Izzy Stradlin

Izzy Stradlin
Stradlin at a Guns N' Roses concert in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Jeffrey Dean Isbell
Born	(1962-04-08) April 8, 1962 (age 54) Lafayette, Indiana, U.S.
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Hard rock, heavy metal, blues rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Guitar, vocals, drums
Years active	1979–present
Labels	UZI Suicide, Geffen, Sanctuary, Victor, Cleopatra
Associated acts	Guns N' Roses, Ju Ju Hounds, Velvet Revolver, Slash, Duff McKagan, Hollywood Rose, London, Naughty Women, The Babysitters, The Atoms, Shire
Website	https://twitter.com/izzystradlin999
Notable instruments
Fender Telecaster Gibson ES-175 Gibson ES-135 Gibson Les Paul Custom

Jeffrey Dean Isbell (born April 8, 1962), best known as Izzy Stradlin, is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the co-founder and former rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, which he left at the height of their fame in 1991, and with whom he recorded three studio albums.

Following his departure from Guns N' Roses, Stradlin' fronted his own rock band Izzy Stradlin and the Ju Ju Hounds, before continuing to record as a solo artist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Guns N' Roses in 2012.

Stradlin was born as Jeffrey Dean Isbell in Lafayette, Indiana. His father was an engraver, and his mother worked for a phone company; they divorced when he was eight. Of his hometown, Stradlin later said, "It was cool growing up there. There's a courthouse and a college, a river and railroad tracks. It's a small town, so there wasn't much to do. We rode bikes, smoked pot, got into trouble—it was pretty Beavis and Butt-Head actually."

Stradlin developed an interest in music early in life; by the age of eight, his musical favorites included Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, and Led Zeppelin. His biggest musical influence was his paternal grandmother, who played drums in a swing jazz band with her friends. Inspired, Stradlin talked his parents into buying him a drum kit.

In high school, Stradlin started a band with his friends, one of whom was singer William Bailey, later known as Axl Rose. Stradlin recalled, "We were long-haired guys in high school. You were either a jock or a stoner. We weren't jocks, so we ended up hanging out together. We'd play covers in the garage. There were no clubs to play at, so we never made it out of the garage." Despite his aversion to school, Stradlin graduated in 1979 with a D average. Set on a career in music, he subsequently moved to Los Angeles, California.