Not everyone is cut out for the nine-to-five grind. While some of us find ourselves bound to office desks, enduring the daily ritual of long hours and unpaid breaks, others are destined to live life outside the confines of traditional work. It’s hard to imagine rock icons like Iggy Pop, Keith Richards, or Ozzy Osbourne ever settling for a promotion at an insurance firm or grinding away as assistant managers in a service job.
In 2009, Morrissey famously explained on BBC’s The One Show that he spent time on the dole in the early 1980s because, in his words, “I didn’t want to have a job.” His decision, as unconventional as it was, led him to become the frontman of The Smiths, contributing far more to the world than any retail job ever could. For many musicians, the choice to live outside of the ordinary job market was driven by the allure of music, rebellion, or simply avoiding the mundane. For London-born, Los Angeles-raised guitarist Slash, the path to rock stardom was no different.
While Slash wasn’t an idle person—he was an avid BMX rider as a teenager, even eyeing a professional career—his true calling came when he heard his music teacher play The Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar.” This moment changed everything, prompting him to pick up a guitar and practice for up to 12 hours a day. Over the course of the early 1980s, he played in several glam rock bands before forming the iconic Guns N’ Roses, along with members from Hollywood Rose and LA Guns. With a black top hat from a Melrose Avenue thrift store as part of his signature look, Guns N’ Roses would go on to become one of the biggest hard rock acts of the decade.
Though the band was often lumped in with the hair metal scene, they brought a much-needed edge to a genre that had become defined by power ballads and over-the-top performances. Their debut album, Appetite for Destruction, released in 1987, introduced a raw, explosive sound that set them apart from their contemporaries. The album, blending the classic riffs of Aerosmith with the raw energy of Bay Area punk, catapulted them to fame and injected a gritty, dangerous energy into a rock scene that had grown stale.
Guns N’ Roses’ reputation for partying hard was well-documented. Slash, in particular, became known for his indulgence in alcohol, cocaine, and heroin, not just during the band’s rise to fame but throughout their years of success. Reflecting on his youth, Slash pointed to a formative album that helped shape his outlook on life. “I remember getting the first Zeppelin record early on,” he shared with Metal Hammer in 2020. “They opened the door for everything that the ’70s was about: hedonism, excess and drugs. Their music made me just want to bang girls!”
While the “groupie” culture of classic rock now feels increasingly distant in light of modern scrutiny of the behavior of rock bands from that era, it’s undeniable that such attitudes were a powerful motivator for many teens to pick up the guitar. Led Zeppelin’s 1969 debut album not only marked a pivotal moment in rock history but also set a template for the kind of excess and debauchery that would become synonymous with the genre for years to come. This blend of music, fame, and indulgence would leave a lasting imprint on rock culture, inspiring countless musicians—including Slash—who followed in its wake.
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