1989.08.31 - Arizona Daily Star - Rock guitar player freed on bail (Izzy)

Rock guitar player freed on bail after incident on jetliner

PHOENIX (AP) – The rhythm guitarist for the rock group Guns n’ Roses has been released on 5,000 bail after being arrested for urinating in the galley area of an airborne jetliner, the FBI said.

Izzy Stradlin was arrested Sunday at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport during a scheduled stop of USAir Flight 350, which was en route from Indianapolis to Los Angeles.

Bryn Bridenthal, a publicist for Geffen Records, said Stradlin was angry at having to wait to use the plane’s restroom and “relieving himself in the galley was just his way of expressing himself.”

Stradlin, whose real name is Jeffrey Dean Isbell, was arrested and charged by the FBI with interfering with the duties of the plane’s crew – a felony. He spent Sunday night in Maricopa County Jail and was released Tuesday after posting $5,000 cash bond to U.S. Magistrate Michael Mignella.

Bridenthal said the incident capped a bad day for Stradlin.

“He’d been bitten in the face by a dog in Indianapolis and he was still a little bit shocked by that,” the publicist said.

“And when he got on the plane, he was bumped from first class into coach. It was just sort of one band thing pilling up on another.”

FBI agent R. Scott Rivas said Stradlin repeatedly cursed a flight attendant who told him four times he could not smoke in the no-smoking section of the aircraft.

After switching seats to the smoking area, Stradlin “went to use one of the restrooms,” Rivas said in a court statement. “When he got to the restroom, it was apparently occupied and he stated, ‘I’m not waiting any ...longer.’”



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From Arizona Republic:



Guns N’ Roses player arrested at Sky Harbor

The Associated Press

The rhythm guitarist for the rock group Guns N' Roses has been arrested in Phoenix and released on $5,000 bail for urinating in the galley of an airborne jetliner, FBI officials said Wednesday.

Izzy Stradlin was arrested Sunday at Sky Harbor International Airport during a scheduled stop of USAir Flight 350, on route from Indianapolis to Las Angeles.

Bryn Bridenthal, a spokesman for Geffen Records, said Stradlin was angry at having to wait to use the plane’s restroom.

“Relieving himself in the galley was just his way of expressing himself,” she said. “He has expressed himself this way before” in public, though never on an airplane, she added.

Stradlin spent Sunday night in Maricopa County Jail and was released Monday after posting cash bond to U.S. Magistrate Michael Mignella.

FBI agent R. Scott Rivas said Stadlin had repeatedly cursed a flight attendant who told him he could not smoke in the no-smoking section.

After moving to the smoking area, Stradlin “went to use one of the restrooms,” Rivas said.

“When he got to the restroom, it was apparently occupied and he stated, ‘I’m not waiting any longer’ and unzipped his pants.”

He was charged with interfering with the duties of the crew, a felony. A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 14 in U.S. District Court in Phoenix.

Bridenthal said the incident capped a bad day for Stradlin.

“He’d been bitten in the face by a dog in Indianapolis,” she said. “And when he got on the plane, he was bumped from first class into coach. It was just sort of one bad thing piling up on another.”

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And a report from The Los Angeles Times:

First Off . . .
MORNING REPORT
September 01, 1989

Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin is out on bail after being arrested in Phoenix for urinating in the galley of an airplane on a flight from Indianapolis. Phoenix police said Thursday that witnesses reported that Stradlin (real name: Jeffrey Dean Isbell) and a female companion were smoking in the nonsmoking section and were verbally abusive to attendants during a USAir flight last Sunday. The pair eventually were moved to the smoking section but continued to use obscene language and make obscene gestures at attendants, police said. When Isbell found the restroom occupied, he urinated on the galley carpet, police said. After the plane landed in Phoenix, Isbell refused to deplane and two police officers boarded to arrest him for creating a disturbance on an airline flight, a federal offense. The musician was booked in Maricopa County Jail, and the case was turned over to the FBI. Geffen Records, which releases Guns N' Roses' records, and the band's manager declined Thursday to comment on the incident. Guns N' Roses is scheduled to share a bill with the Rolling Stones at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Oct. 21-23.
http://articles.latimes.com/1989-09-01/entertainment/ca-1242_1_phoenix-police