Gilby On Motorbike Crash

Saturday • July 24, 2010 9:36:15 AM

Former Guns N' Roses guitarist and solo artist Gilby Clarke was riding his motorcycle in the Valley in Los Angeles on Jan. 10 of this year, trying to get home from a gig when he was the victim of a hit run. The perpetrator has not been caught, yet Clarke endured two broken legs, a pair of surgeries, physical therapy, walking with a cane and a pause in his music career.

"It's going to be a good year of treatment before I work normally," Clarke told Noisecreep in this exclusive interview. But his positive attitude is crucial to his recovery. "I should get most of my functions back. It will just will take a while. I don't have a choice. I have accept it."

Can you recount what happened with your hit and run, which is the worst kind of health scare.

I was riding my 1965 Harley that I customized myself, riding back from a show, when some dumb ass made a left hand turn in front of me. It knocked me down, and when I woke up, my leg was busted and the other was twisted. He did a burn out and took off.

Has he ever been caught?

It is strange. They did not find him, but a friend found out who it was. No one got a license plate number and there were a number of different descriptions of the truck and not a lot of evidence. But somehow, one of my friends overheard a guy talking about how he hit a motorcycle and said that he took off since he had no insurance, no driver's license. I gave the info to a detective, but he didn't do anything. Since there were no eyewitnesses, there was nothing they could do. The LAPD won't do anything unless you die. It was extremely frustrating.

I can imagine, as this affected you on so many levels.

The medical bills are expensive and my bike is almost totaled. I may never be normal again.

Almost totaled, huh? So you salvaged the Harley?

If it wasn't a 1965 and rare, it would have been totaled. I wouldn't accept that, so I built a new frame, a new front end and put it back together. The bike will survive, and so did I.

How much of a hardship has it been for you? Has it stopped you from working?

I earn my living as a musician and producer and that is how I pay bills. It knocked me down for six months. I couldn't work till now, and I get around with a cane, so it has been tough. Musicians don't have a regular pay check; we have to go out and get it and with the change of the business, some of the things you can do to make money don't exist anymore. It has been a hard two years for me and for the rest of the country, but with this on top on of it? It was hard.

Did you write music at all during the recovery period?

I wasn't -- I just wasn't in that space. I was not feeling sorry for myself, but the creative juices weren't there. I was in so much pain. There was nothing to do. I have a guitar in my room that I play and I was logging up ideas in my head. This is a process for me. The record that comes from this [experience] isn't there yet and won't be til I am playing live and dealing with it.

Are you working again now?

I can work in my studio. I am currently mixing the Dwarves record and am halfway through, and I started doing live dates last week -- just my own solo dates. I am trying to get back on my feet and see how it is. It was only a 10-day run, but it was successful.

Has the accident changed how you perform, physically or mentally?

It was really hard. When I perform, I go into automatic mode, since I have been playing for so long. There is a certain way you move and operate guitar pedals on the floor and sing and you have to change all that. There are things I can't do. It is a different way of approaching a performance. A challenge is how I look at it; life would be boring without curve balls. You have to get over and have a better story to tell because of it. People have a way, when their back is against the wall, of performing or going down. Someone like me, who has been playing guitar for 30-something years, is not going to back down.

How do you really feel about the guy who mowed you down?

Time has gone by. He could apologize and hasn't done anything, so you know what? Karma will do its job. People make their choices. Someone does that and gets away with it? There are other people. He might kill the next person he does this to.

What can we expect from you in the near future?

We have six Texas shows booked this week and will gear up to work on the next album.

Source: Noisecreep

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Comments

Number of comments : 21

7/26/2010 | 5:43:35 PM by old school

That sucks ! No one thinks to watch out for someone on a bike. They just don't pay any attention. I have had friends that were hit and run victims. The asshole who did it, of course, was never found. My friends endured months of physical therapy, loss of their jobs, endless pain and much more. Hopefully karma does kick in on these people and they get exactly what is coming to them. Peace.

7/26/2010 | 10:22:13 PM by Nova Rock

Get well soon Gilby!

@Old school
strong words man!

7/27/2010 | 12:17:31 AM by Nancy Sinatra

I really miss you, my friend, but I'm happy to know you are hanging tough with this. That guy ought to be skinned; Karma is too good for him, whatever it might be.

It will be good when those "creative juices" overcome the pain so you can begin to feel the music again.

Love to you and Danielle and Frankie.

Always here for you ~
Nancy

7/27/2010 | 2:54:34 AM by The Real Travis

old school-

Well said bro ! Thankfully Gilbey survived, alot of pain no doubt, but alive and yes, Karma, whoever hit Gilbey needs to fear that word !

7/27/2010 | 3:11:53 AM by The Real Travis

I always liked Gilby. Seemed like a solid fit when Axl chased away Izzy. His bit during Wild Horses was classic. Not sure how good his writing was but Axl should not have fired him without consulting the band. Paul Tobias was a poor replacement.

7/27/2010 | 3:14:40 AM by Nana

Gilby was a cool cat.

Get well my friend!

7/27/2010 | 3:59:35 AM by The Real Travis

the other Travis-

Go find someplace to play your games like Solitare ! DORK !

7/27/2010 | 4:07:47 AM by Jay

"The LAPD won't do anything unless you die."

Look, I'm not a cop hater, but I do find it amazing how there are many officers who will choose to occupy their time harassing skaters in a grocery store parking lot or ruining someone's life because they were smoking a fucking joint, but won't at least investigate some shit like this. I mean, should be pretty easy to tell if this dudes truck is the one that was involved in this particular accident. Just goes to show that every profession is chock full of people who do only the bare minimum and are otherwise lazy. Keep this in mind when choosing a doctor....

7/27/2010 | 4:23:17 AM by Estranged

Jay - did you have a bad experience with a doctor?

Hope all is well with you and your family.

7/27/2010 | 5:52:49 AM by Jay

Estranged-

Nah, everything's good. Baby boy just turned 1, getting ready to buy a house, and just added another Mustang to my garage (got the same '01- the War Machine, I've had for a few years now, and just got a '67 coupe to park next to it). I was just going unnecessarily out of my way, as usual, to make a point on that last one. Hope all is good with yourself as well!

7/27/2010 | 6:30:26 AM by http://comicsnrocknroll.blogspot.com/

Gilby rocks!!!

http://comicsnrocknroll.blogspot.com/

http://comicsnrocknroll.blogspot.com/

http://comicsnrocknroll.blogspot.com/

7/27/2010 | 9:10:34 AM by The Real Travis

Jay-

Want to add a 1985 Monte Carlo in mint condition to your garage ! Just kidding ! I bought it brand new ! That'll be the closest thing to me to having any babies ! Congrates on your son ! Walking yet ?

7/27/2010 | 6:54:10 PM by old school

Jay-
Truer comments were never spoken. I've seen the cops harrass people for no reason and yet the people who are really causing trouble get away with shit and the cops do nothing. As for the doctor thing, yeah make sure when choosing one you talk to the right people. Not his fan club. About the "Stang", have owned several myself ranging from a couple of '68's to a '74'. Bad ass! Hope you are enjoying your son. I have two girls, one is 23 and married and one is 12. They grow up way too fast. Later, Peace.

7/27/2010 | 7:01:51 PM by old school

Nova Rock and The Real Travis-
Good to hear from ya. Finally something to talk about. Hope Gilby is hanging in there. Sucks to be a victim, know who screwed you and be unable to do a damn thing about it. The law ties your hands. Hope the asshole who did this to Gilby gets his shit right back on him. Sometimes it happens, most of the time they get away with it. Too bad. Later Peace.

7/28/2010 | 3:36:02 AM by The Real Travis

old school -

It is nice to be able to have some sesible conversation. Like my brother, his car was stolen and stripped. A neighbor discribed what one of the people look like nad my brother knew who it was but there were no finger prints to hold to the hear say the police department said. Of ourse, the thives used gloves. They knew what they were doing because my brother had an alarm and it never sounded off.

7/28/2010 | 4:56:42 PM by old school

The Real Travis-
Yeah, happens all the time. There is no real protection against crime. The cops can't do shit. All they do is investigate after the fact and normally nothing happens. Crime continues and doesn't seem like anything can stop it. If we were allowed to take care of these situations ourselves without fear of prosecution I can assure you things would be alot different. Later, Peace.

7/28/2010 | 5:07:26 PM by And Justice For All

Hey all of you slash haters and bashers have you ever thought what GnR would be without him???

All this disrespect is vomiting,especially Axl's fanboys til death when they hearing the name "slash" they are doing like they striked by lightning.

Im hearing and reading that slash isnt so good like he was in the past,yeah thats true,who guitarist or frontman after 20-25 years can be the same good like in the past??? Not many...

Its ridiculous when someone saying that bbf,finck,fortus,ashba can play better the old stuff from slash,maybe only buckethead was in the same level with slash,nobody else.

7/29/2010 | 9:30:46 PM by Travis

@ Justice

Agreed. Slash wrote the greatest guitar parts in rock history. The man is a genius with the axe.

7/29/2010 | 9:52:45 PM by GO TO HELL

Hey Travis,nice irony dude,no no no i disagree,Axl is a genius not slash,really genius,cause you must be genius to destroy your band,to keep the name,to change 15 line ups,to make an album after 14 years.

Really Axl is big genius,Travis you agree right?

7/30/2010 | 2:41:51 AM by The Real Travis

Listen to Sweet Child O' Mine. Or Estranged. Or Coma. Or any of Slash's great solos. The man is awesome. Probably the greatest guitarist in rock history. Listen to any song on Appetite, Lies, Use Your Illusions. The guitar work blows your mind. That is what Rock N' Roll is all about.

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Gilby On Motorbike Crash

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