Slash

Background

Slash was born in Hampstead, London, on July 23rd 1965 to Ola and Anthony Hudson. He was raised in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire by his father and paternal grandparents until the age of five, when he and his father moved to Los Angeles, California to join Ola Hudson(mother). In 1974 Slash's parents split up and caused Slash to go and live with his maternal grandmother. He was then given his nickname "Slash" by a family friend known as Seymour Cassel due to him being "always in a hurry, zipping around from one thing to another."

In 1979 Slash decided to form a band with a friend, Robert Willoughby and although the band never materialized, it would lead to Slash taking an interest to learn to play the guitar. This came about when Slash decided to learn how to play bass(due to his friend, Robert Willoughby, deciding to take up playing the guitar), but after taking his first music lesson from Robert Wolin at Fairfax Music School, and hearing Robert Wolin play "Brown Sugar" by the Rolling Stones, Slash decided to switch from bass to guitar. His influence to play the guitar also came from a school teacher of his, who would play Led Zepplin and Cream songs. Slash devoted himself to playing guitar and practised up to twelve hours a day.

Rock N' Roll Comics

Even though Slash had a small part to play in the comic world as a character, it became wildly popular during the success years of Guns N' Roses. In the Rock N' Roll Comics, Slash would play himself and often would be depicted in concert with fellow band mates playing some of the most well known music from that time. it is agreed by many that Rock N' Roll comics profiled more the bands it based each individual issue on rather than create its own fictional story.

In 1989 Rock N' Roll Comics was launched, with the first issue starring Guns N' Roses; including Slash, being brought out(#1 Guns N' Roses). The first issue was drawn by the hired "Hey Boss" artist Larry Nadolsky and although Guns N' Roses' lawyer Peter Paterno sent Revolutionary a cease and desist order, no lawsuits were ever made against the release of the first issue of Rock N' Roll comics starring Slash and his band mates from Guns N' Roses. This issue and following issues such as #15 Guns N' Roses, #33 - Guns N' Roses `91 , #43 - Guns N' Roses (Tales From The Tour) and others would profile the band at the current time of that issue's release and often talk about tours as well as the lives and relationships between/of band members.

In the comics Slash would often play the same role as in real life; the lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses. The comic books mostly portrayed images of Slash doing some of his solo guitar playing in songs such as "Sweet Child o' Mine", for example. Also most commonly the comic books would show Slash and Guns N' Roses in concert performing some of their well known pieces towards an audience and would often tell of how Slash was as a person as well as a performer, on stage or in general. Slash would also been showed in comics in back stage with the rest of his band and what actions he would get up to.

However, although the comics depicting Slash were popular during the best years of Guns N' Roses, Slash's appearances in the Rock N' Roll Comics would eventually come to an end in 1994 when Revolutionary Comics closed its doors. 2 years before Slash would leave Guns N' Roses. After Rock N' Roll comics finished (Under the ownership of Revolutionary Comics), it would be the last time that Slash would ever become a comic character up to this day.

Music Career

Through the period from 1981 to 1985, Slash would join and leave several bands such as Tidus Sloan (His first band), Road Crew, Hollywood Rose, Black Sheep and also unsuccessfully auditioned for the glam metal band, Poison. Although, through this period Slash would meet singer Axl Rose, guitarist Izzy Stradlin and bassist Duff McKagan; future Guns N' Roses band mates.

In June 1985, Slash was asked by Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin to join the newly formed band, Guns N' Roses, with Duff McKagan and childhood friend Steven Adler completing the rest of the line-up. They began playing in nightclubs such as the Whisky a Go Go, The Roxy, and The Troubadour, and opened for larger acts throughout 1985 and 1986. It was during this period that the band wrote most of its classic material, including "Welcome to the Jungle", "Sweet Child o' Mine", and "Paradise City". Through their rising success as a band and also receiving the moniker "Most Dangerous Band In The World", they would be scouted by several record labels, and eventually the band singed up with Geffen Records. The band then released in 1987 its debut album "Appetite for Destruction", which became the best-selling album of all time in the U.S. (18 million sold copies), overall having sold to this day over 28 million copies. In the summer of 1988, the band achieved its only U.S. No. 1 hit with "Sweet Child o' Mine," a song spearheaded by Slash's guitar riff and solo. During this period Slash had developed a drug problem. It is considered that the period from 1985 to 1996(when Slash left Guns N' Roses) was what spear-headed Slash into fame both as a musician and an icon.

In 1994, during the inactive period of Guns N' Roses, Slash formed the band "Slash's Snakepit" with his Guns N' Roses band mates Matt Sorum and Gilby Clarke on drums and rhythm guitar respectively, as well as Alice in Chains' Mike Inez on bass and Jellyfish's Eric Dover on vocals. The band recorded Slash's material originally intended for Guns N' Roses, resulting in the release of "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere " in February 1995. The album was critically praised for ignoring the then-popular conventions of "alternative music", and fared well on the charts, eventually selling over one million copies in the US alone despite little promotion from Geffen Records. Slash's Snakepit toured in support of the album with bassist James LoMenzo and drummer Brian Tichy of Pride and Glory, before disbanding in 1996. Slash then toured for two years with the blues rock cover band Slash's Blues Ball.

From 1999 to 2002, Slash would regroup "Slash's Snakepit" and release another album, "Ain't Life Grand" which would not bring as much success as the previous release by "Slash's Snakepit". Due to this Slash attempted to promote more the album by embarking on an extensive tour AC/DC in the summer of 2000 with the "Slash's Snakepit" band and Keri Kelli on rhythm guitar. Followed by their own headlining tour. Slash disbanded Snakepit in 2002.

In 2008 Slash started his solo career, and begun recording his new debut solo album named "Slash". This album was released in April 2012 and debuted at No. 3 U.S. Charts on its release. His solo album featured several well known music acts such as: Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead, Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, and Iggy Pop. To help promote his album, Slash went on his first solo tour with Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge on vocals, Bobby Schneck on rhythm guitar, Todd Kerns on bass, and Brent Fitz on drums.