Saul Hudson (born 23 July 1965, Stoke-on-Trent, England), better known by h… Read Full Bio ↴Saul Hudson (born 23 July 1965, Stoke-on-Trent, England), better known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician. He is the lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he performed and recorded between 1985 and 1996, and rejoined in 2016. He later formed Slash's Snakepit and co-founded Velvet Revolver with his former bandmates Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum. His debut solo album, Slash , was released in April 2010. He has also released three albums with his backing band Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators: Myles Kennedy (vocals/guitar), Frank Sidoris (rhythm guitar), Todd Kerns (bass), and Brent Fitz (drums).

In 2011 he wrote and featured on kick it Up a Notch, the end credit song for The Disney Channel Original Movie Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension. (Kick It Up a Notch Songfacts). He has written a self titled autobiography which was put to print in 2007.

Slash joined his first band, Tidus Sloan, in 1981. In 1983, he formed the band Road Crew—named for the Motörhead song "(We Are) The Road Crew"—with his childhood friend Steven Adler, who by then had learned to play drums. He placed an advertisement in a newspaper looking for a bassist, and received a response from Duff McKagan. They auditioned a number of singers, including one-time Black Flag vocalist Ron Reyes, and worked on material that included the main riff of what would become the Guns N' Roses song "Rocket Queen." Slash disbanded the group the following year due to them not being able to find a singer, as well as Adler's lack of work ethic compared to himself and McKagan. He, along with Adler, then joined a local band known as Hollywood Rose, which featured singer Axl Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin. Following his time with Hollywood Rose, Slash played in a band called Black Sheep and unsuccessfully auditioned for Poison, a glam metal band that he would later openly deride.

In June 1985, Slash was asked by Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin to join the newly founded Guns "N' Roses. Duff McKagan and Steven Adler completed the line-up. They played nightclubs—such as the Whisky a Go Go, The Roxy, and The Troubadour—and opened for larger acts throughout 1985 and 1986. It was during this period that the band wrote most of its classic material, including "Welcome to the Jungle," "Sweet Child o' Mine," and "Paradise City," As a result of their rowdy and rebellious behavior, Guns N' Roses quickly received the moniker "Most Dangerous Band in the World," causing Slash to remark, "For some strange reason, Guns N' Roses is like the catalyst for controversy, even before we had any kind of record deal."

Slash has received critical recognition as a guitarist. In August 2009, Time Magazine ranked him #2 on its list of the "10 Best Electric Guitar Players of All-Time". He was also ranked #21 on Gigwise's list of the "50 Greatest Guitarists Ever".

Slash was the first musician to own a signature amplifier created by Marshall for him. In 1996 the Marshall Slash JCM 2555SL was launched, it was built with the specs of Slash's own original 1987 Marshall Silver Jubilee 2555 amplifier. A total of 3000 of these amplifiers were made before it was discontinued.

On his self titled album, "Slash" he has worked with many artists like Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie (Black Eyed Peas), Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge), Kid Rock and Ian Astbury (The Cult). The singles released from the album are "Sahara","Back From Cali","By the Sword" and "Beautiful Dangerous".

Slash also colla borated with Myles Kennedy as Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators and released a few albums from 2012 onwards with 4 being released in 2022.

Carolina
Slash Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Under city lights
You got mesmerized
You forgot where you are from
And who you are

Such a tragedy
You were young and free
Did you ever think

That you'd fall so far

Turn it on tonight
Carolina
Till the morning light
Carolina

I remember when
You were innocent
I remember what you were
My dirty rose

Never happy now
You're just selling out
Easy street is drenched in tears
You know it's never paved in gold

Turn it on tonight
Carolina
Till the morning light
Carolina

Just leave your dirty little secrets for a while
Just leave your dirty little secrets for a while
Let me make it alright

Turn it on tonight
Carolina
Till the morning light
Carolina

Turn it on tonight
Carolina

Till the morning light
Carolina

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Slash feat. Myles Kennedy's song "Carolina" are a poignant reflection on the perils of fame and fortune. The song is addressed to a person who was once innocent and free, but has since become mesmerized by the allure of the city lights and lost touch with their roots. The chorus, "Turn it on tonight, Carolina, till the morning light, Carolina" is a plea to this person to let go of their dirty little secrets and find redemption in the music that once inspired them.

The first verse sets the stage for the rest of the song, describing how the person in question has lost sight of who they are and where they come from. The second verse speaks to the disillusionment that often accompanies success, with the lines "Never happy now, you're just selling out, easy street is drenched in tears, you know it's never paved in gold." The chorus is repeated twice more, each time with increasing urgency, as if the singer is trying to break through to the person they are addressing and save them from themselves.

Overall, "Carolina" is a powerful song about the price of fame and the importance of staying true to oneself. It reminds us not to forget our roots and to always be true to what inspires us, even in the face of success and the temptations that come with it.

Line by Line Meaning

Under city lights
In the midst of the bright lights of the city

You got mesmerized
You were enchanted and attracted by the city life

You forgot where you are from
You lost sight of your roots and where you came from

And who you are
You lost your sense of identity and who you truly are

Such a tragedy
It's unfortunate how things turned out

You were young and free
You were full of youth and carefree spirit

Did you ever think
Did you ever consider or imagine

That you'd fall so far
That you'd end up so lost and far from where you used to be

Turn it on tonight
Let the music and lights come alive tonight

Carolina
Addressing the person who has lost their way and their identity

Till the morning light
Until the sun comes up and the night fades away