Editing Slash (musician) (section)

== Early life ==
Saul Hudson was born in [[Hampstead, London]], on July 23, 1965, but raised in [[Blurton]], a small suburb in [[Stoke-on-Trent]], until age 6,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://noisecreep.com/slash-beggars-and-hangers-on-song/ | title=Slash Sets the Record Straight on His UK Birthplace, Premieres New Track | date=November 7, 2011 | access-date=March 23, 2022 | archive-date=April 22, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422031139/https://noisecreep.com/slash-beggars-and-hangers-on-song/ | url-status=live }}</ref> before moving to [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]. He was named after cartoonist [[Saul Steinberg]].<ref>{{cite interview |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwQMw2brse0 |title= Headcam Interview |last=Slash |interviewer= Maurie Sherman |work=Roz & Mocha Show |publisher= [[CKIS-FM]] |location=[[Toronto]] |date=September 19, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160419020955/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwQMw2brse0 |archive-date= April 19, 2016}}</ref> His mother, [[Ola Hudson|Ola J. Hudson]] (née Oliver;<ref>{{cite book|first= Harvey| last=Kubernik|title=Canyon of Dreams: The Magic and the Music of Laurel Canyon|publisher= Sterling Publishing Company, Inc|year=2009|isbn= 978-1-4027-6589-6|page=233}}</ref> 1946–2009),<ref name="Goodman-Reuters2009-06-08">{{cite news|last=Goodman |first=Dean |title=Guitarist Slash's mother dies in Los Angeles |work=Reuters |date=June 8, 2009 |url= http://blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/2009/06/09/guitarist-slashs-mother-dies-in-los-angeles/ |access-date=April 26, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110615085249/http://blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/2009/06/09/guitarist-slashs-mother-dies-in-los-angeles/ |archive-date= June 15, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="LATimes">{{cite web| url= http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?pid=128306672|title=Ola Oliver-Hudson Obituary |place= Los Angeles |work=Los Angeles Times |via= legacy.com |access-date= February 22, 2016| url-status= live| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151118083850/http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?pid=128306672|archive-date=November 18, 2015}}</ref> was a black American fashion designer and costumier from the United States. His father, Anthony Hudson, is an English artist.<ref name="Goodman-Reuters2009-06-08" /><ref name="LATimes" /><ref name=ToI>{{Cite web |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/legendary-guitarist-slash-books-july-concert-with-other-band/ |title=Legendary guitarist Slash books July concert with 'other' band |date=December 4, 2018 |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=The Times of Israel |last=Steinberg |first=Jessica}}</ref> Although there has been speculation, Slash has refuted the claims that his father is Jewish.<ref name=ToI/><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.slashparadise.com/background/profile-slash.php |title=Slash profile |date= |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=Slash Paradise |last=Hudson |first=Saul |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240130105830/https://www.slashparadise.com/background/profile-slash.php |archive-date=30 January 2024 |url-status=live |quote=I'm not Jewish! I'm 1/2 black, 1/2 British. I'm a proud dual citizen: American and British.}}</ref> Of his mixed background, Slash has remarked, "As a musician, I've always been amused that I'm both British and black; particularly because so many American musicians seem to aspire to be British while so many British musicians, in the '60s in particular, went to such great pains to be black."<ref>{{harvnb|Slash|Bozza|2008|p=54}}</ref>
[[File:Slashchild.jpg|thumb|160px|Slash as a child]]

During his early years, Slash was raised by his father and paternal grandparents in Stoke-on-Trent while his mother moved back to her native United States to work in Los Angeles.<ref>{{Citation|last=Loudwire|title=Slash – Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?| date= 2014-10-01| url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LR2nro3bUM&index=16&list=PLvXmarOi5xIDft71QbUz89axODVGxdbt4|access-date=2016-09-07|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216004527/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LR2nro3bUM&index=16&list=PLvXmarOi5xIDft71QbUz89axODVGxdbt4|archive-date=February 16, 2017}}</ref> When he was around five years old, he and his father joined his mother in Los Angeles.<ref name="Hurtes-scpr2010-12-16">{{cite web|last=Hurtes |first=Hettie Lynne |title=Rocker and LA Zoo board member Slash defends new elephant habitat |publisher=scpr.org |date=December 16, 2010 |url=http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/12/16/rocker-and-la-zoo-board-member-slash-defends-new-e/ |access-date= April 26, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120612015933/http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/12/16/rocker-and-la-zoo-board-member-slash-defends-new-e/ |archive-date=June 12, 2012 }}</ref> His brother, Albion "Ash" Hudson, was born in 1972.<ref>{{harvnb|Slash|Bozza|2008|p=8}}</ref> Following his parents' separation in 1974,<ref>{{harvnb|Slash|Bozza|2008|pp=9–10}}</ref> Slash became a self-described "problem child".<ref name="Slash 2008 14">{{harvnb|Slash|Bozza|2008|pp=9–14}}</ref> He chose to live with his mother and was often sent to live with his beloved maternal grandmother whenever his mother had to travel for her job.<ref name="Slash 2008 14" /><ref>{{harvnb|Slash|Bozza|2008|p=10}}</ref> Slash sometimes accompanied his mother to work, where he met several film and music stars.<ref>{{harvnb|Slash|Bozza|2008|pp=6–7}}</ref> He was given the nickname "Slash" by actor [[Seymour Cassel]] because he was "always in a hurry, zipping around from one thing to another".<ref name="Ryder-Swindle">{{cite journal |last=Ryder |first=Caroline |title=Slash |journal= [[Swindle (magazine)|Swindle]] |publisher=Studio Number-One |url= http://swindlemagazine.com/issueicons/slash/ |access-date=April 26, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100910081856/http://swindlemagazine.com/issueicons/slash/ |archive-date= September 10, 2010 }}</ref>

{{Quote box |quote=My big awakening happened when I was 14. I'd been trying to get into this older girl's pants for a while, and she finally let me come over to her house. We hung out, smoked some pot and listened to [[Aerosmith]]'s ''[[Rocks (Aerosmith album)|Rocks]]''. It hit me like a fucking ton of bricks. I sat there listening to it over and over, and totally blew off this girl. I remember riding my bike back to my grandma's house knowing that my life had changed. Now I identified with something. |source= —Slash, on his passion for rock music<ref name="Slash-Rollingstone">{{cite magazine |last=Slash |title=The Immortals – The Greatest Artists of All Time: 57) Aerosmith |date=April 21, 2005 |magazine= [[Rolling Stone]] |publisher=Wenner Media LLC |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7235473/57_aerosmith |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070213100108/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7235473/57_aerosmith |archive-date=February 13, 2007 |access-date= December 24, 2011}}</ref> |width=20% |style= min-width: 15em|align=left}}

In 1979, Slash decided to form a band with his friend [[Steven Adler]].<ref name="Slash 2008 34">{{harvnb|Slash|Bozza|2008|p=34}}</ref> The band never materialized, but it prompted Slash to take up an instrument. Since Adler had designated himself the role of guitarist, Slash decided to learn how to play bass.<ref name="Slash 2008 34" /> During his first lesson, Slash decided to switch from bass to guitar after meeting Robert Wolin, a teacher at Fairfax Music School, and hearing him play "[[Brown Sugar (Rolling Stones song)|Brown Sugar]]" by [[the Rolling Stones]] and a [[Cream (band)|Cream]] song.<ref name="Slash 2008 35" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schaffner |first=Lauryn |date=2022-11-08 |title=How Slash's Guitar Teacher Motivated Him Through Lessons |url=https://loudwire.com/how-slash-guitar-teacher-motivated-him-lessons-interview/ |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=Loudwire |language=en}}</ref> As a result, Slash stated, "When I heard him do that, I said, 'That's what I want to do.'"<ref>{{cite book |title=Their Time is Gonna Come: Classic Rock Presents Led Zeppelin |publisher= [[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]] |year=2008 |page=17}}</ref> Equipped with a [[flamenco guitar]] given to him by his grandmother, he began taking classes with Wolin.<ref name="Slash 2008 35">{{harvnb|Slash|Bozza|2008|p=35}}</ref> He vividly recalls the feeling after learning "Come Dancing" from ''[[Wired (Jeff Beck album)|Wired]]'' by [[Jeff Beck]], which he described as "fucking awesome".<ref name=OneBeck> Original [[:fr:Konbini (site web)|Konbini (French website)]] interview from 24 September 2018 is here: {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iJWuTc43yk |title=Track ID |author=Konbini |website=[[YouTube]] |date=September 24, 2018 |access-date=February 9, 2023 |archive-date=April 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230414224050/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iJWuTc43yk |url-status=live }}</ref>

A champion [[BMX]] rider, Slash put the bike aside to devote himself to playing guitar, practicing up to 12 hours a day.<ref>{{harvnb|Slash|Bozza|2008|pp=14–15}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Slash|Bozza|2008|p=36}}</ref> Slash attended [[Beverly Hills High School]] and was a contemporary of musicians [[Lenny Kravitz]] and [[Zoro (drummer)|Zoro]].<ref>{{Cite magazine| url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lenny-kravitz-talks-touring-with-guns-n-roses-this-summer-20160518|title=Lenny Kravitz Talks Touring With Guns N' Roses This Summer|magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=2018-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618203833/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lenny-kravitz-talks-touring-with-guns-n-roses-this-summer-20160518| archive-date=June 18, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>