Due to his mother’s line of work, Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash was raised around mystical figures from the world of showbiz from a very early age. It would give him a sense of rock ‘n’ roll that very few people could ever have. In the paraphrased words of a fabled supervillain, Slash wasn’t just adopting rock music; he was born in it.
As a result of his upbringing, Slash wouldn’t typically become overwhelmed when in the company of a famous musician, even if he greatly respected their craft. Most of us would quake in the presence of David Bowie or Jeff Beck. For Slash, they were just nice guys who could make a killer song or two.
As a child, it was customary for Slash to be in the company of David Bowie, who was simply a friend of his mother, rather than a superstar perched on a pedestal that very few of us would have the pleasure of glancing at. Having seen figures of this stature in extremely ordinary circumstances, Slash was well equipped to be thrown into the bizarre world of showbiz once his band built a reputation for themselves as hell-raising lunatics.
His mother, Ola Hudson, worked as a fashion designer, which allowed Slash to rub shoulders with the stars and get an insight into how the other half lived. Yet, despite his vast experience dealing with famous faces, Slash could not prepare himself for when he met the late Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister for the first time.
At this point, Guns N’ Roses were yet to release Appetite For Destruction, which catapulted them from the dingy club scene to the mainstream. Naturally, as well as being an icon of the industry and arguably one of the forefathers of metal, Lemmy was an inspiration for the guitarist, and the opportunity to become friends with the frontman was a blessing in Slash’s eyes.
During an interview with Ultimate Guitar, Slash detailed their friendship after being asked about their collaborative song ‘Doctor Alibi’. He said: “That was another great moment, having Lemmy come down. Because Lemmy was one of those guys that I so looked up to, and I still do”.
It’s hard not to. The rocker was a powerhouse of the industry. As beloved for his music as he was for his hellraising ways, there are very few people who can stand toe-to-toe with Lemmy and consider themselves to be more metal. It was for Lemmy that the genre could be adapted into an adjective.
Slash continued: “When I was a kid, I was one of those Lemmy fans that would bow in his presence. And we got to be friends, and he’s always sort of taken me under his wing, kind of thing, and he’s always been really cool. Lemmy is one of those kinds of guys who can have a real serious attitude if he wants to. He’s actually a really nice guy in general. I always thought he was sort of intimidating, but he was always really nice to me.”
Despite Lemmy’s “intimidating” demeanour, he was a genuine soul who showed nothing but kindness towards Slash, such as agreeing to appear on ‘Doctor Alibi’. “It’s a great personal thing; I’m really honoured to have it on there,” he added of the track.
Following news of Lemmy’s death in 2015, Slash paid tribute to his late friend by taking on Motörhead’s signature song ‘Ace of Spades’ with the assistance of Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators at the House of Blues in Las Vegas.
Watch the cover below.
