The Untold Truth Of Slash

As a musician, Slash has been undeniably linked to Guns N' Roses, the legendary band that has played a vital role in his career. But, per Biography, the musician has also worked on two albums independently and been responsible for the inception of the band Velvet Revolver. His life has been interesting, to say the least. Consider this: at one point in his life, Slash was keen on getting into BMX racing. That didn't pan out, but it was a dream that he considered pursuing nevertheless.

Also, Slash thinks that he's a lot more expressive when he is doing something like fiddling with his guitar. He once said that he can express himself a lot more when he's playing music versus when he is simply talking (via Louder Sound). He said, "It's an extension of myself, it's a way to express myself that I can't do in any other sort of arena. The guitar is a release for me." The musician admitted that he does find it frustrating when he is unable to voice his thoughts well in a conversation but is grateful for the fact that he has a medium that he can turn to whenever he wants. He doesn't take it for granted.

Slash may have many fond memories from his childhood, but he also experienced terrible loneliness when he was little. According to a Rolling Stone piece, his parents decided to part ways in the '70s. Home was a bit uncertain, and things at school were even worse. He often ended up being on his own because he just could not identify with his peers. Also, he was shy, which made it harder for him to connect with others. He said, "I had long hair, and the schools I went to were filled with kids of bankers and real-estate agents. It wasn't like any of them came from the same background I had."

He was often thrown out of school, and things didn't look up for him until he started focusing on his skills as a guitarist. This helped him in a big way: His classmates were friendlier and more talkative around him because they knew that he could play the guitar. Per Biography, Slash has been called a "problem child" in the past. He wasn't into academia and would simply ignore it, focusing instead on BMX racing. Music was a godsend for him, and it gave him a purpose: He was so hooked that he would easily play for at least 12 hours every day.

According to a piece by Louder Sound, Slash has a rather unusual fear that he's unable to shake off. He perceives it to be a quirk and doesn't actually call it a full-fledged phobia. The guitarist said, "If I'm watching a movie or actually there in person, if someone has a hand accident that really gives me the heebie-jeebies." On that note, Slash is uncomfortable with the idea of putting his hand out of the window when he's driving. As he said, "I'm very sensitive about fingers, hands and all that ... digits!"

Basically, he wants to stay away from all kinds of hand accidents and doesn't want to hurt himself. Well, it's only logical considering that he's a guitar player who needs all his fingers to be fully functional. That aside, Slash isn't really scared of a lot of things. As the musician said, "I don't have any genuine phobias."

According to a Rolling Stone interview, Slash had a tough time when he collaborated with Michael Jackson for one of their projects. What bothered him was that their meetings were simply erratic and didn't have a fixed routine. He said, "I like to keep a schedule and be punctual, but those dates just sat there for months and months until I kept thinking they didn't want to use me anymore." He clarified that he genuinely admired Michael Jackson as a musician and had a lot of respect for him.

Per Kerrang!, Slash was a part of Jackson's album, "Dangerous." Once everything was said and done, working with Jackson was a learning experience in many ways for Slash, who believed that Jackson was "musically fluid" and very talented. He reflected, "I'd do some shows here and there and it was fun because he was such a pro, and he was such a f****** talent from on high."

When Slash was in San Francisco for work, he had a scary experience: he was momentarily dead before being brought back to life. He told The Guardian that he had vivid memories of that day. He said, "These drug dealers came to my hotel room at 5 a.m. They had everything and I took all of it. I started down the hallway and I ran into a maid, and I asked where the elevator was and then bam! I collapsed." An eye witness got really scared when she saw the musician. He was rushed to the hospital, but he said that he felt alright and left for his next performance.

He explained what overdosing on drugs feels like. The musician said, "There's a certain kind of scene where everybody is just moving really quickly and there's noise from radios and everything; I've experienced it a bunch of times."

Also, Slash has seen what drugs can do to people. He lost friend and fellow musician Scott Weiland in 2015 after he had a drug overdose. For Slash, thinking about his kids and turning his attention to music helped him quit drugs for good (via Yahoo! Entertainment).

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Years ago, things took a scary turn when Slash found out that he had a serious heart issue. Per Yahoo! Entertainment, this incident took place before Slash decided to stop relying on drugs. Doctors told him that he had congestive heart failure. The condition had been caused by his excessive consumption of drugs. Things looked grim at the time and medical professionals thought that Slash only had a few days left. Thankfully, Slash was able to bounce back on account of physical therapy sessions. He also used a defibrillator to keep his condition in check. 

As a band, Guns N' Roses definitely witnessed lots of drug-related issues. For instance, drummer Steven Adler had two heart attacks, a stroke, as well as 28 overdoses. Their guitarist, Izzy Stradlin, slipped into a coma for several days while bassist Duff McKagan almost lost his life on account of his excess alcohol consumption.  

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

As far as Slash is concerned, most people don't know what he actually is like in real life. He told Rolling Stone that he is really shy and reticent and not comfortable in front of many people. Having his guitar and his trademark hat help him deal with his shyness a little.

Despite being shy around people, the guitarist is a huge fan of reptiles and has taken care of many pets in his life. He said that he had 11 of them at one point. When one of his snakes died, he was really upset. Slash said, "It's sort of a drag, because he's been through so much sh** with me — my whole career. I tried so hard to keep him alive, and he ... died. It was depressing, because it was a bad night as it was." He also revealed that no one quite got where he was coming from. He was gutted and alone in his grief.