According to TMZ, former GUNS N’ ROSES member Chris Pitman has filed a lawsuit against the band’s lead singer, Axl Rose, over an unpaid debt for services the multi-instrumentalist provided to the group. Pitman says Axl wrote him a promissory note for the $125,000 he was owed for more than a year’s worth of work. In the suit, he says that amount was supposed to be paid by Oct. 2012 — but Axl never bucked up, and he’s been radio silent ever since.
In early 1998, Pitman joined GUNS N’ ROSES as the band’s second keyboardist and second bass player as well as performing backing vocals and percussion. He has been a member of GUNS N’ ROSES ever since and was featured on keyboards on the non-album single “Oh My God” in 1999 and on every song on the long-delayed sixth studio album Chinese Democracy.
On the album, Pitman plays mostly keyboards and sub-bass as well as programming and background vocals, he plays a 12-string guitar on “If The World” and a Mellotron on “There Was A Time”. He also co-wrote the songs “If The World” and “Madagascar” alongside frontman Axl Rose. Pitman co-wrote (alongside other keyboardist Dizzy Reed) an unreleased song which was performed live at Rock in Rio III entitled “Silkworms”.
Pitman started performing live with GUNS N’ ROSES in January 2001. He was one of the longest serving members of the band. Pitman filled in for Tommy Stinson on bass in a 2007 show that Stinson was unable to attend.
Pitman was replaced by Melissa Reese as the second keyboardist in April 2016.
