Slash

Slash was born in Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire, England on July 23, 1965. His given name is Saul Hudson. His mother is American, and his father is English. Both parents were artistic and work in the entertainment field. His mother is a clothing designer while his father provides art direction for record albums. Two notable clients are Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.

At age 11 Slash moved to Los Angeles with his mother while his father remained based in England. The family eventually lived together again in L.A. where Slash had a rough transition to conservative Southern California. The long hair, jeans and t-shirts that he wore even then didn't exactly fit with the other kids. An outsider at school, he lived a bohemian life at home. Surrounded by artistic friends of his parents, Slash grew accustomed to the moods and eccentricities of those in the music world. Frequent visitors at the Hudson household included Joni Mitchell, David Geffen, David Bowie, Ron Wood, and Iggy Pop to name a few.

In the mid-1970's, his parents separated. Slash moved in with his beloved grandmother until he could sort out the situation at home. About this time he discovered BMX bicycle racing. He joined up with a group of kids, and rode with a passion.

While in junior high school, his grandmother gave him his first guitar. Although it had just one string, Slash was able to learn to play. Slash's early musical influences were Led Zep, Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Neil Young. He credits the Aerosmith album ROCKS with changing his life.

Eventually, Slash gave up on school and dropped out in eleventh grade. Another education was waiting for him in the L.A. band scene. Slash had met Steven Adler, formed Road Crew, and was looking for a good singer. Then he met Izzy Stradlin who played him a tape with W. Axl Rose singing. Slash went to see Axl perform and immediately wanted to steal him from Izzy, but the two Indiana natives were fast friends. Slash found his bass player in Duff McKagan when Duff answered an ad in the paper. All the players changed combinations, but the result was Guns N' Roses! With a lot of talent and a lot of drive, the band became an international success story.

After the Illusions tours, Guns N' Roses went on a well-deserved hiatus. Slash became restless and decided to form a new band as a side project. Matt Sorum, Gilby Clarke, Mike Inez, Eric Dover, and Slash formed Slash's Snakepit and recorded the album It's Five O'clock Somewhere.

Slash's life once seemed a symbol of rock and roll decadence, but things have calmed down with him in some ways. Once a heroin addict, Slash has been off drugs for several years. His astounding drinking habits are sometimes in evidence, and he still smokes his Marlboros. A major change occurred when he fell in love with Renee Suran. They were married in October 1992. The two separated and divorced in the fall of 1997. They remain friends.

Slash has kept busy with several projects over the years. His latest band "Velvet Revolver" featuring the talents of Scott Weiland, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum and Dave Kushner has put him back on the stage in a big way. The band has seen much success and with the release of "Contraband" in 2004 you can find them headlining at a major venue near you.