Slash (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Slash
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Slash in 2023
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| Born |
Saul Hudson
July 23, 1965 London, England
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| Occupation | Musician |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Renée Suran
(m. 1992; div. 1997)Perla Ferrar
(m. 2001; div. 2015) |
| Children | 2 |
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| Relatives | Ash Hudson (brother) |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres |
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| Instruments | Guitar |
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Saul Hudson (born July 23, 1965), known to the world as Slash, is a famous British and American musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist for the hard rock band Guns N' Roses. With them, he became a global superstar in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Many critics and fans consider Slash to be one of the greatest guitarists in rock history.
Slash was born in London, England, but moved to Los Angeles with his father when he was six. His parents both worked in the entertainment industry. The actor Seymour Cassel gave him the nickname "Slash" as a kid because he was always moving quickly from one thing to another.
In 1985, he joined Guns N' Roses, a new band formed from members of other local bands. He later left Guns N' Roses in 1996 but co-founded another successful band, Velvet Revolver, in 2002. He has also released several solo albums, some with his band Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. In 2016, fans were thrilled when he rejoined Guns N' Roses.
Slash is famous for his amazing guitar solos. Guitar World magazine ranked his solo in the song "November Rain" as one of the best ever. His guitar riff in "Sweet Child o' Mine" was named the greatest riff of all time by Total Guitar magazine. In 2012, he was welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Guns N' Roses.
Contents
Early Life and First Guitar
Saul Hudson was born in Hampstead, London, on July 23, 1965. His mother, Ola J. Hudson, was an African American fashion designer who created costumes for famous musicians. His father, Anthony Hudson, is an English artist who made album covers. Because of his background, Slash has said he is proud to be both British and Black.
When he was five, Slash and his father moved to Los Angeles to join his mother. After his parents separated, Slash lived with his mother and sometimes his grandmother. He often went with his mother to her job, where he met many movie and music stars.
In 1979, Slash and his friend Steven Adler decided to start a band. This inspired Slash to learn an instrument. He first tried bass guitar, but quickly switched to guitar after hearing a teacher play songs by the Rolling Stones. His grandmother gave him his first guitar, and he began practicing for up to 12 hours a day.
Music Career
1981–1985: Early Bands
Slash joined his first band, Tidus Sloan, in 1981. Two years later, he and his friend Steven Adler formed a band called Road Crew. They found a bass player, Duff McKagan, but struggled to find a good singer. Slash then joined a band called Hollywood Rose, which included singer Axl Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin.
1985–1996: Guns N' Roses Fame
In June 1985, Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin asked Slash to join their new band, Guns N' Roses. Duff McKagan and Steven Adler also joined, completing the classic lineup. The band became famous in Los Angeles, playing at clubs like The Roxy and The Troubadour. It was around this time that Slash created his signature look with a black top hat.
In 1987, Guns N' Roses released their first album, Appetite for Destruction. It became a massive success, selling over 28 million copies worldwide. It is still the best-selling debut album of all time in the United States. The band had a No. 1 hit song, "Sweet Child o' Mine", which features one of Slash's most famous guitar riffs.
The band's success continued with the album G N' R Lies and the massive double albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II in 1991. They went on a world tour that lasted for two and a half years. However, disagreements grew within the band. In 1996, Slash announced that he was leaving Guns N' Roses.
1994–2002: Slash's Snakepit
While still in Guns N' Roses, Slash started a side project in 1994 called Slash's Snakepit. The band included his Guns N' Roses bandmates Matt Sorum and Gilby Clarke. They released an album called It's Five O'Clock Somewhere in 1995, which sold over a million copies.
After a few years, Slash formed a new version of the band and released a second album, Ain't Life Grand, in 2000. The band toured with the legendary rock group AC/DC before breaking up in 2002.
2002–2008: Velvet Revolver
In 2002, Slash reunited with his former Guns N' Roses bandmates Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum. They decided to form a new band and were joined by guitarist Dave Kushner. After a long search, they chose Scott Weiland from the band Stone Temple Pilots to be their lead singer. They named the band Velvet Revolver.
Their first album, Contraband, came out in 2004 and went straight to No. 1 on the U.S. charts. It sold two million copies and made Slash a mainstream star again. The band won a Grammy Award for their song "Slither". They released a second album, Libertad, in 2007. The band went on hiatus in 2008.
2009–present: Solo Work and The Conspirators
In 2010, Slash released his first solo album, simply called Slash. It featured many famous guest singers, including Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie from The Black Eyed Peas, and Adam Levine of Maroon 5. The album was a big hit.
For the tour, Slash put together a band with singer Myles Kennedy from Alter Bridge. They worked so well together that they decided to record albums as "Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators." They have released four albums together: Apocalyptic Love (2012), World on Fire (2014), Living the Dream (2018), and 4 (2022). In 2024, Slash released another solo album, ... of the Damned.
2016–present: Return to Guns N' Roses
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In 2015, rumors began to spread that Slash would rejoin Guns N' Roses. In 2016, it was officially announced that Slash and bassist Duff McKagan were back in the band. They performed together for the first time in 23 years at a secret show at the Troubadour club on April 1, 2016.
The band then started the Not in This Lifetime... Tour, which was a huge success, earning over $584 million. In 2021, the band released new songs with Slash for the first time since 1994. The band continues to tour and play at major music festivals around the world.
Other Projects
Besides his own bands, Slash has played guitar with many other famous artists. In 1991, he worked with Michael Jackson on his album Dangerous. He also played with Jackson on stage at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards. He has also recorded with Bob Dylan, Lenny Kravitz, Alice Cooper, and Rihanna.
Slash is a big fan of movies and has appeared in some films and TV shows. He and his Guns N' Roses bandmates were in the 1988 movie The Dead Pool. He has also appeared as himself in shows like The Drew Carey Show and the movie Brüno. He even started his own horror movie production company called Slasher Films in 2010.
He is also a pinball machine fan and helped design the Guns N' Roses pinball machine. He is a playable character in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.
Personal Life
Slash holds dual citizenship in the United Kingdom and the United States. He was born a British citizen and became an American citizen in 1996. He has lived in Los Angeles since he was a child but has said he feels very connected to his British heritage.
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In 2001, Slash was diagnosed with a serious heart condition called cardiomyopathy. With medical help, including a device called a defibrillator, he recovered. He has focused on a healthier lifestyle since 2006.
Slash and Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose did not speak for many years after Slash left the band. However, in 2015, they made peace. This led to Slash rejoining the band the following year.
Slash has two sons, London and Cash, with his ex-wife Perla Ferrar. His son London is also a musician.
Slash is an honorary board member of Little Kids Rock, an organization that helps bring music education to schools. He also supports wildlife conservation and is a board trustee of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association.
Equipment
Slash is famous for playing Gibson Les Paul guitars. He owns more than 100 guitars, but the Les Paul is his favorite. His main guitar for recording is a 1959 Gibson Les Paul replica that he has used on almost every album since Appetite for Destruction.
He has worked with Gibson to create seventeen of his own signature guitar models. He also prefers Marshall amplifiers to create his powerful rock sound.
Discography
With Guns N' Roses
- Appetite for Destruction (1987)
- G N' R Lies (1988)
- Use Your Illusion I (1991)
- Use Your Illusion II (1991)
- "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993)
With Slash's Snakepit
- It's Five O'Clock Somewhere (1995)
- Ain't Life Grand (2000)
With Velvet Revolver
- Contraband (2004)
- Libertad (2007)
Solo albums
- Slash (2010)
- ... of the Damned (2024)
Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators
- Apocalyptic Love (2012)
- World on Fire (2014)
- Living the Dream (2018)
- 4 (2022)
See also
In Spanish: Slash (músico) para niños
