His big curly hair is undoubtedly one of his hallmarks, but he is a little more than that...
Something from the center of his chest goes through the nerves and veins towards his hands, where he gets an ultrasonic intensity multiplier, emotion, and soft tenderness as if he were a senior surgeon he touches the strings and creates sounds, riffs, rhythms, and solos that can make our tissues have a life of their own !!
So here are some really short things about this musical and phenomenal phenomenon called SLASH!!
(Photo: Wallpapercrafter.com)
= His real name is Saul Hudson and he was born on July 23, 1965, in Hampstead, London to an Anglo-American family.
= His mother was a clothing and costume designer under whose clothes a lot of musicians and celebrities went through including David Bowie, Ringo Starr, Janis Joplin, and more. His Jewish father was an English artist who, among other things, designed record covers for Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.
= He was born and raised in England but at age five, he moved to Los Angeles with his father to join his mother who had moved a year earlier to design costumes for the entertainment industry in the city.
= When his parents broke up he spent a lot of time with his mother at work rubbing shoulders with musicians and actors, in one case he spent a lot of time with actor Seymour Cassel, who gave him the nickname "Slash" because he always ran everywhere and was frenzied.
= In 1979 Slash decided to enter the field of music and began playing various string instruments until he heard one of his music teachers play the song "Brown Sugar" by "the Rolling Stones" and from there his soul was captivated by the guitar.
(Photo: Marc S Canter)
= By the way... he was a BMX cycling champion and attended high school with Lenny Kravitz.
= His first band was "Tidus Sloan" in 1981 when two years later he formed his own band called "Road Crew" with a childhood friend named Steven Adler. They recruited a bassist through a newspaper ad named Duff McKagan. The three played and wrote together but had no singer, leading to the band's disbanding shortly after its formation.
= To make a long story short (we need a separate post for this telenovela) in 1985, a combination of the bands "Hollywood Rose" and "L.A. Guns" created the legend called "Guns N' Roses". The band was made up of Slash's drummer and childhood friend Steven Adler, bassist Duff McKagan, guitarist Izzy Stradlin and singer Axl Rose.
(Photo: Geffen Records)
= After rehearsals of only two days, the band started its way through the streets of Los Angeles performing in small clubs and roaming the streets. At the time Slash stole a black hat and a leather belt with silver buckles and created his famous look with the hat and cigarette.
(Photo: Kevin Winter)
= In 1986 the band signed a recording contract with the record label Geffen Records and released their first EP called "Live ?!" @ Like a Suicide" so that fans would have something to listen to while the band was not performing and working on recordings of their debut album.
= In 1987 came out the best-selling debut album of all time in the US. when Guns released their debut album "Appetite for Destruction" which celebrated its birthday two days ago... and what a legendary... exemplary... huge... album with songs that became a milestone in the world of music!
= Slash sat for hours in the studio to find the right sound, he combined different guitars and different amps until he finally found the right formula, his all-too-familiar sound, a combination of an iconic Gibson Les Paul guitar replica with a Marshall amp.
= One of the beautiful stories about Guns rise is the tour with "Aerosmith", as part of Guns' tour they were an opening act for "Iron Maiden" and "Aerosmith". Towards the end of the tou,r Guns became so big that the opening act overshadowed the main act. The audience came to see Guns more than they came to see "Aerosmith" and when "Roling Stone magazine" came to do an article on "Aerosmith", the result was a picture of Guns on the front page of the magazine.
= In 1988 the band released their second album "G N 'R Lies", how much talent and how much courage the band had to release a second album, an album that is almost entirely acoustic (we know another one like this). The only single from the album was "Patience" which just broke hearts like a ruthless baseball bat.
= In 1990 Slash and his friend Duff McKagan were featured on Iggy Pop's "Brick by Brick" album and even co-wrote one of the songs.
= In 1991, the band released two albums together, two unbelievable albums in which each song is a masterpiece in itself, the albums "Use Your Illusion I & II". Both albums reached number one and number two on Billboard 200, making Guns the first band in the US to have two albums taking the top of the charts.
= After two and a half years of touring the world (which included a horrible show in Israel) which saw ups and downs, violent and disturbing events, frictions and plots and a lot of good music that came to an end, along with its band. Slash last appeared with Guns in July 1993.
= At the end of that year, Guns released its latest album with the classic lineup, "The Spaghetti Incident". The album consisted of covers mostly of songs by old punk bands. Three years later Slash officially announced that he was leaving the band.
= In 1994 Slash formed the band "Slash's Snakepit", he collected Gilby, Matt, Mike Inez from "Alice in Chains", and Eric Dover's "Jellyfish" singer, and released his debut album in his solo career in 1995,
"It's Five O'clock Somewhere". The album was composed of material that Slash wrote for what was supposed to be Guns' next album but did not materialize. What's nice is that the whole album was written together by the band members and not Slash alone. Two years later the band disbanded and Slash went on a tour with his blues band "Slash’s Blues Ball".
(Photo: Slashparadise.com)
= In 1999 he revived the "Snakepit" band with other musicians and released his second album "Ain't Life Grand". The album was not as successful as the previous album but Slash and his friends went on a tour as an opening act for "AC/DC". The band disbanded three years later.
= In 2002 through the companionship of a mutual friend the old Guns members, Slash, Duff, and Matt returned to collaborate. They decided it was fun to play together and they formed the band "Velvet Revolver". They enlisted guitarist Dave Kushner but it was not at all easy for them to find a singer, even though they did so through a reality show on VH1. Finally, the one who agreed (after many pleas) was Scott Weiland, the singer of "Stone Temple Pilots".
(Photo: Rocco Guarino)
= Their debut album "Contraband" came out in 2004 and was a huge success when it reached number one on the Billboard 200, was nominated for three Grammy Awards, and won one. Slash's amazing sound with the strong riffs and Scott's voice were a strong combination.
= Three years later this band, which can even be called a supergroup, releases their second album "Libertad". This album was also a huge success and reached number five on the Billboard 200. Great singles came out of it like: "She Builds Quick Machines", "The Last Fight", "Get Out the Door" and "Let It, Roll".
= Although in 2010 the band members entered the studio to start recordings for the third album, they were again without a singer. They recorded about nine songs but since the singer issue was not resolved, they decided to go on a hiatus without a return date...
= A year earlier Slash had started working alone on another solo album, this time with no one from the past or future but only himself. He said the work on the album was a soothing therapy, he did not have to deal with anyone or make decisions with anyone but himself. It probably made him feel very good but he also missed working with other people so he decided to add some friends to the album.
= In early 2010 the album "Slash" was released, an album that Slash wrote mostly on his own (although there is a lot of credit to others) but he added artists to the album, mostly singers from all corners of the musical spectrum like Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie, Chris Cornell, Adam Levine, and many others. The album was a great success all over the world as it conquered the top of the charts.
= On the same album there was another singer named Myles Kennedy (who we love so much), an amazing musical and personal connection was forged between the two and together they formed the band "Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators". Without a doubt, the two work well together and with such a supportive and talented band it is no wonder that they are so good.
(Photo: Blabbermouth.net)
= This band released their debut album "Apocalyptic Love" in 2012 and two years later released their second album "World on Fire". On the first album, Myles contributed the role of accompaniment guitar and vocals, and on the second album only the vocals due to his busy schedule with his mother band "Alter Bridge", on both albums, Myles co-wrote and composed the music.
= In 2018 the band released their third album "Living the Dream", there is no doubt that on this album this band already sounds like a mature and united band that has its own uniqueness and characteristics.
= In 2016 the unbelievable happened when Slash teamed up with Axl and Duff for what started the big comeback of the decade. Guns reunited secretly for a rehearsal at the Troubadour Club in Los Angeles to pass the first test and they did pass it successfully embarking on the famous and incredible tour "Not in This Lifetime..." which of course we got to see in Israel and it was without a doubt the best show on the Holy Land (Maybe at all times).
= Beyond the solo career and the rest of the bands we mentioned, Slash became a very famous guitarist, which led to a very great demand for collaboration from all musical ends. He played with Michael Jackson on several songs and even co-wrote part of his tour. He collaborated with his friend Lenny Kravitz on the album "Mama Said". He recorded with the hip-hop band "Insane Clown Posse". He participated in the recordings of the "Yardbirds'" comeback album called "Birdland" and many others.
= Throughout most of his life Slash has been mixing drugs and alcohol, in the Guns era, one can hardly find a picture of him without a bottle of Jack Daniels. In 2001 he was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy, a disease that affects the muscles of the heart as a result of heavy use of drugs and alcohol. As of 2005 Slash is free of chemicals.
(Photo: Marc S Canter)
= We no longer remember where we wrote this but it's hard not to get angry, imagine or cuddle up to the idea of what would have happened if...
What would have happened if Guns had not fallen apart? How many masterful albums would we get? Not that we take off from Slash as a solo artist but just being a part of the show that was here in 2017 was an out-of-body experience. It is difficult to put a finger on what exactly caused the dissolution, but Slash said several times that he wanted to end the conflict with Axl but did not respond in the affirmative from the other side.
= In 2012, the classic members of Guns were inducted into the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". Axl was not present at the announcement ceremony claiming that his participation would be awkward and strange.
= On July 9, 2019, just two years after Guns's unforgettable show, Slash performed with Myles and the Conspirators in Israel, and what a crazy show it was. "The Expo venue" in Tel Aviv was packed and the band gave their soul on stage led by Slash. We will never forget the crazy solo that Slash gave for more than 20 minutes!!!
= In August 2021, after more than 12 years, Guns releases a first single and a new song called "Absurd" with its three classic members. A month later they released another single called "Hard Skool". Both songs are materials written during the "Chinese Democracy" album period.
= In February 2022, Slash released with his Myles and the Conspirators, one can say already permanent and united, its fourth album, an album that bears the name "4". The album was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Dave Cobb ("Rival Sons", "The Highwomen", Chris Stapleton, and more), and is somewhat different from the previous material released by the band in terms of sound and style. Producer Dave Cobb noted that the band members expressed their desire to record the album "live" as much as possible, including guitar solos and vocals.
= In August 2023 Guns released two more songs "Perhaps" and "The General", which were also written during the period of "Chinese Democracy", to this day it is not clear if the band intends to release another album. By the way, an interesting fact is that the band rehersed the song "Perhaps" for the first time on stage during the soundcheck at the concert that took place on June 5, 2023 in Tel Aviv!!
= In 2024 he released a collaborative blues cover album called "Orgy of the Damned" featuring musicians and singers, including: Billy Gibbons, Chris Stapleton, Dorothy, Iggy Pop, Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato, Brian Johnson, Beth Hart and more.
= Before concluding here are some surprising facts...
Slash was a kleptomaniac as a child, he even stole a guitar from "Hard Rock Cafe" in Orlando Florida, years later he returned the guitar at a media event.
= He loves exotic animals. He used to own a lion named Curtis, today he owns several snakes, one of which is an anaconda called Sam.
= He is also the owner of a horror film production company. His company produced, among other things, the film "Nothing Left to Fear".
= Slash owns more than 100 guitars whose monetary value is estimated at more than $ 1.92 million !!
= He started wearing the famous glasses simply because he was too shy to look the audience in the eye.
= He is also a dinosaur freak who knows how to pronounce the name of each of them and tell you what his characteristics are.
= Slash has won many titles and achievements including Guitarist of the Year in several magazines: "Rolling Stone" "Kerrang!", "Gigwise", "Metal Hammer", and more. In 2007 he was inducted into the "Rock Hall of Fame" alongside Jimmy Page, Van Helen, and Jimi Hendrix. He of course entered the "Hall of Fame" with Guns and many others.
In his honor, we have prepared a playlist for you, Click Play.