Guns N' Roses Izzy Stradlin On Why He Quit GNR & How Axl Rose Was Mostly Responsible!

[@MannyNCF]

The old manager was right “Izzy WAS the heart and soul”. Band honestly was never the same

[@adamgriffith-smith9106]

MannyNCF well no shit, they all split form the band apart from Axl

[@joeymorvant161]

MannyNCF Izzy wishes.

[@talknewz7617]

uhm, NO. Izzy was the most BORING member of GNR! they've done well without him

[@adog2955]

@@talknewz7617 Yeah, their records after him have been real pieces of work.

[@joeymorvant161]

@@talknewz7617 I agree! He"s dull and overrated. With The Ju Jus or solo, he's ok. But with Guns, 💩

[@harrymills2770]

Izzy sounds like a pretty normal, probably relatively reserved guy, who got his life on track, and woke up to all the stupid around him. Life's too short to waste time on unnecessary drama.

[@DrJReefer]

He realised he was rich, didn't need to work ever again and said "fuck this shit"

[@miguellopez106]

How many years toured gnr? 5 years???? Not too much!

[@miguellopez106]

@@DrJReefer that's his argument when mr Rose requested his songwriting services after 90's

[@DrJReefer]

@@miguellopez106 I know. Izzy has a KZbin channel where he posts himself playing covers on his acoustic sometimes. Just like every other bored middle aged man with a guitar. He plays for fun and sometimes when the mood takes him he calls his mates up to record some stuff. He's got biggest rock band in the world money and he can walk to the shops and only people who know him recognise him What a great place to be in.

[@shaheedharun445]

Or being unemployed without a band

[@Danjoker.]

Nothing but respect for Izzy, a true musician

[@stanknugget]

Danjoker A true asshole.

[@ciaran6309]

Why?

[@stanknugget]

iLoveELOKIM1 Hahaha! Preach!

[@e_z_livn]

Mike Jones Hey M, yep, you would be hard pressed to find a bigger a$$hole than rose.

[@davidswindell2305]

Amen.

[@luckyluckyNo1love]

none of the band quit Guns n' Roses, they quit AXL.

[@SkyandDreams]

Nah most of them were fired for their drug addiction. One Couldn't deal with fame. Only Slash seemed to have some problems with Axl..

[@johnbeckwith1361]

@@SkyandDreams Try watching the video again moron.

[@SkyandDreams]

@@johnbeckwith1361 thanks moron. I can have my opinion and my thinking according to how I see things and what I know

[@officialchronicpainband5694]

No-one in this band can blame anyone other than themselves! AXL was a whack job as they grew, everyone was wasted, things fall apart....Yes AXL got goofy, but ANY band that tours for 3 years on any album (the ILLUSION ALBUMS), add the booze and drugs= demise....

[@hdksa3118]

@UC7ycpwVlBvFKAV08txWhHKQ You are an idiot, there is really nothing to justify the fact that Slash and Naiven forced Axl to sing even knowing his physical / mental health just for money.

[@jaynichols6868]

Izzy needs to write an autobiography. I'd trust his version of events over Axl, Slash, or Duff's. Despite being as fucked up chemically as Duff and Slash, Izzy was also calm, cool, and down-to-earth. When he got sober, he was even more so. He was the only member to grasp how ridiculous the "Biggest Band in the World" was back when GNR was the biggest band in the world.

[@adamgriffith-smith9106]

Jay Nichols Axl would also have a pretty accurate portrayal of events for two reasons. One that he was the most sober member of the band. Two because Slash and Duff have both said he’s the most honest person they’ve ever met and that he’s “real”

[@jkckmarcumful]

Izzy is the kind of dude that would have been satisfied just playing bars the rest of his life. He didn't need the fame. Not saying he didn't like it a little, but he didn't like it as much as the other members.

[@BBQROCKSTAR178]

Wow

[@edwinjewell5359]

I laughed Izzy says I had a Bus they had a jet and I beat them to the gig.🤣

[@degacci]

100% I would buy and read Izzy’s autobiography as well as Axls. I loved duffs because he had a different view, as much as I love slash I can’t just accept his version of events. I’d like to see all sides if possible.

[@willalford7562]

Guns N' Roses has never been the same without Izzy and Steven.

[@Godloveszaza]

They never had time to be better. The drugs and the problems. Chinese democracy was an amazing album though so that defeats that argument and izzy is very overrated.

[@David-p1h2q]

fuknArite

[@CoreyT127]

@@GodloveszazaChinese democracy blows!😂😂😂 Sucks when Izzy ain’t writing the songs like in GNR.

[@Moment-14]

Yes..... very estute point.... on the surface... Steven is clearly missed.... then the deeper listening.... I miss iz

[@hounddog3476]

@@willalford7562 that new song axl slash and Duff wrote is total crap.

[@simongunner5327]

Izzy was the true heartbeat of gn’r. When Adler left I knew gnr lost something but when Izzy left that was the death knell for me.

[@joeymorvant161]

Simon Gunner ????

[@TJake-gs5jt]

I agree and I like Izzy's song writings better than Axl and I hate Axl as much as I like him for destroying one of the greatest band in the world

[@spence7985]

look dude, how in the hell did spelling nail, knell, even remotely look correct. i respect the fact that you threw in a silent k, but damn dude.

[@victimology7761]

@@spence7985 you're trolling, right?

[@spence7985]

@@victimology7761 do you think think nail is supposed to be spelled knell?

[@davejohnson7583]

I had a bus they had a plane...and I beat them to the gig priceless quote

[@pinch2727]

I've watched that part more than a few times and laugh every time. The way he pauses and says "to the gig" is hilarious...

[@williamblair9597]

I think he had zeroed in on the problem causing most of the irritating side effects.

[@creepingdeath9795]

Same here, i was actually thinking about that clip the other day and was going to try and find it. Makes me laugh every time.

[@kevinb7126]

I just loved his playing style. More like a Keith Richard’s than the rest of the 80s guitar players .

[@tomacosta85]

Replacing Izzy is like trying to replace Keith Richards.

[@vernal6944]

Without Steven and Izzy G n R was completly diffrent. The rawness had disappeared. Honestly, Use Your Illusion was pretty good but really should have been 1 album. After that basically crap. What G n R was to people was Appetite and without Stevan or Izzy the magic never returned. G n R made a carrer out of one album really and that one tour was the REAL G n R. Everything else was a distant reflection. Just sad.

[@TheKaiTetley]

Tom Acosta. Its like replacing the sun. Can not be done.

[@eartheternal3565]

@@TheKaiTetley Thankfully the sun is probably a maintenance free phenomenon that has always been there and always will be without the need for replacement.

[@joeymorvant161]

@@TheKaiTetley Izzy WISHES he were irreplaceable like Keef.

[@faustnthefamilybargain5976]

Wrong: Its like replacing Ron Wood.

[@MaloneysDigest]

I never realized how much of a tonal influence Izzy had over the band until I started learning the guitar parts for GNR songs. He was the riff king.

thats the F'n truth.

[@eldoabrahamson]

No.

[@misterblack6521]

he is underrated like Mick mars.

[@HelloImNotJohnnyCash]

@Full Circle Jiu Jitsu and still looking way cooler than anyone else on the planet

[@roymartin500]

Very much the same type of player for sure. Mars got to flex his playing a bit more elaborately due to being a lone guitarist and when Izzy was the lone guitarist in Hollywood Rose he was really young. Both Blues Rock based and both have written and played some of the best rhythm guitar on earth.

[@gatsslegacy9380]

Mick is not underrated

[@kaskade5909]

Gatss Legacy Mick isn’t overrated either

[@ODYSSEUSMORTEL]

Mick Mars is crap

[@ritaalovett]

Izzy was the backbone of GN’R. The band fell apart not when Slash or Steven left (though they were essential too,) but when Izzy left. He’s a truly phenomenal musician.

[@metalfansavarani]

The sad thing is that axel and Izzy where best friends before guns and roses where even formed.

[@MegaMkmiller]

Yep!

[@forrmarques6731]

Why is that sad?

[@miguellopez106]

Money change people: millions of dollars!

[@dgenerated]

Everyone changes!. I've had "best friends" I no longer talk to either, its life!.

[@adspur]

Losing a best friend is difficult and life changing.Shame what success and money does to some people.Izzy didn’t want to go down the tubes.He wanted to be grounded and actually enjoy life.He’s a wise man.

[@Footbawl1]

Izzy and the Juju hounds album (1992) is an overlooked gem. Still holds up today.

[@leoborganelli3558]

Great album front to back!

[@shut-up-Beavis]

Surely you know about the hidden instrumental a little ways past the last song on 2nd side?

[@jraelien5798]

Yep. Great album.

[@johnsweeney3446]

​@shut-up-Beavis Yes, thanx for reminding me about that. Great fukin album.

[@bigmaxy07]

The band was done by 1991 and so was the scene. Izzy got out at the right time.

[@justfine77777]

bigmaxy07 I wish I could say that wasn’t true, but you are right. That era of music got a fork put in it around that time.

[@philzilla2k]

GNR were selling out arenas in 93

[@justfine77777]

Philzilla they got more mileage out of that musical scene than most, but it and them were on the down slide.

[@bluefluke9647]

There’s sod all evidence to suggest that the huge success of Nirvana and the popularity of Grunge bands ended GNRs career... Sod all evidence... there’s just the opinions of those that no doubt wished failure on Axl and GNR - The truth though is very different. Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ was released in ‘91, the same year as Guns released their UYI albums, and despite Nirvana’s huge success, it was Guns that went on to sell more albums and tickets in ‘92 and ‘93 than Nirvana ever did... Regardless of what the media perceived or conveyed, or what many hardcore Nirvana fans wanted, neither the popularity of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, or Grunge, did sod all to impair GNR’s career. It was difficulties within GNR that put an end to their journey.

[@Prince-233]

@@bluefluke9647 Exactly it wasn't fuckin grunge music or Kurt that did it the band just imploded mostly cause of Axl.

[@jpd632]

Suck when you're sober and everyone else is drunk and messed up.

[@miguellopez106]

I've been there! IT SUCKS

[@antithug7942]

Yep.

[@williamblair9597]

Must have been a lonely state of existence.

[@kooshashahvar1320]

That’s how axl felt between duff and slash

[@clintstryder1131]

Yup. I lost all my "friends" doing the same. Still better though.

[@murphmurph2124]

Smart man, bail out of the booze and dope before it really screws ya

[@wangbar1]

murph murph word

[@erickgregoryful]

Takes some serious fortitude. Listened to his heart. Good on him.

[@jonreid1632]

Izzy wrote all of the songs that mattered, he was the back bone of the band.

[@nessy9022]

It's So Easy by Duff McKagan and West Arkeen mattered.

[@davidmasner2991]

You got that right. Those songs from Appetite. ..I was in 7th grade when that came out. Everyone had that album. It was right around the time Straight outta Compton came out. Every kid in the neighborhood used to blast one of those two albums. Back when there were albums. Good call man, you nailed it. That album was mostly Izzy's in my opinion, even though you do gotta still give credit to the rest. Slash wailed and Axl's voice and screaming were just pristine for that whole sound and aesthetic. It's one of the best American Rock n Roll albums ever, Appetite. Every song on that whole tape [A side and B] is a five star song. Have you seen gnr live at Ritz 1988? Check Rocket queen, the closer on that and tell me of another American band better than them. The only two I can think of even close Aerosmith and Metallica, But Appetite is still a top ten, maybe top five best Rocknroll album ever. There was just something magical about them.

[@nessy9022]

@@davidmasner2991 Yes. Rocket Queen is another AFD song that Izzy Stradlin didn't write that mattered.

[@jonreid1632]

@@nessy9022 Good point. I stand corrected.

[@jonreid1632]

I am getting up there in age..well 51 anyways, but I am more forgetful nowadays. Rocket queen was my favorite song until I learned that Axle got Steve's girlfriend drunk and boned her in the studio to get her climax vocals I became underwhelmed.

[@davidnissim589]

Izzy was overshadowed by Axl’s ego and Slash’s overrated popularity. He wrote virtually of their songs singlehandedly, and never got his due (everyone says that Axl and Slash are GNR), so I can see why he quit.

[@degacci]

Every real fan knows how essential Izzy was to the band. He didn’t care about fame. He quit because he was tired of the drama and the lifestyle around him.

[@adamgriffith-smith9106]

Ok he’s a great songwriter and all but he did not write the songs singlehandedly, go read the album credits and you’ll see how untrue that statement is. And Axl and Slash did actually have just as many credits as he did, in fact those two were involved with more hit songs than Izzy. November Rain, Estranged, Civil War, Welcome to the jungle are just a few hits Izzy wasn’t involved with

[@mrsx7944]

Uhm no. Izzy did not write ALL of their hits by himself.

[@billybatchelor2863]

I was always upset Steven Adler was canned. Izzy definitely was the heartbeat of the band, even if that heart's arteries were clogged with plaque and high quality narcotics by that time. When I need my GnR fix I return time and time again to The Ritz gig in 87 or 88 that was the guys I loved as a 11 and 12 yr old kid.

[@CJEstradaMartinez]

Humble, Appreciative, Respectful, Sobering, Down To Earth, Classy, and Honest. That's what I took after hearing the account of Izzy Stradlin's time with Guns N Roses. He's forever got my respect and left before falling further into a dangerous abyss.

[@freddiecocker]

Izzy´s importance as a songwriter for GnR is well known, but I still discover new dynamics and nuances between Izzy´s and Slash´s recorded parts, and how important the 2 of them together are to that unique, raw and real sound of the band.

[@joeymorvant161]

Izzy's importance was non-existent.

[@zakur0hako]

listening to isolated guitar tracks really blew my mind

[@LucasFrancisco-uv6xv]

Slash and Izzy made perfect riffs works, I never heard nothing like that anymore.

[@spencerwilliams461]

Slash was just another generic flashy blues and glam guitarist of the 80s and 70s. You could have stuck any Blues influenced guitarist from that era and stuck them in that band to replace him. At the end of the day Izzy and Axl were the songwriters for the bulk of the material. They were entirely responsible for the sound and quality. Slash played "Rockstar" and the image of that up more than anything.

[@archangel5627]

Izzy is an excellent guitar player with a really cool and unique style. He is criminally underrated. I never understood why we don’t see more of him in other bands.

[@joeymorvant161]

Because he is deservedly underrated. Besides, I heard that after his time in GN'R, he developed an intense distrust of lead singers.

[@joeymorvant161]

@@j0seph1ne.mp3 No, I'm not saying it is his fault. Just explaining to the op the more than likely explanation for his not being in other bands. No harm intended.

[@joeymorvant161]

@Anderson Cooper They've been without him for longer then they were with him.

[@thelastperfectman4139]

@@joeymorvant161 his guitar skills are not exceptional, but he was a great songwriter. Without good songs, a band is nothing.

[@joeymorvant161]

@@thelastperfectman4139 Fair point, but others in the band wrote, also.

[@chrispetersen4863]

Izzy got clean and realized what was important and why he began performing, playing and writing in the first place. Mad respect!

[@val13c59]

When Izzy left. GnR lost their soul.

[@joeymorvant161]

They lost nothing.

[@sevenlittledots]

@@joeymorvant161 Ah yes, their singular album with original work, released 17 years after he left really shows how little they needed Izzy to be a functional band!

[@joeymorvant161]

@DnB and Psy Production YOU shut up!

[@joeymorvant161]

@@sevenlittledots He's just one dude.

[@sevenlittledots]

@@joeymorvant161 That co-wrote most guns n’ roses hits.

[@markthomas2436]

Everybody quits working with Axl Rose sooner or later. The ones who quit sooner are far happier about it.

[@TempoDrift1480]

What a kick ass channel. At 36 I've scaled down my 'Bad Obsession' with this band but I really appreciate the time spent sharing all this info that we never had back in aah The 90's. Thank a lot for operating the channel.

[@fyutffdtuibgfetu]

I didn't know Izzy could talk

[@Rose0004]

Izzy always was and always will be my favorite Gun.

[@michaelroecker4315]

Izzy had alot 2 do with all those guitar hooks on appetite.

[@davidwillis4361]

GNR ain't GNR without Izzy and Steven. The original 5 no more no less. That was the magic combo. Just watch the live at the Ritz concert, pure energy, like lightning in a bottle. I settle for what GNR is now but until it's just the original 5 members back on stage together it's GNR light. I like my GNR full flavored!

[@minigungaming5915]

Adler can't play anymore

[@davidwillis4361]

@@minigungaming5915 the hell he can't. He has videos all over KZbin since his stroke.

[@minigungaming5915]

@@davidwillis4361 You're right.

[@adamgriffith-smith9106]

David Willis yes, but there’s no ways he’d be able to play 3 hour shows on a near nightly basis around the world

[@davidwillis4361]

@@adamgriffith-smith9106 what makes you say that?

[@marvinthemartian6788]

Izzy created the grooves that fueled gnr. His loss led to their decline

[@wolftooth281]

It's cool to hear he wasn't bogged down by either half of the band, and he maintained his autonomy and was willing to say fuck off to both sides, to retain "his sanity" as he calls it. I respect him most for that.

[@OFR]

During this whole era, Ixxy had found this amazing girl who he married. She's one of the coolest people ever, and it made normal life much more attractive than dealing with craziness all around.

[@jaime-leeferguson5839]

Sounds like you know her

[@giraffesareselfish9563]

@@jaime-leeferguson5839 He knows Ixxy too.

[@hadenmoody8345]

I grew up listening to Guns N Roses and it's very surreal seeing Izzy speak like this

[@TT-mq2pz]

Ouch Man!! Izzy is THE founding member of G n R. (Fact: He is the only member never auditioned, a founding member, who was followed out to L.A. by Bill Bailey). He has writing credits on every song in the early days and the Hits from Illusions. He is the only truly credible member from the L.A. scene prior to the formation of his band. The other guys were totally forgettable players in other totally forgettable bands on the glam scene of the day. Izzy was the barometer of rock n roll cool... and it's his cool that got them accepted by L.A. locals... which is crucial. Until then, these are a bunch of young, unproven dudes. Listen to any song by either camp since Izzy split... there are certain techniques that have disappeared from the sound of Chinese or Velvet with regard to song structure... because Izzy was the key to the creation of the sound. He added the Jangle and the non-80's style... universal, timeless cool. Haven't heard a hit since he bailed, have we...?

[@emilytruex2684]

I agree with you 100%. I didn’t mean to sound so harsh but I’m just so frustrated as fan, I will always give a shit, I just think a majorly of people will not. So I will occasionally bring it up to keep the discussion going when I feel it’s fading. “Hoping for original G&R” ROCK ON!

[@brianyoung.5590]

T T so very true . Izzy was the soul of it all. Without him it will NEVER be the same. The way he laid down the Ruth's and mind you all its no easy feat to reign in all that distortion thru mainly semi hollow bodied guitars. True musician the other guys were ok Matt Sorum had fame with the Cult pre GNR everyone else post Appetite can kick rocks IMO . Never the same without Izzy.

[@yerzaat]

I sign your every word , man!! No Izzy no Gn'R songs worth listening. To the point where the tune "Sorry" is the only one from Chinese album that can get positive rating and it's obvious that Axl sings about Izzy in that song. There's so much metaphysics about Izzy. He's just born Rn'R kind !! I'm surprised that Axl, Slash and Duff have guts to do an album without him; surely they know that it will either suck or be good, but not in Gn'R style good. And they have to live up to the certain expectations of the fans. Fans which they just fuckin' robbed in last 3 years.

[@adamgriffith-smith9106]

T T that last sentence “haven’t heard a hit since we left, have we?” You do realise the exact same thing can be said about Izzy’s solo career, right? And he was not the founding member of GNR, Axl and Tracii Guns were by combining LA Guns with Hollywood Rose. It’s amazing how much overrating Izzy fanboys still give him to this day (and he didn’t have writing credits on all the illusion hits, November rain, Estranged, Civil War etc were not written by him)

[@clausm2203]

@@adamgriffith-smith9106 i must say from a classic rock fan i enjoy every izzy solo album its just straight up god old rock roll and if you listen his solo albums they have a lot of the appetite feel to them i think with out him and steven the true magic is gone...and if they do reunite they have to do it soon we are not getting any younger...:)

[@billyaltavator5425]

Mad respect for Izzy Stradlin. He was the heart and soul of the band.

[@bonnerscott5374]

and when steven left they lost their sound.

[@josemacedo4167]

Sim ele foi o fundador do Guns

[@wfyfwfyf]

@@bonnerscott5374 you're not wrong. The first time I saw GNR live on TV was the Ritz show, man Steven killed it! They haven't sounded the same since Steve Adler left.

[@spencerwilliams461]

Say what you want about Guns and Roses and how Izzy and Axl were the only real musicians and songwriters in the band, But Izzy Stradlin was well respected outside of the band by other musicians. He was essential to the sound and feel of the music.

[@stevenhenry5267]

Lol. Are you actually trying to say that Slash and Duff aren't great musicians and they contributed nothing as songwriters?

[@jaketobias449]

​@@stevenhenry5267It says what it says.

[@foreverforgiven1133]

Wow Izzy was the most grounded mature member...dude stood up for what he believed in and turned his back on millions for true happiness much respect

[@willk1756]

Saw GNR in Sheffield around 2006. Axl invited Izzy onstage for a song. The reunion feels hollow without Steven and Izzy.

[@joeymorvant161]

Without Steven.

[@omegatafkal]

It's been 40 years of silence, 40 years of pain...

[@theCotre50023]

14*

[@keymaster430]

@@theCotre50023 hate to be cliche, but...r/whoosh!

[@dirkdiggler7727]

Sooo this happened in 1980? Lol

[@theCotre50023]

@@keymaster430 You right

It is amazing how GNR could shit on their fans for years and not suffer for it. Gotta love HUMAN WORSHIP.

[@jamineli]

I absolutely love how you’ve actually done the work and read the articles and relayed them here on KZbin so we can all have the information for inspiration at our fingertips.

[@guybrushthreepwood8174]

Izzy deserves respect. Guy had a personal and ethical code, and when the band decide to say FYou to the fans and every one else, izzy was like fug this I'm out. Respect him.

[@timstrozier4228]

I'm glad that Izzy got himself together and got away from Axle's Bull Shit. Although I mis his guitar playing in G N R. He did what was best for him. Being an addict that is now clean. I understand that he did the best thing for himself. Also as an addict I know that us addict's are very selfish. Hey sometimes we have to be selfish

[@adamgriffith-smith9106]

Tim Strozier slash and duff also played a role in Izzy’s leaving, he got clean and didn’t want to be around junkies

[@alanjudd7537]

I Know, it's like asking 'Popeye, 'to Save 'Olive' 'Before',,, He's had He's Spinach.

[@murphmurph2124]

Yup! leave that shit alone it only gets worse, its no fun anymore

[@miguellopez106]

You have to think about yourself, no one will do it for you. Happy for you. Finally recovered. Life will never be the same. Even of you do it once it's not the same. Is not funny any more.

[@croslash1]

Another youtube addict....

[@CryptoTruthBombs]

What I always loved about Izzy was how reclusive he is. Still to this day.

[@SombraPiloto]

Just wish he could get over it for a tiny bit and go on tour. I'd roadtrip across the country to see him.

[@antlou123]

Izzy wrote most of the GNR songs. When Izzy quit, gnr started doing cover songs and then eventually they began to fade but then not really disappeared.

[@MrGunwitch]

Not really. Izzy would sometimes bring a shell of an idea but it was Slash who did the musical heavy lifting. I think Patience was the only true Izzy track.

[@antlou123]

@@MrGunwitch Slash may have added the licks and power cords but it was Izzy wrote most of the lyrics and rhythm.

[@MrGunwitch]

@@antlou123 First off, power chords ARE the rhythm in GnR. Secondly, Izzy wrote some of the lyrics (not most) and was the main writer for only a few songs (Patience, Think About You, Double Talkin' Jive and a handful of others). I used to play in a GnR cover band and am very familiar with the isolated guitar tracks for all their biggest songs. The reality is, Slash is the primary melodic songwriter for GnR, with Izzy playing a secondary backup role. At its core GnR is a guitar based band and Slash's guitar parts are the fundamental components for most of the songs.

[@antlou123]

@@MrGunwitch SMFH

[@quezlark7875]

Ridiculous demands....like showing up on time and not being so loaded you cant complete a set....the nerve of that guy i tell ya

[@mike4auburn91]

November 7, 1991: Izzy quits. November 8, 1991: I was born.

[@FDB.J.74]

Michael Dillon Harrison Jesus?

[@mike4auburn91]

?

[@jerrybulger5267]

November 24, 1991: Freddie Mercury dies

[@johnts1]

November 9, 1991 I got sober. 28 years later, still sober.

[@MrGiorgioud]

Mikey is that why Izzy quit, yeah?

[@jonesy2111]

I saw one of his last gigs with G n R a week or so after the St. Louis debacle. I remember the band seemed to have really lost something when he quit and he is the only one that I really respect

[@joeymorvant161]

Rick Jones When Izzy left, they lost a loser and replaced him with the far cooler Gilby Clarke.

[@esqigibraltar2609]

@@joeymorvant161 f u

[@joeymorvant161]

@@esqigibraltar2609 F U!

[@Mr-mopar]

For me Izzy was the backbone of that band..incredible rhythm guitarist..

[@dougjoseph3863]

You always knew when he was coming home because the van pulling the trailer with his motorcycles in it showed up at his house about three days before he did. I was at his house Nov 7 1991 in Lafayette and he told me along with the craziness he quit because he was being demoted and had less say so on the direction the band was going. BTW it's La fay ette

[@enricgmajoral5300]

That's cool information on the reason why he left...thank you!

[@connor5184]

Wdym you where at his house?

[@dirkdiggler7727]

Oh oh for real? You were at his house and know him personally?? Rriiiiiight

[@dougjoseph3863]

@@dirkdiggler7727 I was hired to do some work on his house and as it worked out I was there the day it went public that he left the band. Still have the pictures to prove it.....

[@adamgriffith-smith9106]

@@dougjoseph3863 could you link the pictures somehow? Not saying you’re lying, just curious to see them

[@fernfernacelli]

I’ll always wonder what GnR would be like if the members were able to grow together, and the lineup never changed…

[@jamiehoover9348]

In my opinion it would have been fuckin🔥🔥.. phenomenal 😎✌🏻I sure wish it would have happened 😒 although I at least can say that I really do love n enjoy the latter stuff an the semi reunion, but your so right, ya know... But your right, if only 😒

[@BasementPepperoni]

It would be interesting to listen to Use Your Illusion 1&2 if Steven Adler was never kicked out of the band. That, and/or Adler not having a stroke from doing too much coke. Adler has a great drumming style, and I bet that "UYI 1&2" would sound alot more......heavier? No, more like actual ROCK AND ROLL instead of experimental Blues/rock/country/classic/jazz hybrid. Thats one of the reasons why I only like maybe 3 or 5 songs on that album.............Also always wondered if all the original members would have done anything to curb the massive EGO that destroyed the band in the first place...........highly doubt it, but we'll never know I guess..

[@andrewhudson7108]

I imagine a mid 90s album would lean heavier towards their punk rock roots like Spaghettini Incident, with Dizzy’s/Axl’s piano being more industrial based synth.

[@briandetrick2688]

They would have been bigger than any

[@lifechiropractic1279]

They would have ended up on par with The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, perhaps The Beatles in their own right.

[@robkarp9835]

"My dog's dreamin he's runnin... I see him twitchin his paw..." Shuffle It All

[@Spright91]

Izzy knows the key to a happy life. Simplicity.

[@patrickgalvezpots]

you know what's funny? I've been a fan of GNR for 28 years now.... and the i wouldn't recognize Izzy if I'd see him walking next to me

[@trevor-johnsen]

But if I was ever in Indiana and saw a guy who looked like him, I'd definitely say hi to him. "Excuse me sir, can I ask you a personal question, are you izzy stradlin?"

[@MyDyerMaker]

The feel of their music was never the same after Adler was gone. It wasn't in the same atmosphere after Izzy left.

[@godstomper]

Izzy was very much gnr. After he quit Gnr was just a after thought

[@joeymorvant161]

Izzy was very much shit. After he quit, they got better.

[@chillmaster66]

@@joeymorvant161 Better? Jeez. Izzy was just the next step of a band completely falling apart. Steven was already gone and fucked up. Izzy left. Duff left. Slash left. If G'n'R got that much better after Izzy how comes that they never again released anything meaningful after his departure?

[@joeymorvant161]

@@chillmaster66 Don't know. They didn't all leave right after Izzy. Izzy was just one dude, one overrated dude.

[@nesta8518]

Izzy and slash were the best guitar team in rock and roll. There’s clearly a few sides to this story.

[@Bettyjo-rd6ne]

Damn straight slash is #1

[@Bettyjo-rd6ne]

Damn straight slash is #1

[@clausm2203]

Izzy seem like a smart man who just like to play some classic rock n roll and just live a normal life

[@erickgregoryful]

Crazy how Axl's voice broke this band and then later actually broke the band. Sad really.

[@adayinthelife5772]

He's the George Harrison of GnR Axl was right needing control as he was wanting to protect the future of GnR which was wise and also the fact of who was putting in the work like him and slash were and Izzy was in his own words scared of the business side. He checked out before he physically left. Couldn't handle the pressure which GnR were experiencing at that point when you gain fame. Nobody knows how they are going to react when your on the merry go round. You either get off because you don't like it anymore or you ride all the way till it stops.

[@romans52345-cy3tq]

Who's George Harrison?

[@skanderbeg1751]

romans52345 used 2 play with Sinatra

[@jukedar]

you hit it right on the head, good point or the Brian Jones of the Stones

[@kovy274hart]

@@romans52345-cy3tq who? Are you kidding? Google is your friend.

[@geekazoidz7483]

This has made get out of bed @3am put my Ju Ju Hounds vinyl on and do some work.

[@thelastperfectman4139]

Izzy is just such a chill dude. Axl is probably right when he said Izzy never wanted it (G ‘n R) to be as big as it got; definitely get the feeling he would have been happier to have been playing smaller venues without all the b.s.

[@shifty473]

Hands down ... the coolest member of Guns N' Roses.

[@MegaMkmiller]

I dunno … Duff McKagan is pretty serious competition.

[@jeffball6656]

A band is the sum of its parts. Axl May be the front-man but he alone is not GNR. Steven had a swing to his playing. That isn’t to slag Matt. Matt’s a great drummer but Steven has a cool swing/feel to his playing. While Adler had the feel, Izzy had the riffs. I’ve heard a few from within the GNR camp say Izzy wrote and/or originated most of the songs on Appetite. That isn’t to slag Slash. It’s to point out that it seems Izzy sowed the seeds of some great songs for Slash to solo on. This current reunion is cool but not what it could and should be. Seems money is part of the issue. And until/if Axl and co work up an equal split of the money... there won’t be a ‘real’ full reunion. It’s a shame. We’re all getting older - GNR too. It would be great if they could get along, get all five original members, record a great album and do a real reunion tour. But again, that isn’t likely to happen. Shame, that.

[@giorgikobalava7430]

Oh, you bet he is. There's no Guns' without him. The band revolved around Axl's sognwriting. He is n't just a frontman he's the band leader and a chief songwriter.

[@giorgikobalava7430]

@Rikin p Objectively ? hardly. I suppose word you were reaching for is "subjectively". Snakepit and VR sucked balls. One was generic and tired Blues based Rock and the other power chord alt rock trash. Yes, it' s obvious who was the talent behind the band after listening to the aforementioned albums. Chinese Democracy was n' t supposed "to sound like GNR". That' s what you mullet heads don' t understand.

[@adamgriffith-smith9106]

Steven Gallant they already did a super successful tour like that

[@giorgikobalava7430]

@Rikin p I'm not going to argue anything sport. Lol, not a real fan. Since when do you decide who' s "real fan" or not ? you are n' t exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, are you ?

[@SoloDallasII]

Yeah, that's just not true. Izzy only got credit on a good amouont of AFD, but that doeasn't mean he originated them. Rocket Queen was a song from Slash's previous band, Road Crew. And Sweet Child was Slash's riff, Izzy just put chords behind it. Yeah, Izzy had a hand in some great tunes, but anyone acting like he wrote the bulk of classic GNR songs is just factually wrong. Most of his songs on UYI were pretty lame; 14 Years, You aint the First, Dust n Bones... meh.

[@tommeredith7462]

Thankfully Izzy had the emotional intelligence to distant himself from GNR. After getting sober it’s my understanding the newly sober need to rid themselves of the trigger’s that causes a person to use drugs and alcohol. Axl being late was one of them. Plus his other band mates were still using and one can’t blame Izzy for making a clean break.

[@m3li55a5]

And then he immediately released a great solo album 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@chriswells6646]

Really good video- thanks! Hey Izzy- good luck! You made the right choice for yourself. Take care and be blessed.

[@theodoreconstantini2548]

I remember reading in Mick Walls book how Guns n Roses had to extend their Use your Illusion tour in order to make a decent amount of money because between, all the fines they received because of going on late, the law suits, and the out of control spending, they barely made a profit.

[@CaseyDarwin]

I love Izzy. Still listen to the JuJu Hounds. Besides how much influnce he had in the writing process, the way his and Slash's style of playing meshed was pure magic to listen to, especially in headphones as a kid. It always kept my attention wandering between the two parts. Just not the same without him.

[@jessehutchings]

I always wondered what happened with Izzy but figured it must be something like this. He seems like he was definitely the chillest guy in the band and he probably hated writing for Illusions because, to him, investing in more work with GnR was basically like writing his own jail sentencing. More infuriating shows and fights with Axel which would naturally be even more draining for him than the rest of the guys because it comes with the emotional baggage of being long time friends with Axel

[@stephenfreeman7808]

I was at the show after st Louis. As u said, it was in Dallas. That show was a close call. They were very late getting on stage. It started getting ugly. People finally started getting very rowdy. There were at least a couple of fires started on the lawn (It was at the Starplex Ampitheater). Everyone started throwing stuff (mostly water bottles) and yelling. This all happened quickly, and was snowballing out of control over the span of about ten minuets. Finally, all the lights went out in the whole place instantly. Immediately thereafter Axls voice come over the p.a. system and says "If one more fucking thing is thrown, then were out of here before we ever get started. Does anyone have a problem with that?" Everyone screamed "No!" ... Axl then says "then let's rock n roll". Immediately after he said that, the stage lights all came on at the exact moment that they hit the first note of "Perfect Crime". They played a full show, so it was very late when the show ended, because they started so late☺

[@stephenfreeman7808]

Crazy, I just saw the gnr central where u talk about basically discrepancies in the eddy trunk interviews. There is shown footage of perfect crime in Dallas, at the show I spoke of above. Axl is wearing a public enemy shirt

[@daveycooper4336]

Bob Dylan was so proud of Izzy

[@s.d.plissken8986]

When I seen the ju ju clip, all I could see and hear was Dylan from 76. Crazy

[@thankyou2532]

please explain what that means that bob dylan was proud of izzy

[@kkendall1964]

I remember Bill and Jeff when they skated at the Lever Plaza skatepark in West Lafayette. Jeff's nickname was Gonzo and that was written in big letters on the bottom of his board. Jeff was a decent skater.

[@stephanderouw7927]

It was Izzy's band in the 80's. He came up with the most ideas and wrote the most songs. His rhythm playing was the essence of the songs. He also can play lead guitar, listen for excample to the solo of Double Talkin' Jive.

[@adamgriffith-smith9106]

Stephan de Rouw it was not Izzy’s band, in fact Axl was the one who invited him to join gnr

[@adamgriffith-smith9106]

nobody nobody I know that, but it was Axl and Tracii who decided to combine the two bands

[@wbmarceloz]

I wish I had listened this back in 95 or 96 when I was desperetaly waiting for any sort of news or info

[@josephp2712]

IZZY WAS THE HEART OF THAT BAND NOT THE SAME WITHOUT HIM AND NEVER WILL BE AGAIN

[@CoreyT127]

Axl tried running gnr like a corporation with him as the self appointed CEO/accountant/management! Maybe the single biggest example of ultimate power trip and consequences

[@beefcake1973aus]

Apparently he got the idea from seeing how Mick Jagger ran things with the Stones.

[@adamgriffith-smith9106]

Everyone else was screwed up on drugs and making no effort so you can’t blame him for realising he had to do everything himself

[@ruthuhl1969]

​@@adamgriffith-smith9106Yes, thanks for speaking it out. He was fuc*ing exhausted after a while, being the boss, blamed for everything, doing therapy etc... and besides, I heard about other bandleaders, that this is their job, control things.

[@CoreyT127]

@@ruthuhl1969Right showing up hours late every night. And constantly throwing tantrums and ending shows. Is real leadership!😂😂😂

[@JW-zs1pz]

Izzy was def the heart and sole of the band. No Izzy no GNR.

[@gregbors8364]

He was definitely the sole. No one could fill his shoes 👟 👟 lol

[@goodfella2400]

Great video. 14:22. I understand his departure reasons. But aside from the short tour in late ‘92/early ‘93 for the Ju Ju Hounds, did Izzy ever do another full length tour of any sort?

[@tippytailmckitty2658]

I only remember Izzy's playing when I saw Guns live back then. He was really good. He wrote Dust and Bones, and played it totally different than it was on the album.

[@lucianalbu2055]

Axl Rose ego destroyed the band. What we see right now is just a shadow of Guns N'Roses.

[@miguellopez106]

Axl Rose is my favorite musician of all time. I am a devote admirer of his EGO.

[@rayjingloryproductions3770]

What we see --- is the "Axl Rose Show". NOBODY but -- HIM -- original in the band. It needs to be called -- "Axl and the HIRED GUNS N' Roses".

[@johantoru9022]

everyone has a ego especil,l,y a namn l,ike yours you l,ittt,le pedo

[@jacksonirving4594]

Izzy would mention freinds in Interviews so hopefully they would get In touch. So that was social media.

[@9eyeh8chu9]

Izzy’s the fukin man dude. He’s got it right. Guitars, Motorcycles, Skateboards.. my guy

[@სალომეგუგავა]

and he is HOT and I'm a overly hormonal fangirl from Georgia :**

[@emilytruex2684]

I know this is beating a dead horse, but is Izzy and Steven ever getting back with G&R before it’s to late and nobody gives a shit anymore? I for one will always give a shit! I’m just a frustrated fan. HOPING FOR ORIGINAL G&R....ROCK ON!

[@RockNRollTrueStories2]

your guess is as good as mine

[@cornstar1253]

Don't care. Too old too late

[@adamgriffith-smith9106]

Mike when did they say that?

[@mayujiya9047]

90th birthday 🎊

[@victimology7761]

"....Sometimes I feel like I'm beatin' a dead horse....."

[@mackin26]

There's a few Izzy concerts on the ol' Tube... you really get to see and hear what a great guitarist he really is.

[@dannytableman9452]

I met IZZY on the Appetite Tour 1988 Coranado Theater. I was 15 at the time. I was backstage or the venue and he was already on the bus and when he seen me standing there hoping to meet the band he came out of the bus and started talking to me. He was drinking COORS tall boys and offered me his beer and we stood there talking about the band and music as we shared his beer. and when Slash duff and steven can out to get on the bus he made sure to drag those guys into the convo. I kept Duffs pick taped to that beer can for the longest time. we kept talking until the bus driver told him it was time to leave. He was such a wicked cool guy. He really took the time to talk to the fans. The punk kid he didn't know know. but to him it didnt matter. this will always be a memory I hold close when it comes to GnR!!!!! How cool is it when a rockstar offers his beer to you and just wants to hang out!! then a few years ago I had the opportunity to be direct support for Steven. wicked crazy! I just wished I had the chance to tell him this meant to me..

[@jwblue575]

Hope Izzy is doing well .... it has been 30 years. What some bands/musicians do not realize is that just because you captured lightening in a bottle the first time around - that doesn't mean you will do it again and again. Mick and Keith seem to understand this. They would not be worth 10% of their net worth now - if they broke up. I think it is the reason why they still tour 50 years later. No tour by either one of them (separately) - will ever generate the amount of money that a "Rolling Stones' " tour does. I am wondering if sometimes you should just keep your mouth shut and take the money and run? You will still have bills to pay when you are in your 50s or 60s but, meanwhile you have not made the millions of dollars that you made when you were in your 20s. Hope he spent his early money carefully .... he deserves a stable retirement. Am very talented musician ... maybe the best in GNR'. Slash is the guitar player virtuoso but, Izzy is the best musician (imo).

[@theariesexperiment4642]

Izzy is actually a really good guitarist. He is a very misunderstood soul. Just because he stopped partying with the rest of the band, they ridiculed him. Izzy is an underrated contributor to the original GnR sound.

[@michaelmachung7233]

Izzy Stradlin was the coolest Guns N' Roses guitarist, he laid low and composed good songs for the Use Your Illusion records. Likewise, Steven Adler was the group's best drummer, it was sad to see him ousted. When both musicians disappeared, you can tell things started to become anticlimactic. By 1995, GN'R was over. But back to Steven Adler. In my opinion, I think the band fired him because they personally didn't like him, not so much for his drug addiction as they all used drugs; I read where he had gotten physically attacked by Axl Rose. Plus, they treated him like trash during the reunion tour by assigning him only two Appetite songs, then, as I recall, they eventually asked him to leave, or something of that nature.

[@gzuspeterson4748]

Izzy stradlin one of rock's greatest names ever

[@joeymorvant161]

Greatest losers ever.

[@jomesias]

Axl really liked to make the crowd wait! Looks like Iszy didn’t like that either lol Izzy was essential to gnr with his bluesy influences. He was the spinal chord of the songs, with his double stops and syncopated bluesy grooves. Just awesome, so sad he left but the band wasn’t going to last long. All of them were a bunch of nut cases lol

[@thomasfischer9259]

Izzy really was the soul of this band and made it work. No disrespect to Rose or Slash.

[@Chance-ry1hq]

He quit because he was burnt to a crisp from alcohol, drugs, the rock and roll life, and dealing with the nut job Bill Bailey.

[@RavnerRavner]

Izzy was the real deal. It's proof that he wasn't as sick as the situation around him was toxic. He knew that once he removed himself from the toxic environment his life would improve.

[@joeymorvant161]

Please. Izzy sucks.

[@markmontenaro1789]

Great band for that time in rock history ... but after 93 the media decided to go and change the way rock was delivered to us.even if Guns n roses stayed together it wouldn't matter , there music wouldn't get played by media rock stations or mtv...

[@HolyGhost66]

Izzy's songs were some of the best, especially on Use Your Illlusion

[@motelghost477]

I was there at Stradlin's last GnR show, Saturday August 31 1991 at Wembley Stadium.

[@danozism]

Anything else to add?

[@motelghost477]

@Alex Dee No moron, I was there, 16 years old. Watched NIN, ignored Skid row and went completely crazy when GnR came out, opening with "Perfect Crime". Ticket cost me 40 quid, which I bought from a record shop called Electron.

[@motelghost477]

@Alex Dee and you'll always be an insignificant little turd.

[@tieukhavu8832]

In 2006 and 2012, Izzy appeared on a few gigs with the Democracy era of GNR'S.

[@darthsmoke76]

I love Guns so much and Axl has always been my guy. I've never turned on him even if he deserved it. It must've been rough to walk away maybe it was easy but it's hard to imagine. A lot of people would have loved to be a part of that machine. I always wondered if Izzy had stayed how the last 25 years might have gone. I guess he did what was best for him.

[@talknewz7617]

YOU NEED TO CHANGE THE TITLE. WHY DO YOU CLAIM iZZY BLAMED AXL, WHEN IN REALITY DUFF'S, SLASH'S AND STEVEN'S DRUGS WAS WHAT IZZY FEARED MOST

[@forrmarques6731]

How do you know ? Everyone thinks they know but you don't know shit! Unless you were there right?

[@angeliquegunnels7433]

Because these are Axl haters. They blame everything on him.

[@kooshashahvar1320]

If izzy had problem with axl he wouldn’t play with him in 2012 notice how izzy was not in the reunion even though he could get payed lot its clear that he has problem with duff and slash

[@FlankinspanK]

What if Axl treated people with respect?? Totally different history then. lol

[@cadylight1545]

What if everybody stops blaming Axl for their own bullshit. Just because it's cool to backup the underdog and hate on the only person who gave a shit about the band.

[@SkyandDreams]

@@cadylight1545 exactly.

[@adamgriffith-smith9106]

@@cadylight1545 “hate on the only person who gave a shit about the band” I can’t emphasize how much I agree with that statement, Axls the reason GNR even have a name to this day because he continued to make an effort with it when no one else would