Slash, the guitarist for Guns N’ Roses, has dedicated his life to the pursuit of rock ‘n’ roll. He has followed this passion since childhood; to him, it’s more than just music, it’s a religion. Even before Slash co-founded Guns N’ Roses, it was clear that he was destined to take this path. He fully committed himself to it in every way possible.
Slash’s first musical memories were of artists from his native England, where he spent his early years. Despite only living in the United Kingdom until the age of 11, he left the grey skies of Stoke-on-Trent for the sun-soaked streets of Los Angeles. He recalls being enchanted by the sounds of Pete Townshend’s guitar licks with The Who, which never failed to transport him back to childhood.
Once Slash began playing the instrument, there was no turning back. The Guns N’ Roses axeman has previously stated that he would often devote 12 hours per day to perfecting his craft and putting all of his eggs in one basket. Over the years, he also absorbed as much material as possible from all corners of the rock ‘n’ roll world.
Slash reveres undisputed greats such as Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Jimi Hendrix, whom he considers heroes. There are other figures he greatly admires that people are unlikely to suspect.
Guitar World asked Slash to name some of his more obscure influences during an interview. And he spoke especially fondly of Joe Walsh, best known for his work with the Eagles and The James Gang.
Slash stated, “I like the Pretenders’ James Honeyman-Scott: The Cars’ Elliot Easton. He is one of the best lead players of the last 25 years. Joe Walsh, who is one of the best rock and roll guitarists of all time; and the Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones.” I’m also a fan of Elvis Presley’s guitarist Scotty Moore and [surf-rock guitarist] Dick Dale. But I still haven’t dared to sit down and learn one of his songs.”
Furthermore, during the same interview, Slash expressed his desire to work professionally with Walsh. He noted: “I’ve played with Keith Richards and would love to take that further. And I would love to jam with Joe Walsh.”
Slash also described the Eagles guitarist as “one of the tastiest lead guitar players around” to Esquire in 2014. He cites Walsh’s work with the James Gang as an underappreciated aspect of his career. He went on to say, “He’s just got such an understated but great, nasty way of playing”.
Slash’s admiration for Walsh hasn’t had a significant impact on his sound, and the Guns N’ Roses guitarist is far from an “understated” player, he holds him in high regard. The two figures are genuine originals, rarely mentioned in the same sentence, but their contributions to music are undeniable.
