Izzy Stradlin Reportedly Won’t Take Part in Guns N’ Roses Reunion
Izzy Stradlin has apparently confirmed that he isn't participating in the ongoing Guns N' Roses reunion, either on the road or in the studio. Rolling Stone says the guitarist contacted the magazine via email and voicemail.
"At this point in time, I will not be playing at any of the April 2016 GNR shows," the email reads. "I've also not been in the studio recording or writing with any of the others recently. There is so much speculation, but so very little info, [that] I thought I should reach out."
(Ultimate Classic Rock was also contacted by this person, but we were unable to confirm that he is the real Stradlin.)
The reclusive Stradlin, who co-founded Guns N' Roses with his childhood friend Axl Rose, seemed to emerge last week with a new Twitter account – but some fans have questioned the account's authenticity. Earlier today, a 20-second video was posted that showed someone purporting to be Stradlin covering "Sunshine," a 1971 song by Jonathan Edwards, but it remains unclear when the recording was made. See for yourself below.
A voicemail to Rolling Stone also addressed these lingering concerns. "I know there's a lot of questions regarding my Twitter account, but it's me," Stradlin reportedly said. "I opened the Twitter account. There was just so much speculation going on regarding my involvement and studio recording. There’s so much misinformation, so I wanted to clarify that I'm not in the studio recording with any of the Guns N' Roses guys. At this point in time, I'm not involved in the actual shows. ... A lot of stuff [fans] are reading isn't true."
Though a key figure in the group's early years, Stradlin has been out of Guns N' Roses since just after they released the two Use Your Illusions albums in 1991. He's since focused on small-scale solo projects, while occasionally guesting with his old band between 2006-2014.
If this is indeed the real Stradlin, these would be the first public comments he's made regarding the upcoming Guns N' Roses reunion shows.
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