Izzy Stradlin Biography

Before GN'R was born, Izzy played together with Axl Rose in `Hollywood Rose´. Axl left Hollywood Rose for Slash's band `LA. Guns´(in which Duff n' Adler also played). In the meantime Izzy had booked a gig for the Hollywood Rose, but there was no band left, then Tracii (in L.A. Guns) booked a gig for L.A. Guns, but there was no band there either. The problems in those 2 bands was the begining of a new band, they mixed what was left of them and Guns N' Roses was born. The new line-up was finalized on June 6th, 1985. Stradlin' became the band's rhythm-guitarist, and after two days of rehearsal Izzy & Co. played their debut gig with GN'R on a Thursday night at ´L.A.'s Troubadour´.

Since that day Izzy have been written many great songs for the Gunners, and together with Rose he wrote the smashing world hits -You Could be Mine, -Don't Cry. But nothin' last forever, in 1991 (Nov 7th) Izzy left GN'R, but why? He explains it like this:

"I knew deep inside that it didn't feel right. I didn't understand any more what was happening or what direction it was taking.

I had no idea when the record (Use Your Illusion) was going to be finished. It was such a day-to-day existence, I never really knew what was happening. I didn't want to make promises unless I planned on keeping them.

I couldn't get the other guys to learn any cover songs with me or practice anything to fill in the space (when Axl wasn't on stage). I tried talking to Axl about it and he would just get pissed off. I was really fed up and unhappy with it. I felt there was nothing I could do to fix this thing.

I got to the point where the only thing you'd hear or read about was antics. There was no talk of the music, which is what it is all meant to be about. If the band is constantly in the papers for things other than the music, it's weird.

We had a lot of drugs problems in the band from day one, but somehow we managed to rise above that with our music and records. With the "Illusion" albums it kinda felt like the music had submerged beneath the bullshit.

I rarely saw the guy (Axl) except at gigs. The band had a great big aeroplane and I only rode it once I think. The one thing I wanted to see was the gigs running on time. And whoever was responsible for being late should have been prepared to pay the late charges to the union guys. It's ugly that it comes down to money, but we fucked away hundreds of thousands of dollars over these late gigs. Then there was the St Louis riot. we lost the PA, and that cost a quarter of a million dollars. I didn't think it was fair for the band to keep turning up late. People have got jobs to go back to in the morning, they have families and kids, they've got to get babysitters, and I just figured, `Shit´, these people are shelling out money for tickets, and we should be on time. If the monitors are fucked, too fucking bad. We should just roll with it and try to get them working.

It was made clear to me how things were going to be run (in Guns N' Roses). I slept on it and when I woke up in the morning, I said `That's the end for me´. i just felt like my opinions were no longer considered valid. It wasn't about being a rock´n´roll band and playing music any more. Life is tough enough to live day to day without an extra 501b of aggravation on your head.

The differences of opinion were between me and Axl. I tried to resolve the problems with him before I left, but it didn't look to promising. I'd known him for long enough to know what he was going to do things his own way, and I'd end up doing things my own way. We were both hard-headed in that sense.

I wouldn't say we (Axl n' I) were big friends these days, but I've known him for too long to carry on grudges or resentment. I feel about having been in the band and done some of that music and some of those tours, and I don't have any permanent scars. I'm still able to keep my balance on a skateboard".

When Izzy had left GN'R, Axl tried everything to get him back. Axl said (in April 1992): I talked to Izzy for four-and-a-half hours on the phone. At some points I was crying, and I was begging, I was doing everything to keep him in the band. There were stipulations, though; if he was going to do like the old Izzy did, he wasn't going to make as much money.

...When the guy's getting up at 6:30 in the morning and riding bicycles and motorcycles and buying toy airplanes, and he's donating all his energy into something else, and it's taking 100% of our energy to do what we're doing onstage, we were getting ripped off.

... I'm hoping Izzy's new album rocks. But at the same time it'll be like, `Why couldn't he do that with us?´ He wouldn't do anything. I'm angry with him bacause he left us in a very shitty way, and he tries to act like everything's cool.

When Izzy was out from GN'R, they started to look for a new rhythm-guitarist. Stradlin's compensater became Gilby Clarke, from `Kill For Thrills´.

Out from Guns, Izzy started to work on a solo record together with Jimmy Ashhurt, Charlie "Chalo" Quintana, and Rich Richards. They started the band Izzy Stradlin' & the Juju Hounds, and the result became a 10 track album.

During the summer 1996, Izzy wrote some new material together with old band mate Axl Rose, for the new Guns album. Does it mean that Izzy still could think about rejoining GN'R? Or did he just feel for helping the band with their new record? Well who knows?, guess we just have to wait and see.... .

Sources: *Guns N' Roses "Low Life In The Fast Line" by: Eddie McSquare. *Guns N' Roses "In their own words" by: Mark Putterford., + various magazines

- Axl Rose - Slash - Duff - Izzy - Dizzy - Gilby - Steven - Matt