Slash is undeniably one of the greatest icons in rock history. With his solo career, his comings and goings with Guns N' Roses , and other projects in between, the guitarist is full of interesting trivia.
In this list, we've compiled some of these interesting facts so you can learn a little more about him:
1. The origin of the top hat
Perhaps the most frequently asked question is about the origin of the guitarist's top hat. Many wonder how he got his first top hat, which ended up becoming his trademark.
In an interview on The Howard Stern Show , Slash confessed that he's owned several top hats, but his very first one was stolen from a store when he was young and didn't have the money to pay for it.
“I started wearing the top hat around the age of 20. It wasn't intentional at all; I didn't foresee it becoming my trademark. I don't wear it on the streets anymore because it's kind of ridiculous! But I wear it at shows and in promotional photos. I went through a bit of a kleptomaniac phase in my life. I would 'take' things that could bring in some profit. So I simply picked up the hat in a store and went out occasionally. People didn't notice!” he explained.
He even decided to personalize it with a seashell belt that he stole from the store next door.
2. Origin of the nickname
The guitarist's full given name is Saul Hudson, and his nickname Slash has been with him since he was young.
“My dad’s best friend was an actor named Seymour Cassel . He used to hang out at our house and call me Slash because I was always in a hurry and doing a lot of things,” the musician said in an interview with Loudwire .
"Slash" means something like "bar," which is used when a person is doing many things at the same time.
3. Family
Slash was born in London, England, on July 23, 1965, but grew up in Los Angeles, where his musical career began. His father, Anthony Hudson , was an artist and art director, while his mother, Ola Hudson , was a celebrity dressmaker.
4. Movie fan
The guitarist is also a big movie fan. He founded his own film production company, called Slasher Films, which works exclusively with horror themes.
5. Heart problem
Slash has battled alcoholism and heroin addiction, primarily, and those years of abuse led to a condition called cardiomyopathy, which affects the heart muscles. In fact, the doctor said he had only a few weeks to live. But at age 35, he received a defibrillator and also began to get sober.
He recalled: “Years of drinking caused my heart to swell to the point of bursting. It got to the point where doctors gave me between six days and six weeks to live. They installed a defibrillator to prevent my heart from stopping and to keep it beating at a steady rhythm. After the operation I started therapy and miraculously my heart began to heal.”
His first show since the surgery was at Michael Jackson's 40th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden. Although it wasn't obvious to the audience, Slash had experienced a few heart scares. Now, he has this advice for everyone: "Don't do drugs and alcohol – I'm living proof!"
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