Slash is the stage name of Saul Hudson, a British-American guitarist and musician born in 1965 and associated with Hampstead, United States. He is best known as the lead guitarist of Guns N’ Roses, and he also works in hard rock, blues, heavy metal and rock.

Career

Slash joins Guns N’ Roses in 1985, after earlier playing in Tidus Sloan, forming Road Crew with Steven Adler in 1983, and spending time in Hollywood Rose and Black Sheep. With Guns N’ Roses, he performs and records from 1985 to 1996, and returns to the band in 2016. The group writes much of its best-known early material during its nightclub years, including “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Sweet Child o’ Mine” and “Paradise City.”

He later forms Slash’s Snakepit and co-founds Velvet Revolver with Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum. He also performs in Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, and is listed as a member of The Ronnie Wood Band, Kings of Chaos, GAK, The Drunk Fux, Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes, Smith & Watt Steakhouse and Tidus Sloan.

Solo work and collaborations

Slash releases a self-titled solo album in 2010. On that album he works with Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie, Myles Kennedy, Kid Rock and Ian Astbury. The singles from the album include “Sahara,” “Back From Cali,” “By the Sword” and “Beautiful Dangerous.” In 2011 he writes and features on “Kick It Up a Notch,” the end credit song for the Disney Channel Original Movie Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension.

He also records with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, credited as Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, with several albums released from 2012 onwards. His backing band for this project includes Myles Kennedy on vocals and guitar, Frank Sidoris on rhythm guitar, Todd Kerns on bass and Brent Fitz on drums.

Recognition and equipment

Slash receives critical recognition as a guitarist. In 2009, Time ranks him second on its list of the 10 best electric guitar players of all time, and Gigwise places him at number 21 on its list of the 50 greatest guitarists ever. He is also the first musician to own a signature amplifier made by Marshall, with the Marshall Slash JCM 2555SL launched in 1996 and based on his own 1987 Marshall Silver Jubilee 2555 amplifier. A total of 3,000 of the amplifiers are made before the model is discontinued.

Writing

He writes a self-titled autobiography, which is published in 2007.