Dizzy Reed
Keyboard
Real Name: Darren Reed
Date of birth: June 18th 1963
Birth town: Hinsdale, Illinois, USA
Darren "Dizzy" Reed was originally going to be asked to join the band in its
infancy but negotiations filtered out after the keyboardist was involved in a car
accident. Dizzy said soon after he joined that "...having a
keyboardist was always something they talked about but I never thought that it would
actually happen." Dizzy had recorded in studios next to the band and had
impressed by playing a piano accompaniment to a "heavy metal" song which just
blew the band away. However, when Dizzy injured his hand in a car crash the talks fell
through and by the time that his injured hand had healed the band were on their way.
In April 1990 Dizzy contacted Axl. He was about to be evicted from his apartment and
related the story, "Dude, I'm starving, as of tomorrow I'll
have no phone, no apartment, no nothing, and if you guys need to know where to get hold of
me, I can't tell you where I'm gonna be." Axl contacted Alan Niven (GN'R
manager) and arranged for Dizzy to receive an advance so that he could get an apartment
and for the contracts to be written up. Guns N' Roses had found itself a sixth member.
Dizzy had previously been in an unsuccessful band called The Wild so this was a big step
up. He joined in time to appear on the "Use Your Illusion" albums and to
participate in the ensuing support tour. At this time he is only surviving member from the
Illusions sessions, aside from Axl.
no photos