# Paul Tobias
**Paul Tobias**, also known as **Paul Huge**, is an American guitarist and songwriter best known for his work with the hard rock band [Guns N' Roses](https://www.edgepedia.org/guns-n-roses), where he served as rhythm guitarist from 1994 to 2002 and contributed songwriting to the album *Chinese Democracy* (2008).[12](https://blabbermouth.net/news/guns-n-roses-paul-huge-out-psychedelic-furs-axeman-in) He was a childhood friend of singer [Axl Rose](https://www.edgepedia.org/axl-rose) and had been writing with him since before the band formed.[1](https://gunsnroses.fandom.com/wiki/Paul_Tobias)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | Paul Tobias, also known as Paul Huge; born in the early 1960s in Indianapolis, Indiana[2](https://www.gnrfrance.net/biographie-guns-n-roses/groupe-profils-bio-paul-tobias-5.htm) |
| Role in Guns N' Roses | Rhythm guitar and backing vocals; member 1994–2002[13](https://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/news/shownews.php?newsid=470) |
| Early co-writes | "Back Off Bitch" (co-written with Axl Rose in 1982, released on *Use Your Illusion I*, 1991) and "Shadow of Your Love"[2](https://www.gnrfrance.net/biographie-guns-n-roses/groupe-profils-bio-paul-tobias-5.htm) • [3](https://morgancayre.com/liseuse-pdf-url/gp268.pdf) |
| 1994 recording | Played on the band's cover of the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" for the *Interview with the Vampire* soundtrack, overdubbing over Slash's solo[1](https://gunsnroses.fandom.com/wiki/Paul_Tobias) |
| *Chinese Democracy* (2008) | Co-writer on seven songs and rhythm guitarist on ten tracks; AllMusic also credits him on arranger, guitar, and piano[1](https://gunsnroses.fandom.com/wiki/Paul_Tobias) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-tobias-mn0000378868) |
| Later work | Guitarist of the band Mank Rage after leaving Guns N' Roses[5](https://mexpedia.org/index.php/Paul_Tobias) |
## Origins and early songwriting
Tobias was born in the early 1960s in [Indianapolis](https://www.edgepedia.org/indianapolis), Indiana, and grew up in [Lafayette, Indiana](https://www.edgepedia.org/lafayette-indiana), like Axl Rose.[2](https://www.gnrfrance.net/biographie-guns-n-roses/groupe-profils-bio-paul-tobias-5.htm) Sources disagree on his exact birth date: one profile gives 1963, while the French Guns N' Roses fan site states that his precise date of birth is not known.[2](https://www.gnrfrance.net/biographie-guns-n-roses/groupe-profils-bio-paul-tobias-5.htm)
His songwriting connection with Rose goes back to before Guns N' Roses existed. In 1982, after moving to Los Angeles, he co-wrote "Back Off Bitch" with Rose; the song did not appear on record until 1991, on *Use Your Illusion I*, nine years later.[2](https://www.gnrfrance.net/biographie-guns-n-roses/groupe-profils-bio-paul-tobias-5.htm) He also co-wrote "Shadow of Your Love", which the band re-recorded for the *Appetite for Destruction* sessions and released as the B-side of the single "It's So Easy", earning him a credit on the album.[3](https://morgancayre.com/liseuse-pdf-url/gp268.pdf) • [5](https://mexpedia.org/index.php/Paul_Tobias)
## Joining Guns N' Roses in 1994
In 1994, after the band dismissed rhythm guitarist [Gilby Clarke](https://www.edgepedia.org/gilby-clarke), Rose brought in Tobias to play on the band's cover of the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil", recorded for the soundtrack of the film *Interview with the Vampire*.[2](https://www.gnrfrance.net/biographie-guns-n-roses/groupe-profils-bio-paul-tobias-5.htm) The recording featured Rose's childhood friend and [Hollywood Rose](https://www.edgepedia.org/hollywood-rose) collaborator Paul "Huge" Tobias on rhythm guitar.[6](https://avoca-group.com/uploads/file/afa13c29-a0ed-4400-be29-9e7fe524d9ba.pdf)
**Tension with the classic lineup.** The decision to replace Clarke without consulting the other members caused friction. Slash and [Duff McKagan](https://www.edgepedia.org/duff-mckagan) were unhappy with Rose's decision, and relations between Slash and Tobias were poor.[2](https://www.gnrfrance.net/biographie-guns-n-roses/groupe-profils-bio-paul-tobias-5.htm) On "Sympathy for the Devil", Tobias recorded an overdub over Slash's guitar solo, which became a specific point of conflict.[1](https://gunsnroses.fandom.com/wiki/Paul_Tobias) Drummer Matt Sorum later called Tobias "the Yoko Ono of Guns N' Roses", and [Slash](https://www.edgepedia.org/slash-musician) accused Rose of running the band "like a dictator" before leaving; Sorum and McKagan followed him out, with McKagan quitting in 1997.[7](https://elpais.com/icon/2024-11-23/17-anos-de-peleas-veto-en-china-y-un-gallinero-en-el-estudio-la-historia-del-ultimo-gran-fracaso-de-guns-n-roses.html)
Rose, however, valued him highly. At [Rock in Rio](https://www.edgepedia.org/rock-in-rio) 3, Rose said that "if it weren't for Paul, there would be no more Guns N' Roses."[8](https://www.geocities.ws/gnrlocomotive/integrantes.html)
## Chinese Democracy and later years
Tobias remained with the band through its long, revolving-door period, playing live with Guns N' Roses as late as 2001.[1](https://gunsnroses.fandom.com/wiki/Paul_Tobias) In 1999 he co-wrote "Oh My God" with keyboardist [Dizzy Reed](https://www.edgepedia.org/dizzy-reed), a song recorded for the *End of Days* soundtrack era.[1](https://gunsnroses.fandom.com/wiki/Paul_Tobias)
His largest contribution came on *Chinese Democracy*, released in 2008 after roughly 14 years in the making. He co-wrote seven songs on the album and can be heard playing rhythm guitar on ten tracks.[1](https://gunsnroses.fandom.com/wiki/Paul_Tobias) AllMusic credits him on the album as arranger, composer, guitarist, and pianist.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-tobias-mn0000378868) He is a co-writer of the album's title track, alongside Rose, guitarists [Robin Finck](https://www.edgepedia.org/robin-finck), bassist [Tommy Stinson](https://www.edgepedia.org/tommy-stinson), keyboardist Dizzy Reed, and others.[9](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/it-had-a-swing-and-a-weird-swagger-to-it-that-cant-really-be-duplicated-kind-of-like-lightning-in-a-bottle-ex-guns-n-roses-drummer-josh-freese-says-that-nobody-can-play-those-classic-gnr-songs-like-og-drummer-steven-adler-did) When the album was finally released, his recorded parts remained on it; earlier expectations that [Richard Fortus](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-fortus) had re-recorded Tobias's work proved unfounded, with Fortus appearing lightly on only two tracks.[10](https://www.gnrevolution.com/viewtopic.php?id=5470)
He is reported to be the current guitarist of the band Mank Rage.[5](https://mexpedia.org/index.php/Paul_Tobias)
## A note on the name
Database sites list more than one musician under the name Paul Tobias. A separate AllMusic profile of the same name belongs to a cellist whose credits include string-quartet tribute albums and recordings with [George Benson](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-benson); this is a different person from the Guns N' Roses guitarist.[11](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-tobias-mn0002144031)
## References
1. [Paul Tobias | Guns N Roses Wiki | Fandom](https://gunsnroses.fandom.com/wiki/Paul_Tobias)
2. [Profils des membres de Guns N' Roses > Paul Tobias, GN'R France](https://www.gnrfrance.net/biographie-guns-n-roses/groupe-profils-bio-paul-tobias-5.htm)
3. [Les guitaristes des Guns n' Roses (PDF)](https://morgancayre.com/liseuse-pdf-url/gp268.pdf)
4. [Paul Tobias — Credits, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-tobias-mn0000378868)
5. [Paul Huge - Mexpedia](https://mexpedia.org/index.php/Paul_Tobias)
6. [Guns n' roses portugal 2025 (PDF)](https://avoca-group.com/uploads/file/afa13c29-a0ed-4400-be29-9e7fe524d9ba.pdf)
7. [17 años de peleas, veto en China y porno duro en el estudio, El País ICON (2024)](https://elpais.com/icon/2024-11-23/17-anos-de-peleas-veto-en-china-y-un-gallinero-en-el-estudio-la-historia-del-ultimo-gran-fracaso-de-guns-n-roses.html)
8. [GN'R Locomotive — member profiles](https://www.geocities.ws/gnrlocomotive/integrantes.html)
9. [Josh Freese on Steven Adler and Chinese Democracy, MusicRadar](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/it-had-a-swing-and-a-weird-swagger-to-it-that-cant-really-be-duplicated-kind-of-like-lightning-in-a-bottle-ex-guns-n-roses-drummer-josh-freese-says-that-nobody-can-play-those-classic-gnr-songs-like-og-drummer-steven-adler-did)
10. [GNR Evolution forum — GNR article (Daily Music Guide)](https://www.gnrevolution.com/viewtopic.php?id=5470)
11. [Paul Tobias (cellist) — Credits, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-tobias-mn0002144031)
12. [GUNS N' ROSES: PAUL HUGE Out, PSYCHEDELIC FURS Axeman In - BLABBERMOUTH.NET](https://blabbermouth.net/news/guns-n-roses-paul-huge-out-psychedelic-furs-axeman-in)
13. [HTGTH.com: Guns N' Roses News: Guns N' Roses Trade Paul Huge For Psychedelic Furs' Guitarist, heretodaygonetohell.com](https://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/news/shownews.php?newsid=470)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Rock, metal, and popular-band musicians › Hard rock and glam metal › Hard rock guitarists*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license