Saul Hudson (born 23 July 1965), known professionally asSlash, is a British-American musician, best known as the lead guitarist of thehard rock bandGuns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success beginning in the late 1980s. Slash has received critical acclaim and is considered one of the greatest guitarists in history.[5]
Born inHampstead, London,[6] and raised in Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent, Slash moved to Los Angeles with his father when he was six years old. His parents were both active in the entertainment industry, and he was given the nickname Slash as a child by actorSeymour Cassel. In 1983 he joined theglam metal bandHollywood Rose, then in 1985 he joined Guns N' Roses (which was composed of former members of Hollywood Rose andL.A. Guns), replacing founding memberTracii Guns.
While tensions were rising within Guns N' Roses, Slash formed thesupergroupSlash's Snakepit in 1994, and in 1996, after growing tensions withAxl Rose, he left Guns N' Roses. In 2002, he co-founded the supergroupVelvet Revolver with vocalistScott Weiland, which re-established Slash as a mainstream performer in the mid- to late 2000s. Slash has released two solo albums:Slash (2010) andOrgy of the Damned (2024), featuring a variety of guest singers;Apocalyptic Love (2012);World on Fire (2014),Living the Dream (2018) and4 (2022) withMyles Kennedy and the Conspirators. He returned to Guns N' Roses in 2016.
Time magazine named him runner-up (toJimi Hendrix) on their list of "The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players" in 2009,[4] whileRolling Stone placed him at number 65 on their list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" in 2011.[7]Guitar World ranked his guitar solo in "November Rain" number 6 on their list of "The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos" in 2008,[8] andTotal Guitar placed hisriff in "Sweet Child o' Mine" at number 1 on their list of "The 100 Greatest Riffs" in 2004.[9]Gibson Guitar Corporation ranked Slash as number 34 on their "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time", while their readers landed him number 9 on Gibson's "Top 25 Guitarists of All Time".[10] In 2012, he was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Guns N' Roses' classic lineup.
Saul Hudson was born inHampstead, London, on 23 July 1965, but raised inBlurton, a small suburb inStoke-on-Trent, until age 6,[11] before moving toLos Angeles,California. He was named after cartoonistSaul Steinberg.[12] His mother,Ola J. Hudson (née Oliver;[13] 1946–2009),[14][15] was an African American fashion designer and costumier. His father, Anthony Hudson, is an English artist.[14][15][16] Although there has been speculation, Slash has refuted the claims that his father is Jewish.[16][17] Of his mixed background, Slash has remarked, "As a musician, I've always been amused that I'm both British and black; particularly because so many American musicians seem to aspire to be British while so many British musicians, in the '60s in particular, went to such great pains to be black."[18]
Slash as a child
During his early years, Slash was raised by his father and paternal grandparents in Stoke-on-Trent while his mother moved back to her native United States to work in Los Angeles.[19] When he was around five years old, he and his father joined his mother in Los Angeles.[20] His brother,Albion "Ash" Hudson, was born in 1972.[21] Following his parents' separation in 1974,[22] Slash became a self-described "problem child".[23] He chose to live with his mother and was often sent to live with his beloved maternal grandmother whenever his mother had to travel for her job.[23][24] Slash sometimes accompanied his mother to work, where he met several film and music stars.[25] He was given the nickname "Slash" by actorSeymour Cassel because he was "always in a hurry, zipping around from one thing to another".[26]
My big awakening happened when I was 14. I'd been trying to get into this older girl's pants for a while, and she finally let me come over to her house. We hung out, smoked some pot and listened toAerosmith'sRocks. It hit me like a fucking ton of bricks. I sat there listening to it over and over, and totally blew off this girl. I remember riding my bike back to my grandma's house knowing that my life had changed. Now I identified with something.
In 1979, Slash decided to form a band with his friendSteven Adler.[28] The band never materialized, but it prompted Slash to take up an instrument. Since Adler had designated himself the role of guitarist, Slash decided to learn how to play bass.[28] During his first lesson, Slash decided to switch from bass to guitar after meeting Robert Wolin, a teacher at Fairfax Music School, and hearing him play "Brown Sugar" bythe Rolling Stones and aCream song.[29][30] As a result, Slash stated, "When I heard him do that, I said, 'That's what I want to do.'"[31] Equipped with aflamenco guitar given to him by his grandmother, he began taking classes with Wolin.[29] He vividly recalls the feeling after learning "Come Dancing" fromWired byJeff Beck, which he described as "fucking awesome".[32]
Slash joined his first band, Tidus Sloan, in 1981.[36] In 1983, he formed the bandRoad Crew—named after theMotörhead song "(We Are) The Road Crew"—with his childhood friend Steven Adler, who by then had learned to play drums. He placed an advertisement in a newspaper looking for a bassist, and received a response fromDuff McKagan. They auditioned a number of singers, including one-timeBlack Flag vocalistRon Reyes. They worked on material that included the main riff of what became theGuns N' Roses song "Rocket Queen".[37] Slash disbanded the group the following year due to them not being able to find a singer, as well as Adler's lack of work ethic compared to himself and McKagan.[37] He, along with Adler, then joined a local band known asHollywood Rose, which featured singerAxl Rose and guitaristIzzy Stradlin. Following his time with Hollywood Rose, Slash played in a band called Black Sheep and auditioned but wasn’t chosen to play inPoison, aglam metal band that he later openly derided.[36]
In May 1985, Slash was asked byAxl Rose andIzzy Stradlin to join their new band GunsN'Roses, along with[38]Duff McKagan and Steven Adler (replacing founding membersTracii Guns,Ole Beich andRob Gardner, respectively). They played Los Angeles-area nightclubs—such as theWhisky a Go Go,The Roxy, andThe Troubadour—and opened for larger acts throughout 1985 and 1986. Before one of the shows in 1985, Slashshoplifted a black felttop hat and a Native American-style silverconcho belt from two stores onMelrose Avenue in Los Angeles. He then combined the hat with parts of the belt to create a piece of custom headwear for the show. He said he "felt really cool" wearing the hat, and it became his trademark.[39] It was during 1985–1986 that the band wrote most of its classic material, including "Welcome to the Jungle", "Sweet Child o' Mine", and "Paradise City". As a result of their rowdy and rebellious behavior, Guns N' Roses quickly received the moniker "Most Dangerous Band in the World", causing Slash to remark, "For some strange reason, Guns N' Roses is like the catalyst for controversy, even before we had any kind of record deal."[40] After being scouted by several major record labels, the band signed withGeffen Records in March 1986.[36]
In July 1987, Guns N' Roses released its debut album,Appetite for Destruction, which, as of September 2008, had sold over 28 million copies worldwide,[41] 18million of which were sold in the United States, making it the bestselling debut album of all time in the U.S.[42] In the summer of 1988, the band achieved its onlyU.S. No. 1 hit with "Sweet Child O' Mine", a song spearheaded by Slash's guitar riff and solo. In November of that year, Guns N' Roses releasedG N' R Lies, which sold over five million copies in the U.S. alone,[43] despite containing only eight tracks, four of which were included on the previously released EPLive ?!*@ Like a Suicide'. As their success grew, so did interpersonal tensions within the band. In 1989, during a show as opening act for theRolling Stones, Axl Rose threatened to leave the band if certain members of the band did not stop "dancing with Mr. Brownstone",[36] a reference to theirsong of the same name about heroin use. Slash was among those who promised to clean up.[36] The following year, Adler was fired from the band because of his heroin addiction; he was replaced byMatt Sorum ofthe Cult.
In May 1991, the band embarked on the two-and-a-half-year-longUse Your Illusion Tour. The following September, Guns N' Roses released the long-awaited albumsUse Your Illusion I andUse Your Illusion II, which debuted at No. 2 and No. 1, respectively, on theU.S. chart, a feat not achieved by any other group.[44] Stradlin abruptly left the band in November; he was replaced byGilby Clarke ofCandy and Kill for Thrills. The tour ended on July 17, 1993.[36] In November of that year, the band released"The Spaghetti Incident?", a cover album of mostlypunk songs, which proved less successful than its predecessors. Slash then wrote several songs for what would have become the follow-up album to theUse Your Illusion double album. Rose and Duff, rejected the material.[45]
With the band's failure to collaborate resulting in no album being recorded,[46] Slash announced in October 1996 that he was no longer a part of Guns N' Roses.[47] Slash stated at the time "Axl and I have not been capable of seeing eye to eye on Guns N' Roses for some time. We tried to collaborate, but at this point, I'm no longer in the band."[48]Paul Tobias's inclusion in the band was another factor in Slash leaving, with Slash having both "creative and personal" differences with Tobias.[49] In his 2007 autobiography, Slash stated that his decision to leave the band was not based on artistic differences with Rose, but on Rose's constant lateness to concerts, the alleged legal manipulation Rose used (since denied by Rose) to gain control of the band, and the departures of Adler and Stradlin.[50]
In 1994, Slash formed Slash's Snakepit, a side project that featured his Guns N' Roses bandmatesMatt Sorum and Gilby Clarke on drums and rhythm guitar respectively, as well asAlice in Chains'Mike Inez on bass andJellyfish'sEric Dover on vocals. The band recorded Slash's material originally intended for Guns N' Roses, resulting in the release ofIt's Five O'Clock Somewhere in February 1995. The album was critically praised for ignoring the then-popular conventions ofalternative music, and fared well on the charts, eventually selling over one million copies in the U.S. alone despite little promotion from Geffen Records. Slash's Snakepit toured in support of the album with bassistJames LoMenzo and drummerBrian Tichy ofPride & Glory, before disbanding in 1996. Slash then toured for two years with theblues rock cover bandSlash's Blues Ball.
In 1999, Slash chose to regroup Slash's Snakepit withRod Jackson on vocals,Ryan Roxie on rhythm guitar, Johnny Griparic on bass, andMatt Laug on drums. Their second album,Ain't Life Grand, was released in October 2000 throughKoch Records. It did not sell as well as the band's previous release, and its critical reception was mixed. To promote the album, the band—withKeri Kelli on rhythm guitar—embarked on an extensive world tour in support ofAC/DC in the summer of 2000, followed by their own headlining theater tour. Slash disbanded Snakepit in 2002.
In 2002, Slash reunited withDuff McKagan andMatt Sorum for aRandy Castillo tribute concert. Realizing that they still had the chemistry of their days in Guns N' Roses, they decided to form a new band together. Former Guns N' Roses guitaristIzzy Stradlin was initially involved, but left after the others decided to find a lead singer.Dave Kushner, who had previously played with McKagan inLoaded, then joined the band on rhythm guitar. For many months, the four searched for a lead singer by listening to offered demo tapes, a monotonous process documented byVH1. Eventually, formerStone Temple Pilots vocalistScott Weiland joined the band.
In 2003, Velvet Revolver played several concerts during the summer and released their first single, "Set Me Free". In June 2004, they released their debut album,Contraband, which debuted at No.1 on the U.S. chart and sold two million copies, re-establishing Slash as a mainstream performer. A year-and-a-half-long tour followed in support of the album. In 2005, the band was nominated for three Grammy Awards: Rock Album of the Year, Rock Song, and Hard Rock Performance for theirContraband single "Slither" which won their first and only Grammy.[51] In July 2007, Velvet Revolver released their second album,Libertad, and embarked on a second tour. During a show in March 2008, Weiland announced to the audience that it would be the band's final tour;[52] he was fired from the band in April 2008 and Slash insisted "chemical issues" led to the split.[53] The following month Weiland rejoined Stone Temple Pilots. Despite Weiland's departure, Velvet Revolver did not officially disband.
In early 2010, Velvet Revolver began writing new songs and auditioning new singers.[54] By January 2011, the band had recorded nine demos, and was reportedly due to make a decision on their singer.[55] The following April, Slash stated that they had been unable to find a suitable singer and that Velvet Revolver would remain on hiatus for the next few years while its members focus on other projects.[56]
2009–present: "Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators"
Slash and vocalistMyles Kennedy performing with the Conspirators in June 2015
In September 2008, Slash began production on his debut solo album.[59][60] He described the process of recording by himself as "cathartic".[61] He also mentioned working on the album gave him a chance to "...take a little bit of a break from all the politics and the democracy that is a band and just sort of do my own thing for a little bit."[59] Slash's wife Perla revealed that many different artists would appear on the album, saying, "It's going to be Slash and friends, with everyone fromOzzy toFergie."[62] The album, simply titledSlash, debuted at No. 3 on the U.S. chart upon its release in April 2010.[63] It featured an all-star roster of guest musicians, including Osbourne, Fergie ofthe Black Eyed Peas,Adam Levine ofMaroon 5,M. Shadows ofAvenged Sevenfold,Lemmy Kilmister ofMotörhead,Dave Grohl,Chris Cornell andIggy Pop.[63] The album also features musical collaborations with former Guns N' Roses membersIzzy Stradlin,Steven Adler andDuff McKagan.[64] Preceding the release of the album, Slash had released the Japan-only single "Sahara", featuring Japanese vocalistKoshi Inaba (fromB'z).[65] It charted at number four on theOricon Singles Chart,[66] as well number six on theBillboard Japan Hot 100.[67] It was awarded Western "Single of the Year" award at the 24thJapan Gold Disc Award by theRIAJ.[68] To promote the album, Slash embarked on his first solo world tour withMyles Kennedy ofAlter Bridge—who also appeared on the album—on vocals, Bobby Schneck on rhythm guitar,Todd Kerns on bass, andBrent Fitz on drums. Slash opened for Ozzy Osbourne for a leg of Osbourne'sScream World Tour.[69]
Slash began working on his second solo album in June 2011.[70] He collaborated with his touring bandmates Myles Kennedy, Todd Kerns, and Brent Fitz, with the resulting album billed to "Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators".[71] The album, titledApocalyptic Love, was released on May 22, 2012, debuting at No. 2 on theCanadian Albums Chart.[71][72] In 2013 Slash received the award for "Best Guitarist of the Year 2012" fromLoudwire.[73]
Slash embarked on a tour in the summer of 2014, opening forAerosmith as part of theLet Rock Rule Tour.[74][75] In May 2014, Slash revealed details of his third solo albumWorld on Fire.[76] The album was again billed as "Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators" and was released on September 10, 2014.[77] It debuted at No. 10 on theBillboard 200 chart.[78]
In March 2018, Slash revealed that a new album with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators was to be released later in the year.[79] In June 2018, he announced that the album was titledLiving the Dream, to be released on September 21, 2018.[80] The group tour for the album began in September 2018, starting with a show in Del Mar, California at the KAABOO Del Mar Music Festival.[81][82] The tour was concluded the U.S. and Canada again 2019 after completing the Asian leg and Hawaii show with Guns N' Roses.[83][84] Former touring guitaristFrank Sidoris joined the band full-time for the recording sessions.[85]
In an October 2020, bassistTodd Kerns confirmed that there would be a new album in 2021, referred to asSMKC4.[86]On July 26, 2021, it was confirmed that the record was to be released byGibson's new record label Gibson Records in February 2022.[87] On October 18, 2021, Slash confirmed the first single's title "The River is Rising", along with its release date, October 22, 2021.[88] On October 22, the release day of first single, it was announced that the album4 would be released on February 11, 2022.[89][90] The tour was also announced the same day, scheduled to start February 8, 2022, inPortland, Oregon.
On December 29, 2015, several days after a Guns N' Roses-related teaser was released to movie theaters,Billboard reported that Slash would rejoin the band to headlineCoachella 2016, filling the lead guitarist spot vacated whenDJ Ashba left the band.[91][92] Guns N' Roses were officially announced as headliners of Coachella on January 4, 2016, withKROQ reporting Slash and Duff McKagan would rejoin the band.[93][94][95] Slash performed with Guns N' Roses for the first time in 23 years during the band's secret warmup gig at theTroubadour in Los Angeles on April 1, 2016.[96] The band then embarked on theNot in This Lifetime... Tour, which became a massive success, grossing $584 million by its conclusion in 2019.[97] In 2021, Slash appeared on his first songs with the band since 1994, "Absurd" and "Hard Skool". In 2023 the band wenton tour again, notably playing both theGlastonbury Festival in England and thePower Trip Festival in Indio, California. They also released a new single, "Perhaps".
In 1991, Slash played lead guitar on the single "Give In to Me" offMichael Jackson's albumDangerous, as well as for the opening skit of the video for the song "Black or White" off the same album.[98] In 1995, he played guitar on "D.S.", a controversial song from Jackson'sHIStory: Past, Present and Future, BookI album, and in 1997 appeared on the song "Morphine" off the remix albumBlood on the Dance Floor: History in the Mix. Slash also joined Jackson on several occasions on stage, most notably at the1995 MTV Video Music Awards playing with Jackson on "Black or White" (and the introduction of "Billie Jean"). He made two surprise appearances during Jackson's 1992Dangerous World Tour in Spain and Japan and supported the 1999 charity concertsMJ & Friends in Seoul and Munich playing the same set as he did for 1995's MTV Video Music Awards. The last time Slash and Jackson shared a stage was on both 2001Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special concerts in New York City playing "Black or White" and "Beat It".
A self-described "film buff",[103] Slash has had small parts in several films and television series.[104] In 1988, he appeared with his GunsN'Roses bandmates in theDirty Harry filmThe Dead Pool, in which his character attends a musician's funeral and shoots a harpoon. He played radio DJ Hank in a 1994 episode of thehorroranthology television seriesTales from the Crypt. Slash was a guest star in an episode of the live-action/animated talk showSpace Ghost Coast to Coast onCartoon Network, whereSpace Ghost,Zorak, andMoltar teach him how to do guitar licks, but he refuses to do any of that. In 1999, he appeared as the host of the Miss America Bag Lady pageant in the widely panned filmThe Underground Comedy Movie. He has also appeared as himself in several projects, includingHoward Stern'sPrivate Parts in 1997,The Drew Carey Show in 1998,MADtv in 2005, andSacha Baron Cohen'sBrüno in 2009. Slash voiced a recurring caricature of himself inRobert Evans' animated television seriesKid Notorious, which aired in 2003 onComedy Central. As in real life, Slash is Evans' close friend and next-door neighbor on the show. He played Billy Butterface in the television showMetalocalypse onAdult Swim. On May 5, 2009, he appeared as the guest mentor for therock 'n' roll week ofAmerican Idol.[105] In 2010, Slash formed Slasher Films, a horror film production company. Its first film,Nothing Left to Fear, was screened in select cities on October 4, 2013, before being released on DVD and Blu-ray the following Tuesday.[106][107] Slash appeared on the October 26, 2014 episode ofTalking Dead. He is reported to be a massive fan of horror movies.[108]
Slash is a pinball enthusiast and collector. He participated in the design process for the 1994Data EastGunsN'Roses pinball machine, as well as the 2020Jersey Jack Pinball machine of the same theme, and provided music for the 1998Sega machineViper Night Drivin'.[109][110] Slash is aplayable character in the video gameGuitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, released in 2007. His performance wasmotion captured to record his movements for the game. Slash's character becomes playable after a player beats him in a one-on-one competition, which then leads to the player and Slash playing the master track of "Welcome to the Jungle".[111] Guitar learning game/simulatorRocksmith 2014 byUbisoft released a Slash Song Pack[112] with several of the latter compositions by the artist available to purchase as downloadable content and learn on the guitar.
A keen artist, Slash designed logos and artwork for several of his pre-Guns N' Roses bands, as well as the famous circular GN'R logo. He is also credited as having provided some artwork forAerosmith's 2012 album,Music From Another Dimension!, as it reproduces a picture of the band drawn by Slash when he was still a teenager.
Slash is a fan of theAngry Birds series of video games, and created a hard rock version of theAngry Birds Space theme song. In addition, Slash has aBirds avatar shown in the game, released in March 2013.[115]
Slash is adual citizen of the United Kingdom and the United States.[6] A British national since his birth,[116] he has resided in Los Angeles since 1971, but did not acquire American citizenship until 1996.[117] He said in 2010, "I do consider myself British. I have very strong feelings about my British heritage. My first years were there, I went to school there, and I have seemingly endless family on that side of the pond. So I've always felt most comfortable in England."[118]
In 2001, at the age of 35, Slash was diagnosed withcardiomyopathy, a form ofcongestive heart failure, caused by his many years of alcohol and drug abuse. Originally given between six days and six weeks to live, he survived through physical therapy and the implantation of adefibrillator.[119] Slash has been clean and sober since 2006,[103] which he credited to his then-wife Perla Ferrar.[120] In 2009, following his mother's death fromlung cancer, he quit smoking.[121]
Slash's friendship with GunsN'Roses frontmanAxl Rose soured following his departure from the band. In 2006, Rose claimed that Slash had shown up at his house uninvited the previous year to offer a truce.[122] He alleged that Slash had insulted hisVelvet Revolver bandmates, telling Rose that he consideredScott Weiland "a fraud", andDuff McKagan "spineless", and that he "hated"Matt Sorum.[123] Slash denied the accusations. In his 2007 autobiography, he admitted to visiting Rose's home with the intention to settle a longstanding legal dispute, and to make peace with his former bandmate. He claims that he did not speak with Rose and instead merely left a note. Slash maintained that he had not spoken with Rose in person since 1996.[122] In 2009, in response to a statement by Rose in which he referred to Slash as "acancer", Slash commented: "It doesn't really affect me at all... It's been a long time. The fact that he has anything to say at all, it's like, 'Whatever, dude.' It doesn't really matter."[124] In an August 2015 interview, Slash stated that he and Rose had reconciled.[125] He subsequently rejoined Guns N' Roses in 2016. Slash later stated about the feud that "We had a lot of issues born out of third-party stuff. It was very insidious, and the longer we didn’t talk, the more it got blown out of proportion".[126]
On October 10, 1992, Slash married model-actress Renée Suran inMarina del Rey, California.[127] They divorced in late 1997 after five years of marriage.[38]
Slash married Perla Ferrar on October 15, 2001, in Hawaii.[38] They have two sons.[38] Slash filed for divorce from Ferrar in August 2010, but the couple reconciled two months later.[120] In December 2014, he again filed for divorce.[128] Slash's son London debuted his band Suspect208 in late 2020. The band also featuredRobert Trujillo's son Tye Trujillo on bass, andScott Weiland's son Noah Weiland on vocals. Slash promoted the band on his social media accounts.[129][130]
Slash is currently in a relationship with Meegan Hodges whom he first dated in 1989 and reconnected with in 2015.[131]
Slash is an honorary board member ofLittle Kids Rock, a national nonprofit that works to restore and rejuvenate music education programs in disadvantaged public schools. He has visited Little Kids Rock students, jammed with them, and donated instruments and his time.[132]
Slash has been recognized for his longtime contributions to establishing environmental welfare programs.[133] He is a board trustee of theGreater Los Angeles Zoo Association, and has long supported theLos Angeles Zoo and zoos around the world.[133] Slash's love of reptiles was, for many years, a notable aspect of his public persona, with several of his many snakes appearing with him in music videos and photoshoots,[134] until the birth of his first son in 2002 impelled him to find a new home for his collection.[135]
In 1985, Slash and Axl Rose were charged with felonystatutory rape after Rose had sex with a 15-year-old girl in the recording studio.[136] Both went into hiding to avoid the police and the charges were dropped several weeks later due to lack of evidence.[137] The accuser later stated she dropped the charges after Rose apologized to her.[136]
Slash was arrested in July 1999 for allegedly assaulting his then-girlfriend.[138][139]
Slash has received critical acclaim as a guitarist. In 2005, he was named "Best Guitarist" byEsquire, which congratulated him on "beating the comeback odds with a surprisingly legitimate and vital outfit, Velvet Revolver."[140] Slash was awarded the title of "Riff Lord" duringMetal Hammer's fourth annualGolden Gods awards in 2007.[141] In 2008, he was ranked No.21 onGigwise's list of "The 50 Greatest Guitarists Ever",[142] and in 2009, he was named runner-up on "The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players" list inTime, which praised him as "a remarkably precise player".[4] In 2011,Rolling Stone placed Slash at No. 65 on their list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".[7]
In 2004, Slash's introductory riff in "Sweet Child o' Mine" was voted No.1 on a list of "The 100 Greatest Riffs" by the readers ofTotal Guitar;[9] his riffs in "Out ta Get Me" (No.51), "Welcome to the Jungle" (No. 21), and "Paradise City" (No.19) also made the list.[9] In 2006, his solo in "Paradise City" was voted No.3 byTotal Guitar's readers on a list of "The 100 Hottest Guitar Solos";[146] his solos in "Sweet Child o' Mine" and "November Rain" were ranked No.30 and No.82 respectively.[146] In 2008,Guitar World placed Slash's solo in "November Rain" at No.6 on their list of "The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos",[8] while his solo in "Sweet Child o' Mine" was ranked No.37 on the list.[147] In 2010, the readers ofTotal Guitar voted his riff in "Slither" runner-up on the list of "The 50Greatest Riffs of the Decade",[148] while his riff in "By the Sword" was ranked No.22.[149] Slash received aRadio Contraband Rock Radio Award in 2012. In January 2015 Slash received the Les Paul award.
Slash owns more than 100 guitars.[150] He prefers theGibson Les Paul, which he has called "the best all-around guitar for me."[151]Gibson has credited him andZakk Wylde with bringing the Les Paul back into the mainstream in the late 1980s.[151] His main studio guitar is a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard replica, built byluthierKris Derrig,[152] which he came to own during the recording sessions forGuns N' Roses' debut album,Appetite for Destruction. He used that guitar on every subsequent album he recorded with Guns N' Roses andVelvet Revolver. For many years, his main live guitar was a 1988 Gibson Les Paul Standard.[153]
Since 1997, Slash has collaborated with Gibson onseventeen signature Les Paul models, including five through Gibson USA, seven through the Gibson Custom Shop, and five through the Gibson subsidiaryEpiphone. Slash also plays various other Gibson guitars, includingFirebirds andExplorers. He also plays or has played guitars by a plethora of other brands, includingB.C. Rich with whom he has designed several custom models based on theirMockingbird andBich designs. He has used guitars byFender,Gretsch,Jackson, andMartin. He has also collaborated on signature equipment with other companies. In 1996, Marshall introduced the Marshall Slash Signature JCM2555, an authentic reissue of the Marshall "Silver Jubilee" JCM2555 released in 1987. It was the first signature amp ever produced by Marshall, with production limited to 3000.[155] In 2007,Jim Dunlop introduced theCrybaby SW-95 Slash Signature Wah, designed after Slash's own custom-built Crybaby wah pedal.[156] In 2010,Seymour Duncan introduced the Alnico II Pro Slash APH-2 pickups, which were designed to recreate the tone of Slash's main studio guitar.[157] The Slash signature pickups were marketed through Seymour Duncan's YouTube channel with product demonstrator Danny Young performing the official videos.[158][159][160][161][162] Also in 2010,Marshall introduced the Marshall AFD100, a recreation of theMarshall 1959 that Slash used for the recording ofAppetite for Destruction, with production limited to 2300.[163]
On stage, Slash prefers Marshall amplifiers, particularly the Marshall "Silver Jubilee" JCM2555 amp. He used a rented early-1970s Marshall 1959 for the recording ofAppetite for Destruction.[164] Slash enjoyed the amp so much that he tried to keep it, telling the rental company, S.I.R., that it had been stolen. The amp was repossessed by S.I.R. employees after a roadie accidentally brought it to rehearsals at the store.[164] For the recording of Velvet Revolver's debut album,Contraband, he used aVox AC30 amp and smallFender tube amps, and on their second album,Libertad, he used the Marshall "Vintage Modern" 2466 amp. On hiseponymous debut solo album, he used a Marshall JCM800, issued as "#34", and later, on the subsequent world tour, Slash used his signature Marshall AFD100 amp.
In a 2018 interview, Slash said he did not use manypedals aside from an occasionalphase, but was influenced to play electric guitar when he was younger when he played his guitar through aMXR Distortion + pedal.[165]
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^Kubernik, Harvey (2009).Canyon of Dreams: The Magic and the Music of Laurel Canyon. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 233.ISBN978-1-4027-6589-6.
^ab"Ola Oliver-Hudson Obituary".Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles.Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 22, 2016 – via legacy.com.
^Hudson, Saul."Slash profile".Slash Paradise.Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. RetrievedJanuary 30, 2024.I'm not Jewish! I'm 1/2 black, 1/2 British. I'm a proud dual citizen: American and British.
^Their Time is Gonna Come: Classic Rock Presents Led Zeppelin.Classic Rock. 2008. p. 17.
^OriginalKonbini (French website) interview from 24 September 2018 is here:Konbini (September 24, 2018).Track ID.Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 9, 2023 – viaYouTube.
^Rose, W. Axl (December 16, 2008)."OPEN LETTER FROM AXL". Guns N' Roses. Archived fromthe original on February 7, 2009. RetrievedNovember 11, 2010."There's nothing but Slash based blues rock..
^"The Guns 'N Roses Report".heretodaygonetohell.com; addict.com. January 13, 1997.Archived from the original on May 5, 2015. RetrievedApril 24, 2015.Huge's presence didn't sit well with Slash, who reportedly has "creative and personal" differences with the latest Rose writing collaborator, which played a part in his decision to leave the band.
^"Slash – IMDb". IMDb.com.Archived from the original on September 10, 2011. RetrievedApril 27, 2011.
^Harper, Kate (April 27, 2009)."Slash to appear on American Idol". ChartAttack.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2010. RetrievedApril 27, 2011.
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