Before They Were Rockstars: GNR's Slash

In addition to playing guitar on one of the best selling albums of all time, Slash has been honored with a Rock Walk Hall of Fame and was awarded the 2nd spot on Time Magazine's 10 Best Electric Guitar Players of All-Time list. With his famous top hat and ever-present cigarette, the Guns N' Roses guitarist has become an icon synonymous with rock n' roll. If you've ever wondered about the person behind the rock star, then keep reading. We've compiled a list of interesting trivia to give you a peek at what this guitar legend was like long before rockstar fame.

• Saul Hudson was given the nickname "Slash" by a family friend because he was "always in a hurry, zipping around from one thing to another."
• Slash attended Beverly Hills High School in the early 1980's with musician Lenny Kravitz but never graduated, dropping out in the eleventh grade.
• Slash's mother was clothing designer Ola Hudson, whose work includes costumes for David Bowie in The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976).
• Slash's father is Anthony Hudson, who designed album covers for Geffen Records such as Joni Mitchell's "Court and Spark."
• Before joining Guns N' Roses, Slash was a very popular session guitarist, playing with Cheap Trick, Bad Company, Alice Cooper, and Rod Stewart.
• Slash started playing guitar at 15 years old and has mentioned influences including Rory Gallagher, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, Thin Lizzy, Alice Cooper, and Queen.