About Slash

Identity | Early Days | Reptiles | Pinball | Extras

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Identity

Given name : Saul Hudson.
Birth date : July 23, 1965.
Birth place : Hampstead (London), England.
Father : Anthony Hudson, graphist.
Mother : Ola Hudson, stylist, died in 2009.
Wife : married to Perla Ferrar since October 15, 2001.
Childs : two sons, London Emilio & Cash Anthony.


Slash with his two sons London and Cash


Slash with his wife Perla


Slash with his mother Ola, his father Anthony and his brother Ash

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Early Days

Before joining Guns N' Roses, Slash played with Tidus Sloan, Black Sheep, London and Road Crew.


Slash with Titus Sloan in 1982


Slash in 1984


Slash live with Guns N' Roses at The Troubadour in 1985

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About reptiles

As a child, Slash had a fascination for dinosaurs. Over time, this attraction turned into a passion for reptiles. At a time he had hundreds of snakes, lizards and crocodiles. His collection even included a dozen meters long anaconda named Clyde.

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About pinball

Slash has always been a big pinball machines fan. In 1994, Data East asked him to participate to the conception of a pinball dedicated to Guns N' Roses, whose purpose is to bring together band members on stage. "Ain't Goin' Down", an unreleased track recorded during Use Your Illusion sessions, was used for it. Slash has also contributed to Viper Night Drivin' a pinball machine produced by Sega. You can hear "Speed Parade" (Slash's Snakepit) and Slash makes some appearances during the game. In 2010, Slash said Funhouse was his favorite pinball machine.

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Extras

25 Things You Don't Know About Me (2011, UsMagazine.com) :

1. The first instrument I ever played was the drums. I was the little drummer boy in a school production of 12 days of Christmas in Stoke-on-Trent, England, when I was 5 years old.
2. I watch SpongeBob SquarePants.
3. I'm a cat lover.
4. I'm an avid dinosaur and pinball machine collector. I'm a bit of a pack rat.
5. I love building Legos with my kid.
6. I have candy and chocolate stashed in the house that I secretly get into.
7. I am five years clean and sober.
8. I've flat-lined three times (that I know of).
9. I'm also a non-smoker. But I'm addicted to coffee (the stronger the better -- Cuban is my favorite).
10. I have no middle name.
11. I have an internal defibrillator in my heart. Don't do drugs and alcohol -- I'm living proof!
12. I don't eat anything from the sea.
13. I'm a "semi-pro" race car driver.
14. I'm a huge movie buff.
15. I've started my own horror film production company called Slasher Films.
16. I refused to use a computer until around eight years ago.
17. When I was 7, I changed my name from Saul to Mark but I changed it back to Saul.
18. I was nicknamed Slash because I was always running around (slashing).
19. I get freaked out watching surgery shows.
20. I hate reality TV. But I love cooking shows and documentaries.
21. I don't know how to cook.
22. I'm not Jewish! I'm 1/2 black, 1/2 British. I'm a proud dual citizen (American and British).
23. One of my favorite tracks on my album Slash is a song I did with Adam Levine called "Gotten".
24. I have a pet anaconda named Sam.
25. If I didn't live in the U.S., I'd live in Spain.

Slash's 10 favorite songs of the 20th century (2004, Rolling Stone magazine) :

1. Back In the Saddle (Aerosmith)
2. The Ocean (Led Zeppelin)
3. Helter Skelter (The Beatles)
4. Can't You Hear Me Knocking (The Rolling Stones)
5. Down Payment Blues (ACDC)
6. Won't Get Fooled Again (The Who)
7. Tie Your Mother Down (Queen)
8. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Black Sabbath)
9. Magic Carpet Ride (Steppenwolf)
10. I Wanna Be Your Dog (The Stooges)

Slash's ultimate guitar compilation (2004, Q magazine) :

1. Machine Gun (Jimi Hendrix)
2. No Quarter (Led Zeppelin)
3. Nobody's Fault (Aerosmith)
4. Walk This Way (Aerosmith)
5. Cause We've Ended As Lovers (Jeff Beck)
6. I Ain't Superstitious (Jeff Beck)
7. Rock My Plimsoul (Jeff Beck)
8. Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix)
9. All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix)
10. Running With The Devil (Van Halen)
11. Gonna Raise Hell (Cheap Trick)
12. Cocaine (Eric Clapton)
13. Layla (Derek & The Dominoes)
14. Shapes Of Things (Gary Moore)
15. Rock Bottom (UFO)
16. Fly To The Rainbow (Scorpions)
17. The Thrill Is Gone (B.B. King)
18. Johnny B. Good (Chuck Berry)
19. Burn (Deep Purple)
20. Wheels Within Wheels (Rory Gallagher)

Slash's 10 favorite guitar riffs (2010, Metal Hammer magazine) :

1. Black Dog (Led Zeppelin)
2. Over Under Sideways Down (The Yardbirds)
3. Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix)
4. More of that Jazz (Queen)
5. Life In The Fast Lane (The Eagles)
6. Disposable Heroes (Metallica)
7. Superstition (Jeff Beck)
8. Show Your Love (Van Halen)
9. Back In The Saddle (Aerosmith)
10. I Want You (The Beatles)