Slash
Slash performing live
Background information
Birth name	Saul Hudson
Also known as	Slash
Born	July 23, 1965 (1965-07-23) (age 42)
Origin	Hampstead, London, England
Genre(s)	Hard rock
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instrument(s)	Guitar
Years active	1985 - Present
Label(s)	UZI Suicide (1986) Geffen Records (1987-1996) Koch Records (1994-2001) RCA Records (2002-present)
Associated acts	Guns N' Roses Slash's Snakepit Slash's Blues Ball Velvet Revolver
Website	www.slashonline.com
Notable instrument(s)
Gibson Les Paul Guild Crossroads Doubleneck

Saul Hudson (born July 23, 1965), more widely known as Slash, is an Anglo-American guitarist best known as the former lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses and as the current lead guitarist of supergroup Velvet Revolver. His trademark appearance and memorable guitar work has made him a legendary pop culture icon.

Biography

Early life

Slash was born in England to a white English father, Anthony Hudson, and an African American mother, Ola, both of whom were involved with show business. Slash's mother worked as a costume designer for David Bowie, and his father was an artist who contributed live ensembles to Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. Slash was raised in Stoke-on-Trent until the age of 11, when he relocated to Los Angeles, California with his parents in the mid-1970s.

First steps of an icon

At the age of 14, Slash was given his first guitar by his grandmother. Reveling in the artistry of his hard rock idols, he would spend several hours a day practicing. Eventually, his entire focus was put on music and he made the decision to quit school. In a Rolling Stone article, he remarked:

In addition to Aerosmith, Slash's early influences included AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Rory Gallagher, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Rolling Stones, Thin Lizzy, Van Halen, and Frank Zappa.

As his skills improved, Slash became enamored by the hard rock scene on the infamous Sunset Strip. Having both failed auditions to join Poison, Slash and childhood friend, Steven Adler, formed Road Crew in 1983. The band had difficulties retaining members due to their blues-based sound that was entirely devoid of traditional glam metal. When Slash put out an ad in a newspaper calling for a bassist, he quickly received a response from an enthusiastic Duff McKagan, who would later join Slash and Adler in the famed Guns N' Roses. When Road Crew called it quits, Slash joined a local band known as Black Sheep (not to be confused with the 70's NY-based rock group.) Headed by Willie Bass, the band shared an agent with another upstart group of misfits known as Hollywood Rose. In 1984, both bands opened for Christian metal band Stryper. After the show, Slash and lead singer Axl Rose were introduced to one another by a mutual friend. The two quickly became friends, and several months later, Slash and Steven Adler were asked to join the newly revamped Guns N' Roses, with Axl Rose, Duff McKagan and Izzy Stradlin. The rock scene in LA at that time was hugely incestuous, so it was no surprise that the five like-minded souls would eventually gravitate together.

The Rise of Guns N' Roses

Gritty, young, and reckless, Guns N' Roses toured bars and opened for larger acts throughout 1985 and 1986. It was during this period that they wrote most of their classic material, including "Welcome to the Jungle", "Sweet Child O' Mine", and "Paradise City". As they pushed their way to the forefront of LA hard rock, the band was approached with several lucrative record contracts. Opting to sign to Geffen, they spent half of their advance on clothes, and the other half on alcohol and drugs. It was during this period that the "Most Dangerous Band In The World" tag was first attached to them. In 1988, Slash remarked:

When Appetite for Destruction appeared in the summer of '87, the hype had reached staggering proportions. A tour with Iron Maiden was canceled when Slash was packed off to Hawaii to kick his drug habit, while Axl ended up in intensive care at an LA hospital after attacking a police officer. When the press saw the album cover - a controversial Robert Williams painting of a girl being raped by a robot - the hype went into overdrive. Thankfully, the music more than lived up to the band's reputation. By 1988, Guns N' Roses scored it's first #1 hit with Sweet Child O' Mine, a song spearheaded by Slash's memorable riff and legendary guitar solo. In the years following its release, critics and fans continue to hail Appetite for Destruction as a landmark album that solidified Slash's place as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. To this day, many of his riffs and solos are still featured in "best of" lists around the world. With 15 million copies sold in the United States, it is the highest selling debut album of all time.

In 1988, Guns N' Roses released G N' R Lies, an EP best remembered for its featured single, the acoustic song "Patience". Though this album only had eight tracks (four of which had already been released), it was immensely successful, selling over 5 million copies. After a four year hiatus, Guns N' Roses returned with the epic Use Your Illusion discs. The albums indicated a change in musical direction for Guns N' Roses, including more artistic and dramatic songs like "November Rain" and "Estranged". Songs in this vein, along with ballads such as "Don't Cry", contributed to mounting tensions that would ultimately tear the band apart just a few years later. As Rose expressed a desire to pursue more progressive genres, Slash and McKagan fought to maintain their traditional sound as a punk/blues-based hard rock band. Slash later cited this issue as a key component to his inability to work with Rose on any creative level.

Guns N' Roses' 1985-1990 classic line-up appearing on a cover of Rolling Stone magazine. From left to right: Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan, Axl Rose, Steven Adler, Slash.

Despite the turbulent production of the albums, Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II are considered by many to be the band's most ambitious effort. While both discs received lukewarm reviews, critics lauded Slash's work as "sublime". His most acclaimed song is arguably 'Coma', a 10 minute heavy metal ode to his two infamous drug overdoses. In 1991, Guns N' Roses embarked on the 28-month long Use Your Illusion Tour, coinciding with the release of their new albums. Upon completion of the tour, Slash became an American citizen.

After the release of The Spaghetti Incident?, an album for which he and Duff McKagan had strongly petitioned, Slash began to drift in and out of the band, frustrated by the lack of activity and communication between him and Rose. In the mid-90's, he wrote several songs for what would have become Guns N' Roses' follow up album to Use Your Illusion I and II. Rose rejected the material, leading Slash to form Slash's Snakepit, a side-project that saw support from Matt Sorum, Gilby Clarke, Dizzy Reed, Mike Inez, and Eric Dover. The band recorded Slash's material and released It's Five O'Clock Somewhere in 1995. Critically, the album was praised for ignoring the conventions of grunge and alternative music. It also fared well on the charts, eventually selling over 1.2 million copies in the United States with little promotion from Geffen.

In an attempt to salvage the wreck that Guns N' Roses was becoming, Zakk Wylde, initially of Ozzy Osbourne fame in the late eighties and early nineties, was invited to jam with the band, but both Slash and Wylde agreed that Gn'R did not have space for two of the world's pre-eminent lead guitarists, although they remain good friends to this day. Wylde went back to work with Rose in the studio in the late nineties, but was alleged to have a more efficient work-ethic than Rose, and no recordings transpired.

On October 30, 1996, it was discovered that Slash was officially no longer a part of the band, as lead singer Axl Rose sent a fax to MTV stating he and his former guitarist had experienced several disagreements regarding the band's musical direction, and ultimately parted ways.

A crucial moment leading up to Slash's decision to quit the band occurred when Rose removed a section of his guitar track on a cover of "Sympathy for the Devil". Without his consent, Rose replaced Slash's guitar overdub with the work of Paul Tobias, a friend of Rose whom Slash and the rest of the band vocally disapproved of for years. Additionally, as revealed on a VH1 special, Slash stated that he never truly forgave Axl for his spiteful rant regarding some of his fellow band-mates during a 1989 concert.

After Guns N' Roses

After his departure from Guns N' Roses, Slash focused on his side-project, The Snakepit, playing a few tour dates before disbanding the group in 1998. Over the next decade, Slash would become an in-demand session guitarist, recording music with the likes of Alice Cooper, Sammy Hagar, Ronnie Wood, Bad Company, Cheap Trick, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and Rod Stewart.

In 2001, he chose to regroup Slash's Snakepit to release his second solo effort, the aptly titled Ain't Life Grand. The album managed to do well on the charts, reaching platinum status. To promote it further, Slash embarked on an extensive world tour with AC/DC in the summer of 2000.

In 1990, Slash collaborated with Michael Jackson on his comeback album, Dangerous. He performed guitar on two hit singles, "Black Or White"(song intro) and "Give In to Me". He later appeared in the "Give In To Me" video with Jackson and performed on special occasions during the massive Dangerous World Tour. In 1995, he appeared on stage with Jackson for the MTV Music Video Awards. Slash also recorded a guest spot on the HIStory album, followed by an appearance on the Blood On The Dancefloor mix collection two years later. In 2001, he once again joined Jackson on stage at the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special performing guitar for "Black Or White" and "Beat It".

In 1995, Quentin Tarantino asked Slash to contribute music to his famed adaptation of Jackie Brown. Several Snakepit compositions can be heard throughout the film. In 1996, Slash collaborated with Marta Sanchez to record the flamenco inspired "Obsession-Confession" for the Curdled soundtrack. The song was received well by Smooth Jazz radio stations. Later that year, Slash also played live with Alice Cooper at Sammy Hagar's club Cabo Wabo in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The show was recorded and released the following year as A Fistful of Alice.

In 1997, Slash (alongside the late Ol' Dirty Bastard and hit alternative rock band Fishbone) appeared on BLACKstreet's rock remix version of their hit single "Fix". In 2003, he participated in the Yardbirds' comeback record Birdland, released on the Favored Nations label. He played lead guitar in the track "Over, Under, Sideways, Down." In early 2003, Slash also made an appearance at a rally to protest the coming War in Iraq called "Peace on the Beach." Specifically, Slash performed the song "Imagine" by John Lennon. Ed Kowalczyk provided vocals during this performance.

In 2002, he reunited with Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum for a benefit/tribute concert for Randy Castillo. Realizing they still had the chemistry of their days in Guns N' Roses, they decided to form a new band together. The band that featured Slash, McKagan, and Sorum also featured former Buckcherry members Keith Nelson and Josh Todd. Later Duff put out a statement that Josh and Keith didn't quite fit with the band, and they added Dave Kushner as rhythm guitar and, after a long search, Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland. In 2006, Slash performed a guest spot on keyboardist Derek Sherinian's solo album Blood of the Snake covering the 1970 Mungo Jerry hit single "In the Summertime", also featuring Billy Idol on vocals. A video was also made featuring Slash, Billy, and Derek for this song.

Velvet Revolver and Future Endeavors

Velvet Revolver began as "The Project", a venture by Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum to find a new lead singer. On rhythm guitar, they initially worked with Izzy Stradlin, and they were offered to open for The Rolling Stones but Slash, Duff and Matt wanted to have a lead singer; after this Izzy became less involved. They would find their second guitarist in the form of Dave Kushner, who had previously played with McKagan in "Loaded" prior to this project. For many months, the four of them listened to demo tapes of potential lead singers, a monotonous process (documented by VH1). After many months, Slash and the others were almost ready to give up. However, Stone Temple Pilots had recently imploded and lead singer Scott Weiland was encouraged to try out for "The Project". Scott had tried to join before but Duff was reluctant to allow him to split Stone Temple Pilots. The natural demise of that band afforded him the opportunity to join with Slash, Duff, and Matt, which worked well with him immediately, and so Velvet Revolver was formed.

Slash on the cover of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

The band played several concerts in the summer of 2003 and released their first single, "Set Me Free" as part of the soundtrack for The Hulk. In June 2004, they released their first studio album, Contraband. A 19-month long tour ensued, as the album went double platinum and re-established Slash as a mainstream performer. When the ended in January 2006, he and his bandmates took a lengthy break before beginning work on their sophomore album. In July 2007, Velvet Revolver released the critically acclaimed Libertad, a follow-up to their multi-platinum debut.

On May 31, 2006, Slash was joined by Rob Zombie on vocals, another former GNR axeman Gilby Clarke on rhythm guitar, Scott Ian of Anthrax on bass, Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee on drums, and surprise guest Ace Frehley of Kiss for a rendition of God of Thunder. The occasion was a one-time supergroup tribute to Kiss for the VH1 Rock Honors Award Show.

In 2007, Metal Injection revealed that Slash will be a playable character in the highly anticipated Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Slash did motion capture with RedOctane to record his movements for the game, and by beating him in a one-on-one competition (playing an original composition he recorded solely for the game), he will be unlocked as a playable character. Beating him in this challenge will result in the gamer and Slash playing the master track of "Welcome to the Jungle" as an encore song.

In 2007, Slash performed with Paulina Rubio on the hit Latin single "Nada Puede Cambiarme".

On March 12, 2007. Slash and Velvet Revolver paid tribute to Van Halen by inducting the band into the Rock N' Roll hall of fame. The band also played 2 covers.

Slash appears on the cover of Guitar World magazine for their July 2007 issue, the "20 year salute to Appetite for Destruction". The title is "The Cat In The Hat Is Back" and it pictures him holding his guitar with a snake crawling up the neck. The issue also includes a detailed interview with the artist, and what promises to be the start of a new column entitled "The Cat In The Hat".

Honors

In January 2007, Slash was honored with a star on the Rock Walk of Fame; his name being placed side by side with friends and legends Jimmy Page and Eddie Van Halen. Curators for the event described Slash as the following:

Persona

Slash is notorious for his intoxicated acceptance speech at the 1990 American Music Awards. Upon receipt of Guns N' Roses' second award of the evening, he and Duff McKagan stumbled to the stage appearing very drunk, holding drinks, and smoking cigarettes. Within a span of 20 seconds, Slash managed to curse twice in his slurred speech before being interrupted by a music overdub and positioning of a camera on a curtain with the AMA logo. After the first swear word, an audible gasp was heard from the crowd, prompting Slash to cover his mouth, cigarette and drink in hand, and utter "Oops". When accepting an award the following year, via live satellite feed, a much more sober Slash made mention of the incident, promising to "keep it clean this time".

In 1990, a heavy metal video called "Hard N' Heavy" was released containing music, concert footage and interviews. The video included Slash and McKagan appearing with the band Great White at a "Children Of the Night" Benefit concert in LA for abused homeless children, the performance helped raise money for housing to aid the underprivileged..

Recent Controversy

In March 2006 Axl Rose's lawyer released the following statement:

Slash didn't comment on Rose's press release, but a Velvet Revolver spokesperson did promise that Slash would be heard from "within days". Slash's press release never came. On May 13, 2006, Slash appeared on the Camp Freddy Show on Indie 1031 FM and denied having visited Rose's house or saying anything that Rose claimed.

In 2007 Slash admitted to going to Rose's home, but qualified the rest of the story as nonsense. He said that his intentions were to settle a long-standing legal dispute and make peace with his former band mate. .

Equipment

Guitars

Slash owns over 250 guitars. Among them are the following:

• Gibson
  • Les Paul Slash Custom Shop model
  • 1959 Les Paul replica built by Kris Derrig (some people think that it's a Max Baranet Les Paul replica, but it's not) The recording Holy Grail used on all CD's.
  • 1987 Les Paul Standard with 3 piece top (Factory Second) (Slash's main live guitar with cracked neck in 2 places; repaired)
  • 1958 Les Paul replica built by Kris Derrig
  • 1959 Les Paul replica built by Kris Derrig
  • Standard and Custom Les Pauls
  • 1957-58-59-60 Les Paul Reissue
  • 2004 Signature (Velvet Revolver)
  • 1963 & 1965 Melody Makers
  • 1960s SG
  • EDS-1275
  • 1959 Flying V
  • 1958 Explorer
  • ES-335
  • Firebird VII
  • J-100
• Fender
  • A Squier
  • 1952 Telecaster
  • 1956 Stratocaster
  • 1965 Stratocaster
  • 2006 JazzMaster
• Ernie Ball/Musicman
  • Silhouette
• Guild
  • 1999 Crossroads Doubleneck ("Godzilla")
  • 12-string Acoustic Guitar
• B.C. Rich
  • Mockingbird (at least three signature models with active pick-up systems)
  • 10-string Rich Bich
  • Warlock
• Martin
  • D-28 Acoustic Guitar
• Ramirez
  • Classical guitar
• Travis Bean
  • Travis Bean Electric (Used for slide guitar)
• First Act
  • 2006 GarageMaster (Used in Volkswagen commercial)

Guitars used in studio for the recording of Libertad :

• 1959 Gibson Les Paul replica built by Chris Derrig
• 1960 Gibson Les Paul reissue
• Gibson Les Paul Slash Custom Shop model
• Gibson Les Paul junior
• Gretsch 6120 Brian Setzer model
• Rickenbacker 12-string
• Fender Stratocaster

In the June edition of Total Guitar, he dismisses talk of signing a deal with B.C. Rich guitars. He says that he uses them solely because of the tremolo arm and he uses his Gibsons 70% of the time. He gets sent a new one every 15 years.

Amplifiers

Slash is the first musician to own a signature amplifier created by Marshall for him.

• Marshall
  • Vintage 1960's Marshall 1959 modified by Tim Caswell at SIR studios; used for the recording of Appetite for Destruction (Attempted to be stolen, but returned accidentally by a roadie)
  • 2555SL Signature Head with EL-34 tubes
  • JCM-800 2203 Head with 6550 tubes
  • JCM 2555 Silver Jubilee (the grey/silver 25th Anniversary head from 1987 and the black edition from 1988)
  • 50W Plexi model 1987 (from 1973)
  • Vintage Modern 2466 with KT-66 tubes
  • 1960BV 4x12 Cabinet
    • 60 Watt Celestion "Vintage 30" Speakers
  • 1960BX 4x12 Cabinet
    • 25 Watt Celestion "Greenback" Speakers
• For the recording of Velvet Revolver's debut, he told Guitar Player magazine that he used a Vox AC30 and small Fender tube amps (for "oddball" sounds). Live, he only uses Marshalls.
• For the recording of Velvet Revolver's second CD / Libertad, he told Total Guitar magazine that he used the new Marshall Vintage Modern 2466 amp.

Effects

• Dunlop Rack Mounted Crybaby (controlled with an Ernie Ball volume pedal for live shows)
• Rocktron Hush II CX
• DBX 166 Compressor
• Yamaha SPX 900 Multieffect
• Boss DD-5 Delay (for solos)
• MXR 10-band graphic EQ
• Dunlop Heil Talkbox
• Boss GE-7 (for solos)

Effects used in studio for the recording of Libertad :

• Dunlop Crybaby Slash Wah SW-95
• Dunlop Crybaby Q Wah 95Q and Q-Zone
• Dunlop MXR Boost/Overdrive MC-402 (for solos)
• Chicago Iron Octavian
• Dean Markley Voice Box

Other

• Strings
  • Ernie Ball Slinky R.P.S gauge 11-48
• Pickups
  • Seymour Duncan APH-1 Alnico II Pro
  • Vintage Gibson PAF
• Picks
  • Dunlop Purple Tortex (1.14 mm)
• Miscellaneous
  • Shure Wireless Guitar Kit
  • CAE custom switcher/router
  • Peterson Strobe tuner (used by Adam Day)
  • Nady 950-GT Wireless Guitar System (used in Guns N' Roses)
  • Monster cables
  • Gitanes cigarettes
  • Marlboro Red cigarettes

Discography

This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the talk page for details.

Guns N' Roses

• Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide (1986)
• Appetite for Destruction (1987)
• Live from the Jungle (1987)
• GN'R Lies (1988)
• Use Your Illusion I (1991)
• Use Your Illusion II (1991)
• "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993)
• Live Era '87-'93 (1999)
• Greatest Hits (2004)

Slash's Snakepit

• It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere (1995)
• Ain't Life Grand (2000)

Velvet Revolver

• Contraband (2004)
• Libertad (2007)

Guest Appearances

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• 2006 - Daughtry - Daughtry -> "What I Want"
• 2006 - Paulina Rubio - Ananda -> "Nada Puede Cambiarme"
• 2006 - Derek Sherinian - Blood of the Snake -> "In the Summertime"
• 2006 - The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (Original motion picture soundtrack) -> "Mustang Nismo"
• 2006 - The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (Original score) -> "Welcome to Tokyo"
• 2006 - Sarah Kelly - Where the Past Meets Today -> "Still Breathing"; "Out of Reach"
• 2005 - Ray Charles - More Music from Ray -> "Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand (version 2003)"
• 2005 - Eric Clapton - Save The Children Benefit Single -> "Tears In Heaven"
• 2005 - The Beatles - Benefit Single for the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake -> "Across the Universe"
• 2003 - Elan - Street Child -> "Street Child"
• 2003 - The Yardbirds - Birdland -> "Over, Under, Sideways, Down"
• 2003 - Matt Sorum - Hollywood Zen -> "The Blame Game"
• 2003 - Robert Evans - The Kids Stay In The Picture Soundtrack -> "Love Theme From The Godfather"
• 2002 - Ray Charles - Ray Charles Sings for America -> "God Bless America Again"
• 2001 - Rod Stewart - Human -> "Human"; "Peach"
• 2001 - Cheap Trick - Silver -> "You’re All Talk"
• 2001 - Bad Company - Merchants of Cool -> "Wishing Well"; "Crossroads"
• 2001 - Ronnie Wood - Far East Man -> "Assorted Songs"
• 2000 - Doro - Calling the Wild -> "Now or Never"
• 1999 - Various Artists - Humanary Strew: A Tribute to Alice Cooper -> "No More Mr. Nice Guy"
• 1999 - Chic - Live at the Budokan - "Le Freak"; "Stone Free"
• 1999 - Graham Bonnet - Day I Went Mad -> "Oh! Darling"
• 1999 - Duff McKagan - Beautiful Disease -> "Hope"; "Mezz"
• 1998 - Ella - El -> "Bayangan"
• 1997 - Alice Cooper - A Fistful of Alice -> "Lost in America"; "Only Women Bleed"; "Elected"
• 1997 - Sammy Hagar - Marching to Mars -> "Little White Lie"
• 1997 - Blackstreet - Another Level -> "Fix"
• 1997 - Marta Sánchez - Azabache -> "Moja mi Corazón"
• 1997 - Insane Clown Posse - The Great Milenko -> "Halls of Illusions"
• 1996 - Marta Sánchez - Curdled Soundtrack -> "Obsession Confession"
• 1995 - Quentin Tarantino - Jackie Brown -> "Jizz Da Pitt"
• 1995 - Mario Peebles - Panthers Soundtrack -> "The Star Spangled Banner"
• 1994 - Paul Rodgers - Stone Free: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix -> "I Don't Live Today"
• 1994 - Gilby Clarke - Pawnshop Guitars -> "Cure Me...Or Kill Me..."; "Tijuana Jail"
• 1993 - Paul Rodgers - Muddy Water Blues: Tribute to Muddy Waters -> "The Hunter"
• 1993 - Duff McKagan - Believe in Me -> "Believe in Me"; "Just Not There"
• 1992 - Motörhead - March ör Die -> "Ain't No Nice Guy"; "You Better Run"
• 1992 - Spinal Tap - Break Like the Wind -> "Break Like the Wind"
• 1991 - Lenny Kravitz - Mama Said -> "Fields of Joy"; "Always on the Run"
• 1991 - Alice Cooper - Hey Stoopid -> "Hey Stoopid"
• 1991 - Michael Jackson - Dangerous -> "Black or White"; "Give In to Me
• 1988 - Alice Cooper - Western Civilization: The Metal Years -> "Under My Wheels"

Trivia

This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the talk page for details.

• The appearance of Death, the main antagonist of the film Six-String Samurai, seems to have been influenced by Slash. Death is a heavy metal-playing, top hat-wearing, leather-clad rocker attempting to claim the title "King of Lost Vegas" after Elvis' passing. Death is the personification of heavy metal, while the protagonist, Buddy (meant to resemble Buddy Holly), is the personification of rock 'n' roll. He is also Jewish.
• A teenaged Slash makes a minor appearance in Penelope Spheeris' 1984 cult film, Suburbia. Slash's scene comes approximately 12 min. and 20 seconds into the film, during a concert at a suburban punk rock club. He's wearing a white shirt and a yellow/blue bandana over his head, and gives the finger to the announcer on stage for cutting-short the band's set.
• In the 1991 Alice Cooper home video documentary Prime Cuts, Slash states that Cooper's Welcome To My Nightmare is "one of my all-time favorite motherfucking albums".
• In 1992, Slash was signed as official promoter of Black Death Vodka. The bottles came in a black coffin-shaped box, featuring graphics including a skeleton wearing a top hat.
• He voices himself in the cartoon Kid Notorious, featuring Robert Evans (The Godfather) as the main character.
• Izzy Sparks, a character in The Guitar Hero video game series, bears a resemblance of Slash. One of his costumes in the series is a multi-colored top-hat and a green open leather vest akin to Slash's. Also the game features a cover of "Sweet Child O' Mine", a famous Guns N' Roses song.
• Slash has said in interviews that when he came up with the signature riff to "Sweet Child O' Mine," he was only joking. Axl liked it and would not back down, so they recorded the song despite his dislike of that riff.
• It is widely thought that Slash is the influence of The Simpsons character Otto. There are also numerous references in the show of Otto and him liking snakes. Slash in real life is an avid snake collector.
• In an interview for NME, Slash stated that he would like to meet Robbie Williams, a fellow Stoke-on-Trent native. "He's a pop guy, so I'm not real familiar with him, but I guess we're both from Stoke. It would be interesting to meet him sometime to see if we can compare Stoke-On-Trent stories or some shit." Slash & Robbie did meet in 2004 when they both joined Camp Freddy on stage for a rendition of The Who's "My Generation".
• Slash has a bracelet for charity.
• Slash scrounged his top hat from a local street shop by first stealing the belt and then returning later for the hat. He cut the belt in half and wore around the hat.
• Saul Hudson got the nickname "Slash" from a relative according to "Saul was always zipping around from one place to another."
• Slash often wore Rolling Stones and Motörhead t-shirts in concert.
• Slash is featured in the song "What I Want" by Daughtry, in their self-titled album.
• Slash had a black tongue at one time, and has cited alcohol as the problem.
• Slash is 5ft 10 and a half
• Slash played the National Anthem at the Toronto Blue Jays 2005 Home Opener.
• The cover for the second volume of the American DVD release of the anime, Pani Poni Dash!, features the main character Rebecca Miyamoto dressed up as Slash. The subtitle for the DVD, "Girls N' Roses", also pays homeage to the band of which Slash was a member.
• In 1998, Slash played guitar on a track entitled "Bayangan" by female Malaysian queen of rock Ella.
• In the animated series Metalocalypse, one-time character Antonio 'Tony' DiMarco Thunderbottom shows similar characteristics to Slash, such as constantly wearing a top hat, always having a cigarette, and being a heavy drinker. Antonio is the bassist of Snakes N'Barrels (a play on Guns N'Roses), a fictional band in the show.
• In the episode of South Park, "I'm a little bit country," there is a guitarist that resembles Slash, save for the hair (it was red).
• Slash makes a cameo in an episode of Tales From the Crypt as a radio dj.
• Slash is slated to appear as a boss in the upcoming video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
• Performed in an 'All Star Supergroup' with Rob Zombie (vocals), Gilby Clarke (rhythm guitar), Scott Ian (bass), Tommy Lee (drums) and Ace Frehley (co-lead guitar with Slash) for a cover of the Kiss song, God of Thunder
• In the first episode of Lil' Bush on Comedy Central, Bush and his friends do a rock show dressed as the guys from GNR, and Lil' Condi resembles Slash, with a nose ring, top hat, and Slash-ish hair.

References

External links

• Slash Official Site
• Official Velvet Revolver Website
• Slash Signature Les Paul