Slash Anglo-African American guitarist Date of Birth: 23.07.1965 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Slash
2. On April 1, 2008, vocalist Scott Weiland left the band.
3. In 2003, Slash participated in the Anti-War Festival in Iraq.

Biography of Slash

Anglo-Afro-American guitarist, most known as the former lead guitarist of "Guns N' Roses" and the current lead guitarist of "Velvet Revolver". Slash was born on July 23, 1965, in Hampstead, a district in North London. He is the son of a white Englishman and a Nigerian American. His mother, Ola Hudson, worked as a costume designer for David Bowie, and his father was a musician who collaborated with famous showbiz personalities like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. Slash was raised in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire until the age of 11 when he and his parents moved to Los Angeles, California in the mid-1970s.

After his parents' divorce, Slash mostly lived with his mother, but he was raised by his grandmother. He got his nickname, Slash, from a family friend named Seymour Cassel because Hudson was always running around from one thing to another. After deciding to form his own band, "The Road Crew," with his friend Steven Adler, Slash initially decided to learn bass while Steven would become the lead guitarist. He enrolled in Fairfax Music School where he stated on his application that he wanted to play bass, but then he met his teacher Robert Wolin. Slash asked his grandmother to buy him a flamenco guitar with a single string, on which the teacher played him "Brown Sugar." After that, Slash realized that he wanted to play guitar instead of bass.

After meeting Axl Rose, the guys - Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin, Axl Rose, Steven Adler, and Slash - formed the band "Guns N' Roses." Slash became one of the leaders of the music collective. During the start of their music career, from 1985 to 1986, they wrote most of their classic material, including "Welcome to the Jungle," "Sweet Child o' Mine," and "Paradise City," and signed a contract with the major label "Geffen." They went through the first part of their progressive period by struggling with clothes, and the second part, which was worse, by struggling with alcohol and drugs. It was during this time that "Guns N' Roses" was dubbed the "most dangerous band in the world." Their album "Appetite for Destruction" sold 15 million copies in the US, becoming the second best-selling commercial album in the world, second only to the debut album of the band "Boston." In 1988, the song "Sweet Child o' Mine" became a hit and reached the top of various charts, with Slash providing the iconic riff and guitar solo that played a significant role in the song's popularity.

In 1991, the band released the album "Use Your Illusion," both parts one and two, and then embarked on a 28-month tour to support the new album. After the tour, Slash obtained US citizenship. In 1994, after a final falling out with Axl Rose, Slash left "Guns N' Roses" and formed his own band called "Slash's Snakepit." His side project included Matt Sorum, Gilby Clarke, Dizzy Reed, Mike Inez, and Eric Dover. The band started working on Slash's musical material and released the album "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" in 1995, which received critical acclaim and sold over 1.2 million copies in the United States with minimal promotion from the label "Geffen."

During a break, Slash formed the blues cover band "Slash's Blues Ball," and in 2001, he released another album under the name "Slash's Snakepit" called "Ain't Life Grand," although he was the only remaining member of the original lineup by that time. In an attempt to save "Guns N' Roses," legendary guitarist Zakk Wylde almost joined the band, but both Slash and Wylde acknowledged that there was no room for two lead guitarists in "Guns N' Roses" and remained friends to this day. In 1990, Slash collaborated with Michael Jackson to participate in his album "Dangerous." He played guitar in two hit singles, "Black Or White" and "Give In to Me," and also joined Jackson's world tour and appeared in both music videos.

In 1995, Slash and Jackson performed together on stage at the MTV VMA ceremony. Slash also appeared as a guitarist in Michael Jackson's song "D.S.," which received mixed reviews from listeners and appeared on the album "HIStory." Finally, in 2001, Slash reunited with the pop music legend at the "Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special" concert, where he played guitar parts for the songs "Black Or White" and "Beat It." From 1998, Slash collaborated with various musicians, including Alice Cooper, Sammy Hagar, Ronnie Wood, the hip-hop duo "Insane Clown Posse," the supergroup "Bad Company," the rock band "Cheap Trick," Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder.

In 2002, together with Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, former members of "Guns N' Roses," Slash participated in concerts honoring Randy Castillo. Nostalgia for their past collaboration played its part, and the guys decided to create a new band called "Velvet Revolver." After a long search, they secured Scott Weiland as the vocalist, who later controversially left the band to return to "Stone Temple Pilots."

Listening to demo recordings of potential vocalists, the monotonous months-long process became so frustrating for Slash that he was ready to give up and abandon the idea of bringing "Velvet Revolver" to life. However, the band "Stone Temple Pilots" allowed their lead vocalist to try himself as the singer of "Velvet Revolver." Thanks to the understanding between Scott and each member of Slash's band, he officially joined in 2003.

"Velvet Revolver" released the single "Set Me Free," which became the soundtrack for the film "Hulk," and in June 2004, their first studio album, "Contraband," was released. Following the release, they embarked on a 19-month tour to support the album, and the sales of "Contraband" reached double platinum status, restoring Slash's status as a dominant performer. After the tour, work on the second album began only after a long hiatus. In July 2007, "Velvet Revolver" released the critically acclaimed album "Libertad," embarked on a fantastic tour, and crowds of fans followed the band around the world to enjoy their performances.

On April 1, 2008, vocalist Scott Weiland left the band.

Slash plans to release his solo album, which will feature several guest vocalists, and he is also looking for a vocalist for "Velvet Revolver" to record their third album. Slash has received numerous awards and has been featured in many top lists of major magazines. For a long time, he maintained a stage image, wearing a top hat, long black curly hair, a cigarette in his mouth, and tight leather pants.

In 2003, Slash participated in the Anti-War Festival in Iraq.

He is married to Perla Ferrar, and the couple has two children: London Emilio and Cash Anthony. The family resides in Los Angeles.