"He doesn't have to prove himself": Fans defend Axl Rose over emotional tribute performance to Lisa Marie Presley

Guns and Roses lead vocalist Axl Rose recently sang and played the piano at Lisa Marie Presley’s memorial service. Visibly teary-eyed, Rose sang the popular Guns and Roses song, November Rain, in memory of his friend.

However, not everybody on the internet appreciated Rose’s voice, with him becoming the subject of trolling and insults. While one Twitter user said that Axl Rose was never a good singer, another user insulted that he sounded like a cat, which had its tail caught in the door.

However, Axl Rose’s fans were quick to defend the singer, saying that the tribute to his friend was heartfelt and touching.

Speaking about Lisa Marie Presley, who died of cardiac arrest on January 12, Axl Rose in his tribute statement:

“With Lisa’s passing, I knew if I was invited I needed to come to these ceremonies. I hadn’t planned on speaking, and when I was put on the spot, I really didn’t know what to say. I was tongue-tied and nervous, and I didn’t really know what I said. But I, as I’m sure many of you, are still in shock, as I feel I will continue to be for quite some time.”

He further added, saying:

“I never in a million years imagined being here, singing under these circumstances.”

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Fans double down to defend Axl Rose from online trolling

Axl Rose fans took to Twitter to clap back at at trolls and appreciated the way he sang, saying that his piano playing was impeccable.

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Axl Rose says that Lisa Marie was fiercely protective of father Elvis Presley's legacy

During the memorial, the Sweet Child O'Mine singer also said that Lisa Marie was “fiercely protective” of her father Elvis Presley‘s legacy:

“She was extremely proud, as proud as anyone could be, of her father and his many accomplishments and place in music. She was also very proud of the Elvis movie and how she felt it portrayed her father, and the care that was put into the film by those involved — [director Baz Luhrmann’s] vision and direction, and Austin Butler’s dedication to the role of her father.”

Lisa Marie’s son Benjamin Keough passed away in 2020 due to suicide. Rose, in his memorial addressed Lisa’s mission to help others in her time of grief, after the death of her son:

"With Ben's passing, Lisa's life and the rest of her family and loved ones took a turn down a hard road. She was honoring for honoring to the best of her abilities, seeking out help, choosing to help others who experienced or experiencing such a such a loss and pain."

The memorial service also included musical tributes from American musician Billy Corgan, who performed an acoustic rendition of the song To Sheila and Alanis Morissette, who sang her song Rest.

Lisa Marie passed away on January 12 due to cardiac arrest. She was 54-years old. The memorial service took place at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 21 to pay tribute to Elvis and Priscilla Presley's only child.