Saul Hudson, better known as Slash, was the lead guitarist of Guns N’ Roses in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
At the age of five, Slash moved to Los Angeles with his father from Hampstead, London. As a child, he was nicknamed “Slash” by actor Seymour Cassel, whose parents were both in the entertainment industry. Originally a member of Hollywood Rose, he joined Guns N’ Roses in 1985, replacing Tracii Guns, the band’s founder.
Since he got his first guitar at 15, he skipped classes all day to play guitar instead of studying. Slash had grown tired of school by 11th grade and dropped out. He soon found himself jamming with aspiring rock bands living in Los Angeles. Tidus Sloan was his first band, which he joined in 1981.
Top hat on top of that mop of curly hair, no eyes, only plump lips. His abstention from looking at his rapt audience oddly complements Axl Rose’s narcissism on stage. The enigmatic guitarist gets punked in front of the crowd when Axl dislodges his hat during the guitar solo. Slash plays unfazed, keeping time.
Concert in Argentina, 1992
Slash has had an incredibly distinguished career as a guitarist. Check out these lesser known facts about the legend!
🎸 He was named runner-up (to Jimi Hendrix) on Time Magazine’s list of “The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players” in 2009.
🎸 In 2011, Rolling Stone ranked him 65th among “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”
🎸 In 2008, Guitar World ranked his “November Rain” solo number 6 on their list of “The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos.” In 2013,
🎸 the magazine Total Guitar ranked his “Sweet Child of Mine” riff 1 on its list of “The 100 Greatest Riffs.”
🎸 As a member of Guns N’ Roses’ classic lineup, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Is Slash an inspiration to you as well? We would love to hear what you think about him or your journey as a musician / guitarist in the comments below!
