People

Saul Hudson, better known as Slash, was born to an African American mother and British father in London on July 23, 1965. He soon obtained the nickname “Slash,” because of how active he was as a child.

Slash lived with his father and grandparents in the UK until the age of five, when he and his father joined his mother in Los Angeles. After his parents divorced several years later, Slash became a ‘problem child’. He lost interest in schoolwork and took up BMX racing. He had also become quite an expert at reptiles and dinosaurs at this age. When he reached 14, he began learning to play guitar, sometimes practicing for as many as 12 hours a day. In 1981, he joined his first band, Tidus Sloan, and dropped out of high school to tour. Then on, he started playing for bands and singers as a guitarist.

For the next four years, Slash joined or formed a series of bands. Among them was Hollywood Rose, which also included Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin. The band didn’t last, but in 1985 Rose and Stradlin asked Slash to join their new band, Guns N’ Roses. They began writing the songs that they would become known for, including “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Paradise City,” and were signed by Geffen Records in 1986.

By the time Guns N’ Roses released their debut album, Appetite for Destruction, in 1987, Slash and other members of the band had developed a drug problem. At the age of 35, Slash was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, caused by years of drug and alcohol use. He was given just weeks to live, but he had a defibrillator implanted and, beating the odds, went on to survive. He has been sober since 2006, and in 2007. Today, Slash is still playing with Guns N’ Roses.

Other than performing for Guns N’ Roses and Rolling Stones, he has also played for Michael Jackson in songs such as “Black or White” and “Beat It”.

Slash is 50 this year and not only is he still an expert in reptiles, but he also still performs and has a passion for playing the guitar. Although he’s gone through addiction, something admirable about him is how he dares to pursue his dreams and worked hard for them.

references: biography.com

Giselle Cho

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