While Axl Rose has raised plenty of questions among Guns N' Roses fans over the years, the most mysterious figure in the band's history remains guitarist Izzy Stradlin.
Stradlin left GNR at its early-'90s peak and has largely avoided his own celebrity ever since. While he steadily released solo albums up until 2010, he rarely performed his music in concert and famously turned down an offer to rejoin GNR for the 2016 'Not in This Lifetime' reunion.
Based on recent statements from his former bandmates, Stradlin is a bit of a mystery to them, as well. But that isn't a new phenomenon.
In a new episode of the Appetite for Distortion podcast, Skid Row bassist Rachel Bolan looked back on his own interactions with Stradlin while Skid Row was touring with GNR in 1991
"When we started the tour Izzy was still in the band, but he wasn't traveling with the guys," Bolan recalled. "The guys, they were flying and Izzy had his own bus with his brother, his dog and his girlfriend at the time."
Stralin's bus towed a trailer, inside of which the guitarist kept motorsports equipment, including dirt bikes, BMX bikes and at least one trials bike. Bolan and Stradlin struck up a conversation one day about motorsports.
"We talked about Motocross and trials for, I don't know, almost two hours," Bolan said. "He was a cool dude. He was really cool, so low-key and obviously a very talented guy.
"So Duff [McKagan] comes in — I think it was the next morning — he comes into our dressing. He was looking for cranberry juice and we're talking. I go, 'Hey, dude, Izzy's a really cool guy. We spoke for like two hours.'"
A surprised McKagan asked Bolan to repeat himself; he really spoke with Izzy for two hours?
"[Duff] goes, 'Dude, I think the whole band collectively hasn't talked to him for two hours in, like, the last year (laughs),'" Bolan continued. "I didn't know what to say. ... I didn't know the dynamics [of GNR]."
You can listen to Bolan's full Appetite for Distortion episode via iHeartRadio or the player below.
Photo: WireImage