* En anglais uniquement
The gals dug
Axl and the musicians dug
Slash, but the man in the back, guitarist
Izzy Stradlin, was just as much an integral part of
Guns N' Roses.
Stradlin's exit from the group in 1991 also signaled the beginning of the end for
G N' R, as they became more of the "
Axl Rose Show" and less of a full-fledged band. Born in Lafayette, Indiana on April 8, 1962,
Stradlin (whose real name is Jeff Isbell) developed a deep appreciation of
the Rolling Stones and particularly
Keith Richards. It wasn't long before
Stradlin had picked up the guitar himself and began penning his own
Stones- and punk-inflected songs, which led to his relocation in Los Angeles, in search of his rock & roll dreams. Playing in several glam metal bands on the Sunset Strip,
Stradlin fell on hard times, but continued to persevere. An old friend from Indiana,
Axl Rose, followed
Stradlin out to L.A., which eventually resulted in the formation of
Hollywood Rose. Through numerous lineup changes,
Hollywood Rose eventually became
Guns N' Roses, with
Rose and
Stradlin joined by lead guitarist
Slash, bassist
Duff "Rose" McKagan, and drummer
Steven Adler. Although the group fit in with the Hollywood glam scene,
Guns N' Roses was a different beast entirely -- their roots laid in gritty punk and blues-rock -- a reaction (at least initially) to all the glossy pop that was glutting the charts and airwaves at the time. It was also around this time that
Stradlin adopted a gypsy look, and played almost-exclusively classic-looking guitars (undoubtedly based on his hero
Richards).
Guns eventually signed with Geffen Records, and straightaway, issued one of hard rock's all-time classic and best-selling debuts, 1987's
Appetite for Destruction. But such incredible success caused problems for the young band, especially concerning drugs. With rumors swirling of an impending breakup, the group issued a spotty compilation of an early indie EP with newly recorded acoustic tracks, 1988's
Lies, but it wasn't until 1991 that
G N' R finally got around to issuing a proper follow-up to
Appetite -- the overblown, double-disc set
Use Your Illusion. With
Axl Rose's ego out of control, as evidenced by tardiness and riots at shows caused by his antics,
Stradlin had just about had all he could handle (he was also trying to lead a drug-free lifestyle, which proved hard while on the road) and abruptly quit the band mid-tour in late 1991. It didn't take
Stradlin long to form another band, as he launched
the Stones carbon copy
Izzy Stradlin & the Ju Ju Hounds, which broke up after issuing a moderately successful self-titled debut album in 1992 (
Stradlin briefly re-joined
Guns for a smattering of gigs the same year before departing for good). In the wake of
the Ju Ju Hounds breakup,
Stradlin became quite reclusive, disappearing from sight for several years. The late '90s saw him reappear with fervor, however, as he issued a string of solo albums -- 1998's
117°, 1999's
Ride On, 2001's
River, and 2002's On Down the Road, and even managed to play a handful of solo shows in Japan.
Stradlin has also signed on to help out in the songwriting department for the new
G N' R-related offshoot group, the Project (featuring
Guns alumni
Slash,
McKagan, and latter-day drummer
Matt Sorum), but will not be a touring member of the group. ~ Greg Prato