GUNS N' ROSES guitarist DJ Ashba is featured in a new interview with Leslie Michele Derrough at Glide Magazine. An excerpt is available below:

Q: When did you realize that you wanted to become a business person behind what you wanted to do?

Ashba: "A couple different things. When people ask me who were my influences, it was never guitar players, it was never, so to speak, musicians. I’ve always looked up to certain people but my true influences in life were people like Walt Disney, people like Steve Jobs, people that really came and changed the world in a much bigger way than just a dream. They’ve changed the world in a massive way. And I always felt like I was put here to do something great, like really beyond music. I still to this day don’t think I’ve found the real reason why I’m here, you know. People are like, 'But you’re in the biggest band in the world' and I go, yeah, but there is something inside that I keep searching for and I think before I go there is going to be something, I’m pretty confident, that is going to be kind of the reason I’m known for. And I don’t think it’s going to be music-related, which is weird."

Q: What was your biggest challenge into the business world?

Ashba: "I think in a big way it’s the clothing. The clothing I’ve been trying to do for fifteen years and I could never get it right, cause clothing is a really tough thing to get into. You’ve got to really know what you’re doing and I’ve made a lot of mistakes and I learned from them but I never gave up. And I think that’s half of it, you know. I’ve always said it’s never hard to do anything you wanted to achieve your dreams; it’s hard not to give up. So if you don’t give up on your dream, you will succeed and you will get to your ultimate goal. I come from a place where it’s like you can have anything in life you wanted as long as you wanted it bad enough and you’re willing to work as hard as it takes to get it. And I’m a hard worker and when I get focused on a goal, no one can detour me from it. And I love it. It’s fun."

Click here for the complete interview.

As previously reported, Hard Rock Hotel and AEG Live are teaming up in support of the Red Cross during the remainder of the Guns N' Roses Appetite For Democracy residency shows at The Joint in Las Vegas, NV. While attending the show, text “REDCROSS to 90999” to donate $10. Both Hard Rock Hotel and AEG Live will match donations, up to $5,000. Do your part to help those in need in the areas directly affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Axl Rose and co. have taken over Sin City now through November 24th with Appetite For Democracy — the band's much anticipated and talked about residency at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. Appetite For Democracy will span the band's biggest hits from their debut album Appetite For Destruction (1987) through their platinum-selling record Chinese Democracy (2008). Remaining shows are as follows:

November

21 - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, NV
23 - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, NV
24 - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, NV