Categories > Celebrities > Guns n' Roses > Unexpected
Chapter 17
I was married to Izzy Stradlin, rhythem guitarist for one of the hugest bands in the world. Izzy had enough money that the world could be our playground. We could have went to Paris and gave ourselves newlywed kisses from the top of the Eiffle Tower. We could have made love on the sandy beaches of some island tropic. We could have scaled a mountain top and looked down on the world that had been so against us. We could have safaried in Africa, or ran with the bulls in spain. We could have hiked a national park or wandered the jungles for the lost city of gold. We could have kyaked river rapids. We could have seen the pyramids. We could have taken a cruise around the world. There was nothing beyond our limits.
But there was no trip to far away exotic places. There were no sunny skies or blue waters. There was no sandy beaches or snow. There were no river rides. There were no hiking trails. There were no seven wonders of the world. Izzy promised that we would do a traditional honeymoon someday, but someday wasnt today. Izzys number one priority now was for us to get clean. He felt a honeymoon would distract us from achieving our goal.
So my honeymoon was spent in Izzys car driving halfway across the country to Lafayette, Indiana of all places. Izzy had arranged for us to spend our honeymoon at his parents house to go through detox. He said anywhere else would be a distraction for him and that we would just end up using. It was a very long and painful trip. We puked and stopped for bathrooms every five minutes. Izzy opted againt flying so no one could bee either of us in the shape we were in. It must have taken us three days to get there. There would be times when neither of us were up to safely operating a motor vehicle. We rented a few motel rooms under my name, Laness Isbell. I felt sorry for any would be cleaning ladies who had to clean up those rooms after us. Izzy was starting to show signs of delirium by the time we reached Oklahoma. It was a scarry thing to witness. His withdrawal symptoms were far worse than mine. But then he had 6 years on me right?
I dont think Izzys parents expected what they saw on their porch at the wee hours of dawn. Izzy was clingling to me for support to just stand upright. His sweaty body was soaking wet with drips falling from the tips of his hair. Mucus came from his nose so bad he couldnt keep it from running down to his lip. He was shaking like it was the coldest day of winter in antarctica. He could barely greet them due to his teeth chattering so badly.
"Oh Jeff," his mother winced at the sight of him.
"mom..." he faintly spoke.
His dad promptly took Izzy from me and helped his son inside.
"Mom...dad...this is..."
"Your wife," his mom stopped him. "We saw it on TV."
"Oh son look at what that mess has done to you," his dad sounded dissappointed.
He led him into a room I knew had to have been Izzys old room. Their was a picture of Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood above the bed.Luckily the bed was big enough for the two of us. Izzy's dad lay Izzy on the bed.
"I'm sorry," Izzy faintly whimper with tears of shame in his eyes.
"Hush all that," his dad said, "We're glad you came her instead of some rehab that doesnt love you the way we do."
Izzy's mom looked to me, "Perhaps you should lie down too honey."
I knew I had to look horrible. I gladly went to the bed and lie next to Izzy. I felt his finger intertwine with mine as he writhed in agony.
"Lanessa honey, Ill go run you a bath," his mom said leaving the room.
"And Ill help you with one son," His dad told Izzy.
"Oh god..." Izzy moaned, "How did I let this happen to me?"
I could see how ashamed he was for his parents having to see him like that. He must have really loved them. I wish my parents cared this much about me. I hadnt even seen them in three years. They got mad at me for finding out I was stripping and practically disowned me. The stripping only lasted long enough for me to meet one rock star. Nikki Sixx. I followed him on the road thinking all warm and fuzzy thoughts about us having this relationship. Soon I was being shuffled through the other bands members. So I guess you could say Nikki Sixx turned me into a groupie.
I never told Izzy this because I knew he personally knew Nikki. Their bands had even toured together. I didnt want Izzy to blow up over it. But then me being a groupie had never seemed to bother Izzy. He knew I had been with most of his band and he was ok with it. If he knew about the Crue he probably wouldnt bat an eyelash. Besides those days were behind me now. Now I was Izzy's wife...for better or worse.
Moments later Izzy's mom came and got me for a bath. Izzy's mom helped my skeletal nude shivering body into the bathtub. "So," she began, "Are you in love with my son or are you in love with the fame and the money?"
"Id love Izzy even if he wasnt in Guns N Roses."
"I hope you mean that dear...Jeff has had his heart broken too many times by girls who chose him because he was the flavor of the moment...then they all moved on to bigger and better things."
"I love him...I'd do anything for him." My words seem shaky.
"Did Jeff get you hooked on drugs?"
"Not completely no..."
"I always knew when his band got big the drug problem would get bigger too. We found him smoking pot when he was 16. Then when he graduated and said he was moving to LA to become a musician...We never dreamed it would end up with heroin...I read in an interview that he dealt it and that was how he got hooked. I never know how much of the press is true," she said as she wet my hair.
"Thats true," I sigh, "Izzy has been using for close to 7 years."
"Izzy," his mom sighed. "His friends used to call him that as a nickname of Isbell...but where he come up with this Stradlin thing Ill never know."
"Ive never asked," I shrug.
"Im just grateful he didnt legually change it to that like his friend Billy." I knew she was referring to Axl.
"Yeah I like being Lanessa Isbell instead of Lanessa Stradlin."
I was married to Izzy Stradlin, rhythem guitarist for one of the hugest bands in the world. Izzy had enough money that the world could be our playground. We could have went to Paris and gave ourselves newlywed kisses from the top of the Eiffle Tower. We could have made love on the sandy beaches of some island tropic. We could have scaled a mountain top and looked down on the world that had been so against us. We could have safaried in Africa, or ran with the bulls in spain. We could have hiked a national park or wandered the jungles for the lost city of gold. We could have kyaked river rapids. We could have seen the pyramids. We could have taken a cruise around the world. There was nothing beyond our limits.
But there was no trip to far away exotic places. There were no sunny skies or blue waters. There was no sandy beaches or snow. There were no river rides. There were no hiking trails. There were no seven wonders of the world. Izzy promised that we would do a traditional honeymoon someday, but someday wasnt today. Izzys number one priority now was for us to get clean. He felt a honeymoon would distract us from achieving our goal.
So my honeymoon was spent in Izzys car driving halfway across the country to Lafayette, Indiana of all places. Izzy had arranged for us to spend our honeymoon at his parents house to go through detox. He said anywhere else would be a distraction for him and that we would just end up using. It was a very long and painful trip. We puked and stopped for bathrooms every five minutes. Izzy opted againt flying so no one could bee either of us in the shape we were in. It must have taken us three days to get there. There would be times when neither of us were up to safely operating a motor vehicle. We rented a few motel rooms under my name, Laness Isbell. I felt sorry for any would be cleaning ladies who had to clean up those rooms after us. Izzy was starting to show signs of delirium by the time we reached Oklahoma. It was a scarry thing to witness. His withdrawal symptoms were far worse than mine. But then he had 6 years on me right?
I dont think Izzys parents expected what they saw on their porch at the wee hours of dawn. Izzy was clingling to me for support to just stand upright. His sweaty body was soaking wet with drips falling from the tips of his hair. Mucus came from his nose so bad he couldnt keep it from running down to his lip. He was shaking like it was the coldest day of winter in antarctica. He could barely greet them due to his teeth chattering so badly.
"Oh Jeff," his mother winced at the sight of him.
"mom..." he faintly spoke.
His dad promptly took Izzy from me and helped his son inside.
"Mom...dad...this is..."
"Your wife," his mom stopped him. "We saw it on TV."
"Oh son look at what that mess has done to you," his dad sounded dissappointed.
He led him into a room I knew had to have been Izzys old room. Their was a picture of Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood above the bed.Luckily the bed was big enough for the two of us. Izzy's dad lay Izzy on the bed.
"I'm sorry," Izzy faintly whimper with tears of shame in his eyes.
"Hush all that," his dad said, "We're glad you came her instead of some rehab that doesnt love you the way we do."
Izzy's mom looked to me, "Perhaps you should lie down too honey."
I knew I had to look horrible. I gladly went to the bed and lie next to Izzy. I felt his finger intertwine with mine as he writhed in agony.
"Lanessa honey, Ill go run you a bath," his mom said leaving the room.
"And Ill help you with one son," His dad told Izzy.
"Oh god..." Izzy moaned, "How did I let this happen to me?"
I could see how ashamed he was for his parents having to see him like that. He must have really loved them. I wish my parents cared this much about me. I hadnt even seen them in three years. They got mad at me for finding out I was stripping and practically disowned me. The stripping only lasted long enough for me to meet one rock star. Nikki Sixx. I followed him on the road thinking all warm and fuzzy thoughts about us having this relationship. Soon I was being shuffled through the other bands members. So I guess you could say Nikki Sixx turned me into a groupie.
I never told Izzy this because I knew he personally knew Nikki. Their bands had even toured together. I didnt want Izzy to blow up over it. But then me being a groupie had never seemed to bother Izzy. He knew I had been with most of his band and he was ok with it. If he knew about the Crue he probably wouldnt bat an eyelash. Besides those days were behind me now. Now I was Izzy's wife...for better or worse.
Moments later Izzy's mom came and got me for a bath. Izzy's mom helped my skeletal nude shivering body into the bathtub. "So," she began, "Are you in love with my son or are you in love with the fame and the money?"
"Id love Izzy even if he wasnt in Guns N Roses."
"I hope you mean that dear...Jeff has had his heart broken too many times by girls who chose him because he was the flavor of the moment...then they all moved on to bigger and better things."
"I love him...I'd do anything for him." My words seem shaky.
"Did Jeff get you hooked on drugs?"
"Not completely no..."
"I always knew when his band got big the drug problem would get bigger too. We found him smoking pot when he was 16. Then when he graduated and said he was moving to LA to become a musician...We never dreamed it would end up with heroin...I read in an interview that he dealt it and that was how he got hooked. I never know how much of the press is true," she said as she wet my hair.
"Thats true," I sigh, "Izzy has been using for close to 7 years."
"Izzy," his mom sighed. "His friends used to call him that as a nickname of Isbell...but where he come up with this Stradlin thing Ill never know."
"Ive never asked," I shrug.
"Im just grateful he didnt legually change it to that like his friend Billy." I knew she was referring to Axl.
"Yeah I like being Lanessa Isbell instead of Lanessa Stradlin."
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