Chris Stapleton Joins Guns N’ Roses for a Surprise “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” Performance
Chris Stapleton returned to the stage with Guns N’ Roses nearly a decade after opening for the band in Nashville, joining Axl Rose, Slash and the rest of the group for a surprise rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” in Toronto.
The unexpected collaboration took place August 5 at Rogers Stadium, where Guns N’ Roses were performing a sold-out show as part of their 2026 world tour. Stapleton, who was already in Toronto for his own headlining concert at the same venue the following night, stepped onto the stage during the band’s performance and shared lead vocals with Rose while playing rhythm guitar.
The moment was especially fitting given Stapleton’s history with the band. In July 2016, he opened for Guns N’ Roses at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, shortly after the group reunited for its Not in This Lifetime Tour.
At the time, Stapleton told the Nashville crowd, “When I was a kid, if you’d have told me I’d be up here playing before Guns N’ Roses, I’d have called you a liar.”
Ten years later, he found himself onstage with the band itself.
A Surprise Toronto Collaboration
Guns N’ Roses returned to Toronto on August 5 for the first time in three years, bringing their current world tour to Rogers Stadium. The tour features special guests including The Black Crowes, Ice Cube, Pierce the Veil, Public Enemy and The Barbarians of California.
By the time Stapleton appeared, the band had already worked through much of its extensive set. He joined Guns N’ Roses for the 19th song of the night, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” according to the concert setlist. The performance stretched to roughly nine minutes, giving Stapleton and the band plenty of room to settle into the familiar rock arrangement.
Stapleton and Axl Rose traded lead vocals throughout the performance, while Stapleton added rhythm guitar beneath Slash’s playing.
For fans in the stadium, the appearance connected two very different chapters of Stapleton’s career: the Nashville singer who once opened for Guns N’ Roses and the established country star now sharing a stage with one of rock’s most recognizable bands.
The Long History of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”
The song itself has an even longer history.
Bob Dylan wrote and originally recorded “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” for the 1973 film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. It went on to become one of Dylan’s best-known songs, reaching the Top 10 in numerous countries and inspiring recordings by artists including Eric Clapton and Randy Crawford.
Guns N’ Roses had already made the song a major part of their own live identity decades before Stapleton joined them.
The band began performing “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” during its live shows in 1987. A live recording appeared that year as part of the “Welcome to the Jungle” single release, while the group recorded a studio version in 1990 for the Days of Thunder soundtrack. That recording later evolved into the version associated with Use Your Illusion II.
Guns N’ Roses also performed the song at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium in London on April 20, 1992. That performance was later released in connection with the band’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” single and appeared on Live Era ’87–’93.
The song has therefore remained part of the Guns N’ Roses story from the band’s early years through its most important live performances.
A Full-Circle Moment for Stapleton
Stapleton’s connection with Guns N’ Roses goes beyond that 2016 opening slot.
His Nashville appearance came at a pivotal point in his own career, and the experience gave him an opportunity to meet Axl Rose backstage. Stapleton later recalled the encounter positively, describing Rose as a gentleman and saying they briefly talked about music.
The relationship with Slash also developed over the years. The guitarist later invited Stapleton to contribute vocals to “Oh Well,” a Fleetwood Mac cover featured on Slash’s 2024 solo album Orgy of the Damned.
That makes the Toronto performance another chapter in a connection that began when Stapleton was still opening shows for Guns N’ Roses.
For the Toronto crowd, though, the history was condensed into one unexpected moment: Stapleton walked onto the Rogers Stadium stage and joined Rose, Slash and Guns N’ Roses on one of the band’s most enduring covers.
Watch Chris Stapleton perform “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” with Guns N’ Roses in Toronto in the video below.