Neil Shah has been tweeting out content from his new Wall Street Journal article on former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin. View the tweets below:
GN’R’s ongoing “Not in This Lifetime…” tour has grossed $475 million so far. It’s the highest-grossing reunion tour and the fourth-highest grossing tour overall, after Coldplay (2016-2017, $523m), The Rolling Stones (2005-2007, $558m) and U2 (2009-2011, $736m) (Billboard).
Izzy Stradlin is the only GNR co-founder who has played no role. “For him not to be part of it is absolutely egregious,” former GNR (and Izzy) mgr Alan Niven says. “Who moved to L.A. first?” Niven says. “The very definition of Guns N’ Roses comes from the marrow of his bones.”
Here’s GN’R co-founder and bassist Duff McKagan on Izzy’s role in the group (from Duff’s 2011 book): “Without his initial vision and his songwriting cues, there would have been no Guns N’ Roses.”
“Axl may have had the angst and Slash may have had the chops, but Izzy had the smarts and the heart,” says Stephen Thomas Erlewine, senior pop editor at TiVo and a long-time music critic. @sterlewine
You know that random dude on the street in the first few frames of GN’R’s “Welcome to the Jungle” video? That, apparently, is Izzy. (Alan Niven)
1/ GN’R’s ongoing “Not in This Lifetime…” tour has grossed $475 million so far. It’s the highest-grossing reunion tour and the fourth-highest grossing tour overall, after Coldplay (2016-2017, $523m), The Rolling Stones (2005-2007, $558m) and U2 (2009-2011, $736m) (Billboard). pic.twitter.com/8d8P0McAWR
— Neil Shah (@NeilShahWSJ) May 28, 2018
2/ Izzy Stradlin is the only GNR co-founder who has played no role. “For him not to be part of it is absolutely egregious,” former GNR (and Izzy) mgr Alan Niven says. “Who moved to L.A. first?” Niven says. “The very definition of Guns N’ Roses comes from the marrow of his bones.” pic.twitter.com/R1i1i5Hhjt
— Neil Shah (@NeilShahWSJ) May 28, 2018
3/ Here's GN'R co-founder and bassist Duff McKagan on Izzy’s role in the group (from Duff’s 2011 book): “Without his initial vision and his songwriting cues, there would have been no Guns N’ Roses.” pic.twitter.com/Ei9DP2nkGx
— Neil Shah (@NeilShahWSJ) May 28, 2018
4/ “Axl may have had the angst and Slash may have had the chops, but Izzy had the smarts and the heart,” says Stephen Thomas Erlewine, senior pop editor at TiVo and a long-time music critic. @sterlewine pic.twitter.com/olyYzjDNlt
— Neil Shah (@NeilShahWSJ) May 28, 2018
5/ You know that random dude on the street in the first few frames of GN’R’s “Welcome to the Jungle” video? That, apparently, is Izzy. (Alan Niven) https://t.co/58U1OFJd0b pic.twitter.com/e2LjNO6gsL
— Neil Shah (@NeilShahWSJ) May 28, 2018
