13 Rock Stars Who Disappeared
From David Bowie to D'arcy Wretzky, a guide to musicians who have left the spotlight behind
Izzy Stradlin
Even at Guns N' Roses' height in the late 1980s, guitarist Izzy Stradlin was a bit of a mystery. Everyone knew he played a major role in writing their hits, but he shied away from the press and let Axl, Slash and Duff do most of the talking. Stradlin quit the band in 1991, during the Use Your Illusion tour, launching a long solo career. (His last few albums have been iTunes-only; the most recent one was two years ago.) In 2006, Stradlin shocked Guns N' Roses fans when he got onstage with the band at a New York gig, then did a bunch of shows with them in Europe. But the man likes to keep people guessing. Like Axl, he was a no-show when GNR made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this spring.
Barrett Scale: 5. He's appeared many times with his former band, and he's still putting out new solo material occasionally. We give him three points for the Hall of Fame snub, one for avoiding all press and a bonus point for a lifetime of elusiveness.
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