# Gilby Clarke
**Gilby Clarke** (born 1962, Cleveland, Ohio) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer best known as the rhythm guitarist of [Guns N' Roses](https://www.edgepedia.org/guns-n-roses) from 1991 to 1994, replacing founding member [Izzy Stradlin](https://www.edgepedia.org/izzy-stradlin) during the Use Your Illusion world tour[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gilby-clarke-mn0000548203) • [2](https://www.deseret.com/1991/11/29/18954251/guns-n-roses-loses-guitarist/). Beyond that tenure, he has built a solo recording career, played with Heart, Nancy Sinatra, the MC5, and Slash's Snakepit, and worked as a producer for acts including [L.A. Guns](https://www.edgepedia.org/l-a-guns), The Bronx, and Alice Cooper[3](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/bio.html).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1962, Cleveland, Ohio; relocated to Los Angeles as a teenager[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gilby-clarke-mn0000548203) • [3](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/bio.html) |
| Guns N' Roses | Rhythm guitarist November 1991 to 1994; played on the covers album *The Spaghetti Incident?* (1993), his only studio album with the band[2](https://www.deseret.com/1991/11/29/18954251/guns-n-roses-loses-guitarist/) • [4](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/guns-n-roses-under-appreciated-the-spaghetti-incident-and-live-era-87-93-re-examined) |
| Audition | Learned the band's catalog of about 50 songs in one week after Slash told him there was no fixed setlist; first show December 5, 1991, in Worcester[5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses) • [4](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/guns-n-roses-under-appreciated-the-spaghetti-incident-and-live-era-87-93-re-examined) |
| Solo albums | *Pawnshop Guitars* (1994), *The Hangover* (1997), *Rubber* (1998), *99 Live* (1999), *Swag* (2002), *The Gospel Truth* (2021)[6](https://gilbyclarke.com/discography.html) |
| Departure | Says he was never formally fired; his paychecks simply stopped in 1994 after Axl Rose decided to take the band in a different direction[5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses) |
| Television | Starred on CBS's *Rockstar: Supernova* in 2006, forming a band with Tommy Lee and Jason Newsted[3](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/bio.html) |
| Other work | Producer for L.A. Guns, The Bronx, and Alice Cooper; touring guitarist for Heart (2003) and Nancy Sinatra; member of Kings of Chaos[3](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/bio.html) • [7](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/) |
## Early bands in Los Angeles
Clarke moved from [Cleveland](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland) to Hollywood as a 17-year-old and entered the Los Angeles club scene[3](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/bio.html). His first proper band was **Candy**, a pop-leaning group he joined after answering a Recycler classified ad seeking a guitarist into Bowie and T. Rex[5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses). Candy released one album, *Whatever Happened to Fun?*, on [Mercury Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/mercury-records) in 1985[6](https://gilbyclarke.com/discography.html). When the band dissolved, Clarke fronted **Kill for Thrills**, a riff-oriented quartet for which he wrote most of the songs; the band released *Dynamite from Nightmareland* on MCA in 1990[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gilby-clarke-mn0000548203) • [6](https://gilbyclarke.com/discography.html).
His stated influences sit in melodic rock rather than shredding: a poster of [Jimi Hendrix](https://www.edgepedia.org/jimi-hendrix) at [Monterey Pop](https://www.edgepedia.org/monterey-pop) first made him want to play, and a British girlfriend later turned him onto [The Clash](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-clash), Mick Ronson, and T. Rex[5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses).
## Guns N' Roses, 1991 to 1994
Izzy Stradlin left Guns N' Roses in November 1991, shortly after the release of the *Use Your Illusion* albums, and the band announced Clarke of Kill for Thrills as his replacement[2](https://www.deseret.com/1991/11/29/18954251/guns-n-roses-loses-guitarist/). Clarke and Stradlin knew each other and shared influences, and Stradlin helped set up the audition[5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses) • [8](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-11-25-ca-1515-story.html). At the audition at Third Encore Studios in North Hollywood, Slash called him around midnight to appear the next afternoon; Clarke listened to the test songs in his car on the way[4](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/guns-n-roses-under-appreciated-the-spaghetti-incident-and-live-era-87-93-re-examined). Days later Slash told him he had the gig and to learn the whole catalog in a week, because [Axl Rose](https://www.edgepedia.org/axl-rose) called songs out live with no setlist[5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses).
Clarke's first show with the band was December 5, 1991, in [Worcester, Massachusetts](https://www.edgepedia.org/worcester-massachusetts), and he spent roughly three years on the Use Your Illusion tour, which ran from late 1991 to mid-1993 across nine legs and 194 shows[4](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/guns-n-roses-under-appreciated-the-spaghetti-incident-and-live-era-87-93-re-examined) • [5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses). He appeared on the covers album *The Spaghetti Incident?* (1993), the live compilation *Live Era '87–'93*, and the *Greatest Hits* collection, and as a band member received the MTV Video Vanguard Award[3](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/bio.html). On *The Spaghetti Incident?*, some tracks had been recorded with Stradlin before his departure, and Clarke's parts were added or re-tracked afterward; Clarke himself has said he did not simply erase Stradlin's parts[9](https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/guns-n-roses-the-spaghetti-incident). Slash's advice to him was to put his own stamp on the songs rather than imitate Stradlin[5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses).
**Departure.** After the tour, Clarke presented songs written for a possible next Guns N' Roses record; Rose wanted to start fresh, and Clarke used the material for his solo debut instead[5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses). As Clarke was finishing *Pawnshop Guitars*, Slash called to say Rose no longer wanted him in the band, then called back a week later to say everything was fine; after that, his paychecks stopped. Clarke's account is that he was never formally fired[5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses). Spanish-language reporting on the band's history attributes the break to Rose's decision to replace Clarke with his friend Paul "Huge" Tobias without consulting the other members, a move that helped push Slash out of the band as well[10](https://elpais.com/icon/2024-11-23/17-anos-de-peleas-veto-en-china-y-un-gallinero-en-el-estudio-la-historia-del-ultimo-gran-fracaso-de-guns-n-roses.html). In November 1995 Clarke filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court against the band for commercial misappropriation of his name, likeness, photograph, voice, and performance[11](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1995/BB-1995-12-16.pdf). He was not invited to the band's 2016 reunion tour[5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses).
## Solo career
Clarke's solo debut, *Pawnshop Guitars*, appeared on [Virgin Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/virgin-records) in 1994 and included the rock radio tracks "Cure Me...Or Kill Me" and "Tijuana Jail"; Rose and Slash both guested on the record[3](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/bio.html) • [5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses). He followed it with *The Hangover* (1997), *Rubber* (1998), the live album *99 Live* (1999), and *Swag* (2002)[6](https://gilbyclarke.com/discography.html). Two cuts from *The Hangover* appeared in the film *The Story of Us*[3](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/bio.html).
He also collaborated with Slash on the 1995 Slash's Snakepit album *It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere*, written after Rose rejected songs the two had submitted for a Guns N' Roses record[5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses). With Stray Cat drummer [Slim Jim Phantom](https://www.edgepedia.org/slim-jim-phantom) he formed Col. Parker, whose debut *Rock N' Roll Music* came out on V2 in 2001[3](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/bio.html) • [6](https://gilbyclarke.com/discography.html).
## Production and sideman work
Clarke built a studio career around his own Redrum recording facility, producing L.A. Guns, Beat Angels, and the punk band [The Bronx](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-bronx), among others[3](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/bio.html). In 2003 he joined Heart for a national tour and television appearances, oversaw much of [Nancy Sinatra](https://www.edgepedia.org/nancy-sinatra)'s *California Girl* record, and played in her touring band[3](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/bio.html). In 2006 he starred on the CBS reality series *Rockstar: Supernova*, in which he, [Tommy Lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/tommy-lee), and Jason Newsted used the show to select a singer for a new band; the group released an album on Epic and toured the following year[3](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/bio.html) • [6](https://gilbyclarke.com/discography.html).
His solo output continued with *The Gospel Truth* (2021) on Golden Robot Records, which a 2024 Guitar World feature described as his best[6](https://gilbyclarke.com/discography.html) • [5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses). He remains active with the all-star project Kings of Chaos, with a Rock the Boat cruise appearance scheduled for October 2026, and has continued to fill in live for Alice Cooper, including emergency cover when Nita Strauss and her stand-in Orianthi both became unavailable[7](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/) • [12](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/concerts-gigs-tours/slash-gilby-clarke-rock-for-jennifer-show). In 2026 he reunited with Slash and Duff McKagan for the Rock for Jennifer fundraiser show[12](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/concerts-gigs-tours/slash-gilby-clarke-rock-for-jennifer-show).
## Playing style and gear
Clarke describes himself simply as a guitar player rather than a rhythm or lead specialist[5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses). His rig has stayed consistent since his Candy days: a Gibson Les Paul into a Marshall amplifier, and he has said he used a brown Fender Deluxe on every Guns N' Roses recording[5](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses). He favors a relatively clean, classic rock tone over heavy saturation, and on his own records he doubles guitar parts with a different guitar and amplifier on each side of the stereo field rather than layering the same setup[13](https://www.musicradar.com/news/gilby-clarkes-5-tips-for-guitar-players-you-need-to-be-unique-its-all-right-to-have-influences-but-originality-is-whats-going-to-set-you-apart) • [14](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-the-gospel-truth).
## References
1. [Gilby Clarke Biography by Greg Prato, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gilby-clarke-mn0000548203)
2. [Guns N' Roses Loses Guitarist, Deseret News, November 29, 1991](https://www.deseret.com/1991/11/29/18954251/guns-n-roses-loses-guitarist/)
3. [Gilby Clarke Official Web Site, Biography](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/bio.html)
4. [Guns N' Roses' under-appreciated The Spaghetti Incident and Live Era '87–'93 re-examined, Guitar World, September 10, 2020](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/guns-n-roses-under-appreciated-the-spaghetti-incident-and-live-era-87-93-re-examined)
5. ["If you've ever seen Slash give that look...": How Gilby Clarke joined Guns N' Roses, and why he was let go, Guitar World, March 18, 2024](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-guns-n-roses)
6. [Gilby Clarke Official Web Site, Discography](https://gilbyclarke.com/discography.html)
7. [Gilby Clarke Official Web Site, What's New (tour dates)](https://www.gilbyclarke.com/)
8. [From Sideman to Pawn-Shop Star, Los Angeles Times, November 25, 1994](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-11-25-ca-1515-story.html)
9. [Guns N' Roses: The Spaghetti Incident?, Louder, March 1, 2014](https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/guns-n-roses-the-spaghetti-incident)
10. [17 años de peleas, veto en China y porno duro en el estudio: historia del último gran fracaso de Guns N' Roses, El País Icon, November 23, 2024](https://elpais.com/icon/2024-11-23/17-anos-de-peleas-veto-en-china-y-un-gallinero-en-el-estudio-la-historia-del-ultimo-gran-fracaso-de-guns-n-roses.html)
11. [Former GN'R Member Sues Band For Misappropriation, Billboard, December 16, 1995](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1995/BB-1995-12-16.pdf)
12. [Slash and Gilby Clarke play together again as former Guns N' Roses bandmates reunite for fundraiser show, Guitar World](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/concerts-gigs-tours/slash-gilby-clarke-rock-for-jennifer-show)
13. [Gilby Clarke's 5 tips for guitar players, MusicRadar](https://www.musicradar.com/news/gilby-clarkes-5-tips-for-guitar-players-you-need-to-be-unique-its-all-right-to-have-influences-but-originality-is-whats-going-to-set-you-apart)
14. [Gilby Clarke: "I'm a big believer in doubling guitar parts with a different amp and guitar", Guitar World](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gilby-clarke-the-gospel-truth)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Rock, metal, and popular-band musicians › Hard rock and glam metal › Hard rock guitarists*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license