Steven Adler, born Michael Coletti on January 22, 1965, is an American musician best known as the original drummer and co-songwriter of the legendary hard rock band Guns N' Roses. With his powerful, groove-driven playing style and charismatic stage presence, Adler was a vital component of the band's meteoric rise to worldwide fame in the late 1980s, helping to craft a sound that defined an era of rock music.

Adler's musical journey began in his youth in Los Angeles, where he formed a deep friendship with a young Saul Hudson, later known as Slash. The pair bonded over their shared love of rock and roll, and together they formed an early band called Road Crew. Though that project eventually dissolved, the partnership proved instrumental in the formation of Guns N' Roses. When Adler joined forces with Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin, and Duff McKagan, the classic lineup of Guns N' Roses was complete. The band quickly became a dominant force on the Sunset Strip club scene, and their debut album, Appetite for Destruction, released in 1987, became a cultural phenomenon. The record, featuring anthems like "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Sweet Child o' Mine," showcased Adler's raw, energetic drumming and remains one of the best-selling albums of all time. He also contributed to the band's follow-up release, G N' R Lies, in 1988, before the group began work on the ambitious Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II albums.

However, Adler's time with Guns N' Roses was marred by his escalating struggle with substance abuse, particularly heroin and cocaine addiction. His personal battles began to affect his professional reliability, and during the recording sessions for the Use Your Illusion albums in 1990, the strain became too great. His performance on the track "Civil War" would be his final studio contribution with the band, as he was ultimately fired from Guns N' Roses due to his addiction. Following his departure, Adler briefly reformed his pre-Guns N' Roses band Road Crew, but the project was short-lived, and he largely ended his career in 1991 as he continued to battle his demons.

After years of personal struggles, Adler made a determined return to music in the late 1990s, briefly joining the band BulletBoys in 1998. He then formed his own group, Adler's Appetite, in 2003, which he fronted until 2011. He later led a band simply named Adler from 2012 to 2017, and since 2019, he has been performing tours as a solo artist, continuing to connect with fans and celebrate his musical legacy. Beyond his music, Adler has been open about his journey to recovery, appearing on the reality television series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in its second and fifth seasons, as well as on the first season of its spin-off, Sober House, in 2009. His enduring impact on rock music was officially recognized in 2012 when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Guns N' Roses, cementing his place in music history as one of the genre's most influential and resilient drummers.