course of a career, medical guidance and vocal exercises will also determine the health of the voice in the future, especially the arrival of aging, which can bring changes in each phase. It is important to emphasize that excessive alcohol and tobacco consumption also contribute to voice loss, among other health problems.

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