SLASH was born in Hampstead (London), England on July 23, 1965, and he was raised in Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire, England. His given name is Saul Hudson. His mother is a Black American, and his father is a white Englishman. Both parents are artistic and work in the entertainment field. His mother is a clothing designer for entertainers. She designed some of David Bowie's unforgettable costumes. His father provides art direction for record albums. Two notable clients are Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.
At age 11 SLASH moved to Los Angeles with his mother while his father remained based in England. Born in the UK, SLASH was an immigrant in the United States and was to remain one for many years. The family eventually lived together again in L.A. where SLASH had a rough transition to conservative Southern California. The long hair, jeans and t-shirts that he wore even then didn't exactly fit with the other kids. An outsider at school, he lived a bohemian life at home. Surrounded by artistic friends of his parents, SLASH grew accustomed to the moods and eccentricities of those in the music world. Frequent visitors at the Hudson household included Joni Mitchell, David Geffen, David Bowie, Ron Wood and Iggy Pop. SLASH has said that these surroundings prepared him for coping with the stress of the music industry, the conflict between artistry and business.
In the mid-1970's, his parents separated. SLASH moved in with his beloved grandmother until he could sort out the situation at home. About this time SLASH discovered BMX (bicycle motorcrossing), joined up with a group of kids, and rode with a passion. It's not surprising to hear that SLASH would ride without brakes! SLASH eventually became a professional BMX biker winning awards and money for his great riding.
While in junior high school (age 15), SLASH's grandmother gave him his first guitar. Although it had just one string, SLASH was able to learn to play. SLASH's early musical influences were Led Zep, Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith,Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Neil Young. He credits the Aerosmith album ROCKS with changing his life. Getting to play with the musical idols of his life means a lot to him. Standing on a stage in Paris with Jeff Beck and Joe Perry was overwhelming. SLASH also has gotten to play with guitarist "god" Eric Clapton. He has played with many other artists including Lenny Kravitz, Paul Rogers, Iggy Pop, Michael Jackson, Brian May to name just a few.
Soon the bike was put aside. SLASH devoted at least 12 hours a day to playing guitar. His schoolwork suffered when he skipped classes and sat in the bleachers all day playing guitar. School may have suffered, but his social life got better! The other kids now thought SLASH was cool, and he was no longer a social outcast. SLASH joined band after band jamming with other young musicians. Eventually, SLASH gave up on school and dropped out in eleventh grade. Another education was waiting for him in the L.A. band scene. SLASH met Steven Adler, formed the band Road Crew, and was looking for a good singer. Then he met Izzy Stradlin who played him a tape of W. Axl Rose singing. SLASH went to see Axl perform and immediately wanted to steal him from Izzy, but the two Indiana natives were fast friends. SLASH found his bass player in Duff McKagan when Duff answered an ad SLASH had placed in the paper. All the players changed combinations, but the result was Guns N'Roses! With a lot of talent and a lot of drive, the band became an international success story.
After the Illusions tours, Guns N'Roses went on a well-deserved hiatus, and SLASH became a U.S citizen. He decided that immigration hassles, lost green cards, etc. were just too timeconsuming for his lifestyle. So SLASH became a citizen of the United States. Welcome, SLASH! About this time, SLASH became restless and decided to form a new band as a side project to his GNR work which seemed to be taking forever to get started. Matt Sorum, Gilby Clarke, Mike Inez, Eric Dover, and SLASH formed SLASH's Snakepit and recorded the album IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE. Never content to stay home and smell the roses, SLASH went on the road with his touring band: Gilby Clarke, Brian Tichy, James Lomenso, Eric Dover. Playing to small venues, SLASH was able to get back to playing in clubs and being toe-to-toe with the audience. IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE went platinum worldwide, and SLASH promised that Snakepit would be back again.
In the summer of 1996, SLASH was invited to play at a blues concert in Budapest, Hungary. He got together some musicians and headed for Europe. From this beginning came a terrific band called SLASH's Blues Ball. And though this band never recorded an album, it was in big demand by promoters and fans.
While this was going on, SLASH was waiting for Axl Rose to get Guns N'Roses together. SLASH and Axl had talks about the musical direction of the band. SLASH saw GNR as a rock band while Axl Rose wanted to go in a more techno/industrial direction with GNR. After many, many meetings and heated discussions, SLASH resigned from GNR in October 1996 with Rose retaining the rights to the band name. SLASH didn't sit at home with his head in his hands. He got busy with Blues Ball! Blues Ball played blues covers, so they could start playing gigs right away. Throughout the end of 1996 till the fall of 1997, SLASH's Blues Ball played at clubs throughout California, into the southwest and the northeast. Blues Ball has rolled away for the time being but may play some one-offs. You just never know with SLASH!
When SLASH left Guns N'Roses, his many fans wondered what he might be going do with all that talent and personality. The media were wondering, too. At first, there was speculation that the Axl - SLASH rift would be of short duration and a reconciliation was inevitable. SLASH had been quoted as saying that when Axl Rose was ready to make a rock and roll album, he would be back. As Rose filled GNR with hired guns and unknowns, SLASH made it clear that Snakepit will be his permanent band. He says he could do a one off or a short tour with the original band, but he would never walk on stage with a band pretending to be the Guns N'Roses band.
As promised, SLASH brought back Snakepit! He had 300 demo tapes from musicians who wanted to be in his band. He settled on drummer Matt Laug (formerly with Venice) and bassist Johnny Griparic (formerly with SLASH's Blues Ball). Rhythm guitarist was at first Ryan Roxie. Ryan was in Dad's Porno Magazine and Alice Cooper's band. Ryan did the pre-album tour and the recording, but then decided to stick with his many other bands. SLASH was able to enlist the wonderful Keri Kelli as the band's second guitarist. Snakepit's vocalist is a newcomer, Rod Jackson, from Virginia and the band Ragdoll there. The new album was released October 10, 2000 in the US with the upbeat title Ain't Life Grand. Elsewhere in this website, you will find some song clips, lyrics and reviews. SLASH's Snakepit began their tour by opening for AC/DC on the North American leg of their tour. This gave the band huge exposure. The band toured the Far East with great results and and then did a European tour in December. In February 2001, the 'pit launched a club show in the US. The tour did very well, but on March 11, SLASH came down with the flu and the rest of this tour was cancelled. The band was also to open for AC/DC again in March in the US until SLASH's flu turned into pneumonia. It's hard to imagine this dynamo stopped by illness, and he won't be for long. May 2001 finds SLASH recuperating and planning the next leg of the tour. Snakepit gave its last performance in July 2001. The band went home for some rest before recording the next album. The rest time was getting long, so Snakepit (minus SLASH) got together to write some songs. Sadly, SLASH announced publicly that Snakepit was no more. SLASH was breaking up the band in order to do some solo projects of his own. He said that he had been through all that excitement of touring and arranging gigs when he was starting out. He was glad the guys had a good time, but he was not interested in repeating what they had done. So, Snakepit band members disappeared to other bands.
SLASH then decided he would do a solo project involving music from different countries. He would use guest musicians, but he would write all the music. At the same time, he started jamming with Duff and Matt. Soon, this project went from "not a high priority" to the three ex-Gunners' sole focus. Izzy was in and out, and The Project (this site gave it this temporary name) had music and some lyrics for 40 songs. Izzy decided he did not want to tour although he might jump in and out of a tour, and the guys picked up the guitarist from Duff's Loaded band, Dave Kushner. In early 2003, The Project auditioned vocalists. After throwing the job open to experienced and unknown singers, Scott Weiland, ex-Stone Temple Pilots was selected. The band called themselves Velvet Revolver and played their debut gig in the summer of 2003 at the El Rey theater in L.A. The band did some soundtrack work on The Hulk and The Italian Job and found a label (RCA). Velvet Revolver was to have their debut CD in the hands of the label by year's end 2003, and they had it in by 12/19. Unfortunately, Scott Weiland continued to have drug and legal problems that kept pushing the release date back further and further. The album title is Contraband and the release date is now June 8. While Scott is doing rehab, SLASH and Duff have been doing global promo! They promise a worldwide tour after the album is released. The first single off the album is "Slither", and a video was done where fans took part. The second single was "Fall To Pieces" with a video where fans again took a small part. The third is "Dirty Little Thing" with some great animation and graphics. The band received a great honor in being nominated for three Grammy awards and carrying away one for Best Rock Guitar Performance ("Slither"). Every day there is news on this great band and/or SLASH solo work. Here, we just hit the high points. For additional, frequent information, check out the Velvet Revolver on this site. Also follow the News Section for additional updated information on SLASH's new band. Rock 'N' Fuckin' Roll!
SLASH's life once seemed a symbol of rock and roll decadence, but things have calmed down with him in some ways. Once a heroin addict, SLASH has been off drugs for several years. His astounding drinking habits are sometimes in evidence, and he still smokes his Marlboros and Galitanos. A major change occurred when SLASH fell in love with Renee Suran. They were married October 10, 1992 in Marina Del Ray, California. Renee stayed out of the rock spotlight but was described as beautiful, sweet, and very much in love with SLASH. She pursued her own career as model and actress. Renee and SLASH both appeared in Howard Stern's movie "Private Parts". The two separated and divorced in the fall of 1997. They remain friends. After his divorce, SLASH was in Las Vegas when he ran into a young woman he had known for many years. Her name was Perla Ferrer, and the couple soon began dating seriously. Perla and SLASH eventually started living together, and fans started seeing Perla on the SLASH's Snakepit tours and his appearances in clubs or on TV. It became clear that Perla was someone very special to SLASH, and in 2000, the two became engaged to be married. Perla's beautiful, sparkling diamond ring was designed by SLASH himself. On October 15, Saul Hudson married Perla Ferrar in Maui in a solemn relgious service there. The bride wore a strapless, pleated white wedding gown and carried a beautiful floral bouquet that matched those in her long brown hair. SLASH wore new black leather pants, a white shirt, his faithful black leather jacket and a floral lei matching Perla's flowers. All their fans and friends and families wish Mr. and Mrs. Hudson a wonderful married life. The Hudsons returned to Los Angeles where they will buy a new home. In February 2002, SLASH and Perla announced that they are expecting their first child in September! On August 28, 2002 little London Hudson made his appearance! Despite some problems Perla had with the pregnancy, London was in excellent condition. He is a beautiful baby and the center of the family. SLASH just loves him so much, and he always has a sweet story about his son. As London approaches his second birthday in the summer of 2004, the Hudson's were also looking forward to the birth of their second child at the end of April. Cash Anthony Hudson was born on April 22, a healthy baby boy. SLASH's lifestyle has changed over the years. From being a wild rocker, SLASH has settled into a role of husband and father. Some things about SLASH don't change - his love for his music, his wife, his fans and his friends as well as the California climate and the Los Angeles setting. If you are in the Sunset Boulevard area, you might run into SLASH hanging out with Perla and his friends or jamming with a band on the Strip. He looks healthy and happy and a little more settled, but you can still see a little of that devilish rocker in his eyes!
About his small tv and movie parts, SLASH says that he is not looking to become an actor. He loves music and plays with a lot of artists. He seems not to have changed from the young musician who formed band after band, always looking for another chance to play. It was a family friend who nicknamed Saul Hudson "SLASH". He said SLASH was always in a hurry, zipping around from one thing to another. He named SLASH well!
biographie en français
Nom civil: Saul Hudson
Date et lieu de naissance: 23/07/1965 à Hampstead (Angleterre)
Surnom: Slash
Au sein de GN'R: guitare soliste et rythmique
Groupes connus: Roadcrew, Guns N'Roses, Slash's Snakepit, Slash's Blues Ball, The Project (Reloaded)
Slash est né le 23 juillet 1965 sous le nom de Saul Hudson, à Hampstead (Londres). Sa mère, une Noire Américaine est dessinatrice de vêtements. Elle a entre autres dessiné des costumes pour David Bowie. Son père est anglais et dessine des pochettes de CD.
Agé de 11 ans, Slash déménage à Los Angeles avec sa mère alors que son père reste en Angleterre. Après quelques temps, le père rejoint le reste de la familles aux States.
A l'école, Slash ést tenu à l'écart par les autres élèves, en partie en raison de son look (cheveux longs, jeans et t-shirts). Il est beaucoup influencé par les visites que reçoivent ses parents : Joni Mitchell, David Geffen, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Ron Wood,...
Quand ses parents divorcent, Slash va vivre chez sa grand-mère. Elle lui offre sa première guitare à l'occasion de ses 15 ans. Il passe alors au moins douze heures par jour à jouer de la guitare, ses résultats scolaires en souffrent beaucoup. Par contre, il n'est plus traité comme un cas social par les autres de son âge qui le trouvent cool. Il rejoint plusieurs groupes l'un après l'autre et abandonne l'école.
Ses premières influences musicales sont les Led Zep, Eric Clapton, les Stones, Aerosmith (d'ailleurs « Rocks » est un de ses Cd préférés, il a bons goûts !), Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck et Neil Young. Plus tard, il jouera avec Eric Clapton, Lenny Kravitz, Paul Rogers, Iggy Pop, Michael Jackson et le grand Brian May pour n'en citer que quelques uns !
Il rencontre Steven Adler et ensemble ils forment les « Road Crew ». Alors qu'ils sont à la recherche d'un bon chanteur, Slash rencontre Izzy Sradlin qui lui fait écouter un enregistrement D'Axl Rose. C'est aisni qu'Axl rejoint la bande. Il ne manque qu'un bassiste. Slash met une annonce dans un journal, et Duff McKagan lui répond. Résultat : Guns n' Roses est né !
Slash commence rapidement à prendre des drogues (il commence par en sniffer, puis en prend par injections).
Après les Illusion tours, Slash devint citoyen américain.
A cette époque, les Guns n' Roses ne faisant pas grand chose d'intéressant, Slash forme un nouveau groupe (avec Matt Sorum, Gilby Clarke, mike Inez et Erci Dover) qui est baptisé Slash's Snakepit. Leur premier album, « It's five o'clock somewhere », est un succès et le groupe entame une tournée durant laquelle Matt et Mike sont remplacés par Brian Tichy et James Lomenso.
En 1996, Slash est invité à participer à un concert de blues en Hongrie. Le résultat en est un nouveau groupe (encore un !) : Slash's Blues ball. A cette époque, Axl et lui ne sont plus d'accord sur la direction musicale que doit prendre Guns N' Roses. Pour Slash, GN'R est un groupe de rock qui doit jouer dans des clubs à dimension humaine, mais Axl ne l'entend pas de cette oreille. Après de longues discussions orageuses, Slash quitte le groupe. Les fans et les médias sont certains qu'Axl et Slash vont se réconcilier, mais Slash dément : Snakepit est à présent son unique objectif.
Effectivement, Snakepit, formé alors de Matt Laug, Johnny griparic, Ryan Roxie et Slash, ne perd pas de temps. Le groupe sort un album,
« Ain't life grand », en octobre 2000. Ils commencent avec une tournée américaine an ouverture d'AC/DC. Cela leur donnant une grand popularité, ils entament une tournée européenne en décembre. Le pauvre Slash choppe une vilaine grippe et la fin de la tournée est annulée. Ils reprennent aevec AC/DC en mars, mais cette putain de grippe se transforme en pneumonie et Slash doit rester au lit !
En 1992, Slash épouse Renée Susan, actrice et mannequin. Ils font tous les deux une apparition dans « Private Parts », de Howard stern. Malheureusement, leur mariage tourne court et ils divorcent en 1997.
Maintenant, Slash vit avec sa petite amie à Los Angeles. Il a laissé les drogues loin derrière lui. Par contre, il apprécie toujours la Vodka et les Malboro.
Courant 2002, Slash se marie a sa petite amie Perla, qui donne naissance au premier enfant de Slash: London (hommage a son pays natal sans aucun doute). La meme annee, il lance un groupe avec ses anciens comparses gunners Matt et Duff; Izzy participe egalement a l'ecriture des morceaux. Le groupe cherche cependant un chanteur. Le nom provisoire du groupe est The Project, mais Reloaded a ete annonce debut 2003 comme etant le nom officiel du groupe. Debut 2003 justement, Slash se fait remarquer par ses diverses participations a des concerts anti-guerre en Irak. En mai 2003, Scott Weiland (ex- Stone Temple Pilots) annonce qu'il est officiellement le chanteur de The Project. Un porte-parole de Slash dement l'information quelques jours plus tard. La semaine suivante, Weiland se fait arreter pour possession de drogues, il risque la prison.
Debut juin 2003, la chanson "Set Me Free" sort a la radio, elle apparait sur la B.O du film The Hulk. Le 5 juin, Scott Weiland est confirme comme etant le chanteur attitre du groupe compose de Slash, Duff, Matt et Dave Kushner. Le publiciste du groupe annonce le 8 juin qu'ils s'appelleront Velvet Revolver (on avait parle de The Project et Reloaded, qui etaient des noms temporaires selon Slash). Velvet Revolver apparait le meme mois sur la B.O du film The Italian Job avec la reprise de Pink Floyd, "Money."
Albums solos de Slash:
"It's Five O'clock Somewhere" (1995, Geffen Records)
1. Neither Can I
2. Dime Store Rock
3. Beggars & Hangers-On
4. Good To Be Alive
5. What Do You Want To Be
6. Monkey Chow
7. Soma City Ward
8. Jizz Da Pit
9. Lower
10. Take it Away
11. Doin' Fine
12. Be The Ball
13. I Hate Everybody (But You)
14. Back And Forth Again
"Ain't Life Grand" (2000, Koch Records)
1. Been There Lately
2. Just Like Anything
3. Shine
4. Mean Bone
5. Back to The Moment
6. Life`s Sweet Drug
7. Serial Killer
8. The Truth
9. Landslide
10. Ain`t Life Grand
11. Speed Parade
12. The Alien
13. Rusted Heroes
14. Something About Your Love
At age 11 SLASH moved to Los Angeles with his mother while his father remained based in England. Born in the UK, SLASH was an immigrant in the United States and was to remain one for many years. The family eventually lived together again in L.A. where SLASH had a rough transition to conservative Southern California. The long hair, jeans and t-shirts that he wore even then didn't exactly fit with the other kids. An outsider at school, he lived a bohemian life at home. Surrounded by artistic friends of his parents, SLASH grew accustomed to the moods and eccentricities of those in the music world. Frequent visitors at the Hudson household included Joni Mitchell, David Geffen, David Bowie, Ron Wood and Iggy Pop. SLASH has said that these surroundings prepared him for coping with the stress of the music industry, the conflict between artistry and business.
In the mid-1970's, his parents separated. SLASH moved in with his beloved grandmother until he could sort out the situation at home. About this time SLASH discovered BMX (bicycle motorcrossing), joined up with a group of kids, and rode with a passion. It's not surprising to hear that SLASH would ride without brakes! SLASH eventually became a professional BMX biker winning awards and money for his great riding.
While in junior high school (age 15), SLASH's grandmother gave him his first guitar. Although it had just one string, SLASH was able to learn to play. SLASH's early musical influences were Led Zep, Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith,Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Neil Young. He credits the Aerosmith album ROCKS with changing his life. Getting to play with the musical idols of his life means a lot to him. Standing on a stage in Paris with Jeff Beck and Joe Perry was overwhelming. SLASH also has gotten to play with guitarist "god" Eric Clapton. He has played with many other artists including Lenny Kravitz, Paul Rogers, Iggy Pop, Michael Jackson, Brian May to name just a few.
Soon the bike was put aside. SLASH devoted at least 12 hours a day to playing guitar. His schoolwork suffered when he skipped classes and sat in the bleachers all day playing guitar. School may have suffered, but his social life got better! The other kids now thought SLASH was cool, and he was no longer a social outcast. SLASH joined band after band jamming with other young musicians. Eventually, SLASH gave up on school and dropped out in eleventh grade. Another education was waiting for him in the L.A. band scene. SLASH met Steven Adler, formed the band Road Crew, and was looking for a good singer. Then he met Izzy Stradlin who played him a tape of W. Axl Rose singing. SLASH went to see Axl perform and immediately wanted to steal him from Izzy, but the two Indiana natives were fast friends. SLASH found his bass player in Duff McKagan when Duff answered an ad SLASH had placed in the paper. All the players changed combinations, but the result was Guns N'Roses! With a lot of talent and a lot of drive, the band became an international success story.
After the Illusions tours, Guns N'Roses went on a well-deserved hiatus, and SLASH became a U.S citizen. He decided that immigration hassles, lost green cards, etc. were just too timeconsuming for his lifestyle. So SLASH became a citizen of the United States. Welcome, SLASH! About this time, SLASH became restless and decided to form a new band as a side project to his GNR work which seemed to be taking forever to get started. Matt Sorum, Gilby Clarke, Mike Inez, Eric Dover, and SLASH formed SLASH's Snakepit and recorded the album IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE. Never content to stay home and smell the roses, SLASH went on the road with his touring band: Gilby Clarke, Brian Tichy, James Lomenso, Eric Dover. Playing to small venues, SLASH was able to get back to playing in clubs and being toe-to-toe with the audience. IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE went platinum worldwide, and SLASH promised that Snakepit would be back again.
In the summer of 1996, SLASH was invited to play at a blues concert in Budapest, Hungary. He got together some musicians and headed for Europe. From this beginning came a terrific band called SLASH's Blues Ball. And though this band never recorded an album, it was in big demand by promoters and fans.
While this was going on, SLASH was waiting for Axl Rose to get Guns N'Roses together. SLASH and Axl had talks about the musical direction of the band. SLASH saw GNR as a rock band while Axl Rose wanted to go in a more techno/industrial direction with GNR. After many, many meetings and heated discussions, SLASH resigned from GNR in October 1996 with Rose retaining the rights to the band name. SLASH didn't sit at home with his head in his hands. He got busy with Blues Ball! Blues Ball played blues covers, so they could start playing gigs right away. Throughout the end of 1996 till the fall of 1997, SLASH's Blues Ball played at clubs throughout California, into the southwest and the northeast. Blues Ball has rolled away for the time being but may play some one-offs. You just never know with SLASH!
When SLASH left Guns N'Roses, his many fans wondered what he might be going do with all that talent and personality. The media were wondering, too. At first, there was speculation that the Axl - SLASH rift would be of short duration and a reconciliation was inevitable. SLASH had been quoted as saying that when Axl Rose was ready to make a rock and roll album, he would be back. As Rose filled GNR with hired guns and unknowns, SLASH made it clear that Snakepit will be his permanent band. He says he could do a one off or a short tour with the original band, but he would never walk on stage with a band pretending to be the Guns N'Roses band.
As promised, SLASH brought back Snakepit! He had 300 demo tapes from musicians who wanted to be in his band. He settled on drummer Matt Laug (formerly with Venice) and bassist Johnny Griparic (formerly with SLASH's Blues Ball). Rhythm guitarist was at first Ryan Roxie. Ryan was in Dad's Porno Magazine and Alice Cooper's band. Ryan did the pre-album tour and the recording, but then decided to stick with his many other bands. SLASH was able to enlist the wonderful Keri Kelli as the band's second guitarist. Snakepit's vocalist is a newcomer, Rod Jackson, from Virginia and the band Ragdoll there. The new album was released October 10, 2000 in the US with the upbeat title Ain't Life Grand. Elsewhere in this website, you will find some song clips, lyrics and reviews. SLASH's Snakepit began their tour by opening for AC/DC on the North American leg of their tour. This gave the band huge exposure. The band toured the Far East with great results and and then did a European tour in December. In February 2001, the 'pit launched a club show in the US. The tour did very well, but on March 11, SLASH came down with the flu and the rest of this tour was cancelled. The band was also to open for AC/DC again in March in the US until SLASH's flu turned into pneumonia. It's hard to imagine this dynamo stopped by illness, and he won't be for long. May 2001 finds SLASH recuperating and planning the next leg of the tour. Snakepit gave its last performance in July 2001. The band went home for some rest before recording the next album. The rest time was getting long, so Snakepit (minus SLASH) got together to write some songs. Sadly, SLASH announced publicly that Snakepit was no more. SLASH was breaking up the band in order to do some solo projects of his own. He said that he had been through all that excitement of touring and arranging gigs when he was starting out. He was glad the guys had a good time, but he was not interested in repeating what they had done. So, Snakepit band members disappeared to other bands.
SLASH then decided he would do a solo project involving music from different countries. He would use guest musicians, but he would write all the music. At the same time, he started jamming with Duff and Matt. Soon, this project went from "not a high priority" to the three ex-Gunners' sole focus. Izzy was in and out, and The Project (this site gave it this temporary name) had music and some lyrics for 40 songs. Izzy decided he did not want to tour although he might jump in and out of a tour, and the guys picked up the guitarist from Duff's Loaded band, Dave Kushner. In early 2003, The Project auditioned vocalists. After throwing the job open to experienced and unknown singers, Scott Weiland, ex-Stone Temple Pilots was selected. The band called themselves Velvet Revolver and played their debut gig in the summer of 2003 at the El Rey theater in L.A. The band did some soundtrack work on The Hulk and The Italian Job and found a label (RCA). Velvet Revolver was to have their debut CD in the hands of the label by year's end 2003, and they had it in by 12/19. Unfortunately, Scott Weiland continued to have drug and legal problems that kept pushing the release date back further and further. The album title is Contraband and the release date is now June 8. While Scott is doing rehab, SLASH and Duff have been doing global promo! They promise a worldwide tour after the album is released. The first single off the album is "Slither", and a video was done where fans took part. The second single was "Fall To Pieces" with a video where fans again took a small part. The third is "Dirty Little Thing" with some great animation and graphics. The band received a great honor in being nominated for three Grammy awards and carrying away one for Best Rock Guitar Performance ("Slither"). Every day there is news on this great band and/or SLASH solo work. Here, we just hit the high points. For additional, frequent information, check out the Velvet Revolver on this site. Also follow the News Section for additional updated information on SLASH's new band. Rock 'N' Fuckin' Roll!
SLASH's life once seemed a symbol of rock and roll decadence, but things have calmed down with him in some ways. Once a heroin addict, SLASH has been off drugs for several years. His astounding drinking habits are sometimes in evidence, and he still smokes his Marlboros and Galitanos. A major change occurred when SLASH fell in love with Renee Suran. They were married October 10, 1992 in Marina Del Ray, California. Renee stayed out of the rock spotlight but was described as beautiful, sweet, and very much in love with SLASH. She pursued her own career as model and actress. Renee and SLASH both appeared in Howard Stern's movie "Private Parts". The two separated and divorced in the fall of 1997. They remain friends. After his divorce, SLASH was in Las Vegas when he ran into a young woman he had known for many years. Her name was Perla Ferrer, and the couple soon began dating seriously. Perla and SLASH eventually started living together, and fans started seeing Perla on the SLASH's Snakepit tours and his appearances in clubs or on TV. It became clear that Perla was someone very special to SLASH, and in 2000, the two became engaged to be married. Perla's beautiful, sparkling diamond ring was designed by SLASH himself. On October 15, Saul Hudson married Perla Ferrar in Maui in a solemn relgious service there. The bride wore a strapless, pleated white wedding gown and carried a beautiful floral bouquet that matched those in her long brown hair. SLASH wore new black leather pants, a white shirt, his faithful black leather jacket and a floral lei matching Perla's flowers. All their fans and friends and families wish Mr. and Mrs. Hudson a wonderful married life. The Hudsons returned to Los Angeles where they will buy a new home. In February 2002, SLASH and Perla announced that they are expecting their first child in September! On August 28, 2002 little London Hudson made his appearance! Despite some problems Perla had with the pregnancy, London was in excellent condition. He is a beautiful baby and the center of the family. SLASH just loves him so much, and he always has a sweet story about his son. As London approaches his second birthday in the summer of 2004, the Hudson's were also looking forward to the birth of their second child at the end of April. Cash Anthony Hudson was born on April 22, a healthy baby boy. SLASH's lifestyle has changed over the years. From being a wild rocker, SLASH has settled into a role of husband and father. Some things about SLASH don't change - his love for his music, his wife, his fans and his friends as well as the California climate and the Los Angeles setting. If you are in the Sunset Boulevard area, you might run into SLASH hanging out with Perla and his friends or jamming with a band on the Strip. He looks healthy and happy and a little more settled, but you can still see a little of that devilish rocker in his eyes!
About his small tv and movie parts, SLASH says that he is not looking to become an actor. He loves music and plays with a lot of artists. He seems not to have changed from the young musician who formed band after band, always looking for another chance to play. It was a family friend who nicknamed Saul Hudson "SLASH". He said SLASH was always in a hurry, zipping around from one thing to another. He named SLASH well!
biographie en français
Nom civil: Saul Hudson
Date et lieu de naissance: 23/07/1965 à Hampstead (Angleterre)
Surnom: Slash
Au sein de GN'R: guitare soliste et rythmique
Groupes connus: Roadcrew, Guns N'Roses, Slash's Snakepit, Slash's Blues Ball, The Project (Reloaded)
Slash est né le 23 juillet 1965 sous le nom de Saul Hudson, à Hampstead (Londres). Sa mère, une Noire Américaine est dessinatrice de vêtements. Elle a entre autres dessiné des costumes pour David Bowie. Son père est anglais et dessine des pochettes de CD.
Agé de 11 ans, Slash déménage à Los Angeles avec sa mère alors que son père reste en Angleterre. Après quelques temps, le père rejoint le reste de la familles aux States.
A l'école, Slash ést tenu à l'écart par les autres élèves, en partie en raison de son look (cheveux longs, jeans et t-shirts). Il est beaucoup influencé par les visites que reçoivent ses parents : Joni Mitchell, David Geffen, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Ron Wood,...
Quand ses parents divorcent, Slash va vivre chez sa grand-mère. Elle lui offre sa première guitare à l'occasion de ses 15 ans. Il passe alors au moins douze heures par jour à jouer de la guitare, ses résultats scolaires en souffrent beaucoup. Par contre, il n'est plus traité comme un cas social par les autres de son âge qui le trouvent cool. Il rejoint plusieurs groupes l'un après l'autre et abandonne l'école.
Ses premières influences musicales sont les Led Zep, Eric Clapton, les Stones, Aerosmith (d'ailleurs « Rocks » est un de ses Cd préférés, il a bons goûts !), Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck et Neil Young. Plus tard, il jouera avec Eric Clapton, Lenny Kravitz, Paul Rogers, Iggy Pop, Michael Jackson et le grand Brian May pour n'en citer que quelques uns !
Il rencontre Steven Adler et ensemble ils forment les « Road Crew ». Alors qu'ils sont à la recherche d'un bon chanteur, Slash rencontre Izzy Sradlin qui lui fait écouter un enregistrement D'Axl Rose. C'est aisni qu'Axl rejoint la bande. Il ne manque qu'un bassiste. Slash met une annonce dans un journal, et Duff McKagan lui répond. Résultat : Guns n' Roses est né !
Slash commence rapidement à prendre des drogues (il commence par en sniffer, puis en prend par injections).
Après les Illusion tours, Slash devint citoyen américain.
A cette époque, les Guns n' Roses ne faisant pas grand chose d'intéressant, Slash forme un nouveau groupe (avec Matt Sorum, Gilby Clarke, mike Inez et Erci Dover) qui est baptisé Slash's Snakepit. Leur premier album, « It's five o'clock somewhere », est un succès et le groupe entame une tournée durant laquelle Matt et Mike sont remplacés par Brian Tichy et James Lomenso.
En 1996, Slash est invité à participer à un concert de blues en Hongrie. Le résultat en est un nouveau groupe (encore un !) : Slash's Blues ball. A cette époque, Axl et lui ne sont plus d'accord sur la direction musicale que doit prendre Guns N' Roses. Pour Slash, GN'R est un groupe de rock qui doit jouer dans des clubs à dimension humaine, mais Axl ne l'entend pas de cette oreille. Après de longues discussions orageuses, Slash quitte le groupe. Les fans et les médias sont certains qu'Axl et Slash vont se réconcilier, mais Slash dément : Snakepit est à présent son unique objectif.
Effectivement, Snakepit, formé alors de Matt Laug, Johnny griparic, Ryan Roxie et Slash, ne perd pas de temps. Le groupe sort un album,
« Ain't life grand », en octobre 2000. Ils commencent avec une tournée américaine an ouverture d'AC/DC. Cela leur donnant une grand popularité, ils entament une tournée européenne en décembre. Le pauvre Slash choppe une vilaine grippe et la fin de la tournée est annulée. Ils reprennent aevec AC/DC en mars, mais cette putain de grippe se transforme en pneumonie et Slash doit rester au lit !
En 1992, Slash épouse Renée Susan, actrice et mannequin. Ils font tous les deux une apparition dans « Private Parts », de Howard stern. Malheureusement, leur mariage tourne court et ils divorcent en 1997.
Maintenant, Slash vit avec sa petite amie à Los Angeles. Il a laissé les drogues loin derrière lui. Par contre, il apprécie toujours la Vodka et les Malboro.
Courant 2002, Slash se marie a sa petite amie Perla, qui donne naissance au premier enfant de Slash: London (hommage a son pays natal sans aucun doute). La meme annee, il lance un groupe avec ses anciens comparses gunners Matt et Duff; Izzy participe egalement a l'ecriture des morceaux. Le groupe cherche cependant un chanteur. Le nom provisoire du groupe est The Project, mais Reloaded a ete annonce debut 2003 comme etant le nom officiel du groupe. Debut 2003 justement, Slash se fait remarquer par ses diverses participations a des concerts anti-guerre en Irak. En mai 2003, Scott Weiland (ex- Stone Temple Pilots) annonce qu'il est officiellement le chanteur de The Project. Un porte-parole de Slash dement l'information quelques jours plus tard. La semaine suivante, Weiland se fait arreter pour possession de drogues, il risque la prison.
Debut juin 2003, la chanson "Set Me Free" sort a la radio, elle apparait sur la B.O du film The Hulk. Le 5 juin, Scott Weiland est confirme comme etant le chanteur attitre du groupe compose de Slash, Duff, Matt et Dave Kushner. Le publiciste du groupe annonce le 8 juin qu'ils s'appelleront Velvet Revolver (on avait parle de The Project et Reloaded, qui etaient des noms temporaires selon Slash). Velvet Revolver apparait le meme mois sur la B.O du film The Italian Job avec la reprise de Pink Floyd, "Money."
Albums solos de Slash:
"It's Five O'clock Somewhere" (1995, Geffen Records)
1. Neither Can I
2. Dime Store Rock
3. Beggars & Hangers-On
4. Good To Be Alive
5. What Do You Want To Be
6. Monkey Chow
7. Soma City Ward
8. Jizz Da Pit
9. Lower
10. Take it Away
11. Doin' Fine
12. Be The Ball
13. I Hate Everybody (But You)
14. Back And Forth Again
"Ain't Life Grand" (2000, Koch Records)
1. Been There Lately
2. Just Like Anything
3. Shine
4. Mean Bone
5. Back to The Moment
6. Life`s Sweet Drug
7. Serial Killer
8. The Truth
9. Landslide
10. Ain`t Life Grand
11. Speed Parade
12. The Alien
13. Rusted Heroes
14. Something About Your Love
