Saul Hudson aka Slash

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

There are a huge number of melodies recognizable by the first notes. Similarly, there are musicians, actors with their own unique stage image and image, one of these is Saul Hudson. Slash is his world famous creative pseudonym. And leather pants, glasses, a blue bandana protruding from the back pocket and, of course, the invariable cylinder hat over long curly hair - this is his calling card, making up one of the most outrageous images in the music world.

Short biography

Despite popular belief, Saul Hudson has no Jewish roots, he was born in a "black and white" family of a typical Englishman and a black American woman on 1965-23-07 in London. His parents were creative people, this could not but affect the development and inclinations of the child to art. Anthony Hudson - the boy's father was an artist, the creator of covers for music records. On his accountwork with Neil Young, Johnny Mitchell and other artists. Ola's mother (Oliver) Hudson is a fashion designer and costume designer. In her creative piggy bank, work on costumes for David Bowie.

When Hudson was 6 years old, strong troubles began in the family, his father became addicted to alcohol. His parents separated, his father stayed in England, and when he was 11, he and his mother moved to America. Having settled in Los Angeles, the mother devoted little time to the boy, he lived in the care of his grandmother, who was engaged in his upbringing. Slash, an alias, was his childhood nickname from family friend Seymour Cassel, due to his tendency to rush like crazy from one thing to another.

In the 70s he studied at Beverly Hills High School, but his studies were of little interest, all attention was riveted to music. His childhood was quite difficult, which could not but affect his behavior and habits. At the age of 13, Saul Hudson first tried cocaine, heroin - at 19, which years later led him to 4 cases of clinical death and severe alcohol addiction. He was able to get rid of drug addiction only in 2001

At the age of 14, he began to learn to play the guitar. Then he took lessons at the Fairfax School from Robert Wolin. Sometimes classes lasted 10-12 hours. His first acoustic guitar was given to him by his grandmother at the age of 15. In 1981, together with Stephen Adler, he organized Tidus Sloan - his first group and dropped out of high school.

Saul Hudson (Slash) - British-born guitarist, American rock musician, record producer, composerpopularity as a member of the legendary band Guns N'Roses, which gained worldwide fame in the late 80s and early 90s of the last century. Outrageous, infamous for their antics, appearance, endless alcohol and drug intoxication, the group was considered simply dangerous.

At the age of 35, the musician is diagnosed with cardiomyopathy caused by long-term use of drugs and alcohol. According to doctors' forecasts, he had several weeks to live, but an operation was performed to implant a defibrillator, and Hudson survived no matter what. Since 2006 he has been leading a sober lifestyle, and in 2007 a book written by Saul Hudson himself is published - an autobiography called "Slash". In 2009, his mother died of lung cancer, after which the artist quit smoking.

Perhaps the difficult life moments experienced by Saul prompted him to charitable work. He is a board member of Little Kids Rock, a national organization dedicated to supporting and restoring music education in disadvantaged schools.

For someone strange, peculiar Slash, is famous as a lover of reptiles and animals. Until 2008, he was the owner of a collection of 8 dozen snakes, 79 of which he then sold and distributed out of fear that they might kill his children. He helped found the Bob Irwin Foundation for wildlife conservation.

The beginning of a career and creative path

A few years after starting his first band, Slash joined theorganized group "Hollywood Rose" with Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin, but the group did not last long. And in 1985, Rose, Stradlin, Slash, Duff McKagan and Stephen Adler reunited in the new hard rock band Guns N'Roses.

They began to actively write songs that became instantly known around the world. In 1986, they signed a lucrative contract with the progressive fashion label Geffen Records, and Saul Hudson is one of the most prominent guitarists of the 80s and 90s. This period was the most progressive in terms of creativity. The debut album, released in 1987, Appetite for Destruction, soared to the first lines of the charts, was released in 15 million copies and became the second most commercially successful in the US, after Boston. Most famous songs:

• Sweet Child o'Mine - a hit that instantly hit the top of various charts;
• Paradise City;
• Welcome to the Jungle.

Together with fame, the band members got bogged down in alcoholism and drugs. A couple of years later, Axl Rose publicly announced that he would leave the group if the members did not stop their "heroin" life.

Use Your Illusion, an album in 1991, consisting of two parts, was no less a grand success, after which the musicians went on a world tour for more than 2 years. After that, popularity and creative progress began to decline. Stradlin unexpectedly left the band. After performing in July 1993, Slash took time out from Guns N' Roses for three years, and in 1996 there was a final break between Slash and Axl, after which he announced that morenot a member of the group.

During this time in 1994 formed the project "Slash's Snakepit", released the album in 1995 It's Five O'Clock Somewhere, which had a positive critical acclaim and sold over 1.2 million copies, and in 2000 the album Ain't Life Grand. During the hiatus of 1996-98, Slash created another blues cover band, Slash's Blues Ball.

In 2002, together with Daph McKagan and Matt Sorum, former partners in Guns N'Roses, he created the Velvet Revolver group, in which Stone Temple Pilots member Scott Weiland became the vocalist (then scandalously left the group in 2008). This project proved to be very successful and rehabilitated Slash as the most successful guitar player ever. In the same 2008, Seal Hudson began his solo career and subsequently released three albums. 2016 saw the reunion of the legendary Guns N'Roses.

During his musical career, Slash went on stage and collaborated with such musicians as: Ronnie Wood, Alice Cooper, Ray Charles, Code Rock, Sammy Hagar, Ozzy Osbourne, Stevie Wonder, Iggy Pop, he played guitar parts in several singles by Michael Jackson.

Private life

Saul Hudson first married in 1992 to actress-model Renee Suran, with whom he lived for 5 years. The second chosen one was Perla Ferrar, they got married in 2001. The couple has 2 sons - London Emilio (2002) and Cash Anthony (2004). After 9 years of marriage, Slash files for divorce, but the story ends with a reconciliation after a couple of months. Perla is 10 years younger than Saul and was his manager.

After 13 years of marriage, Saul Hudson again files for divorce and a custody application for two sons, speaking of irresolvable conflicts in the relationship. Slash and Perla part ways amicably, remaining business partners. Today, there are reports of Slash and his new girlfriend Megan Hodges.

Films and awards

Musician has little film experience:

• In 1988, Guns N' Roses appeared in an episode of the feature film Death Race;
• Slash made a cameo appearance in Anger Management Season 2 Episode 18;
• Participated in the 6th season of "Tales from the Crypt";
• Parody in the cartoon series "South Park";
• Documentary "Lemmy" - the role of himself (2010).

Slash is recognized as one of the legendary and great guitarists according to Classic Rock. Winner of the honorary award "Icon of Kerrang!" in 2012. A star bearing his name was placed on the Walk of Rock in January 2007 next to Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Jimmy Page. And in July 2012, the musician received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The truly great Saul Hudson, whose photo is often full of glossy covers, is always recognizable. He is the owner of an unsurpassed rock style and stage image. His first guitar was a Gibson. In the future, the company made instruments specifically for the musician. Now there are more than a dozenmodels - exact copies of his guitars signed by Slash himself. Also, two "signature" models are produced by B. C. Rich.