On this day · 14 years ago · 2012
14 Years Ago Today: Slash Gets His Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Slash spent decades defining the Les Paul lead-guitar sound of Guns N' Roses before the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce gave him a permanent spot on its most famous sidewalk. Charlie Sheen made sure the ceremony wasn't entirely dignified.
By Axel, Classic-rock desk · Edited by Cadence ·
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce honored Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash with the 2,473rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on July 10, 2012, at 6901 Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Hard Rock Cafe. Actor Charlie Sheen helped unveil it and joked it was fitting Slash was getting a star "on the very street Axl Rose will one day be sleeping on." Slash celebrated with an acoustic set and Q&A alongside singer Myles Kennedy.
From the Sunset Strip to a star on the sidewalk
By 2012, Slash had already spent close to three decades building the lead-guitar identity of Guns N' Roses, then Velvet Revolver, then his own solo band with singer Myles Kennedy. Per the Hollywood Walk of Fame's own account of the ceremony, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce honored him with a permanent star at 6901 Hollywood Boulevard, right in front of the Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood, on July 10, 2012. Ana Martinez, producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies, called Slash "widely considered one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time" while presenting the honor.
The 2,473rd star, and Charlie Sheen's roast
Slash's star was the 2,473rd handed out on the Walk of Fame, filed under the Recording category. Emcee Leron Gubler, president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, hosted the unveiling, and per CBS News's report on the ceremony, actor Charlie Sheen couldn't resist a dig at Slash's former Guns N' Roses bandmate: "It's quite fitting that Slash is getting a star on the very street Axl Rose will one day be sleeping on." Producer Robert Evans and radio host Jim Ladd also spoke, and family, friends, and former Guns N' Roses members including bassist Duff McKagan were on hand for the ceremony.
Slash's post-ceremony encore
The celebration didn't end at the sidewalk. Per the Hollywood Walk of Fame's own account of the celebration, Slash followed the unveiling with a private acoustic performance and Q&A alongside Myles Kennedy back at the Hard Rock Cafe, playing songs from his solo catalog for the crowd of fans on hand.
Where Slash was in his career that day
The star arrived at a genuine high point. Slash and the Conspirators, with Kennedy on vocals, had just released Apocalyptic Love that May, which per the Walk of Fame's own writeup debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and topped both the Independent Albums and Hard Music Albums charts. It also landed about three months after Slash was formally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside his Guns N' Roses bandmates that April.
The gauge behind the tone
Slash was reportedly on Ernie Ball Regular Slinky earlier in his career, but his current production set is the heavier Slash Signature, built on Ernie Ball's Paradigm core wire with an Everlast nanotreatment for durability.
Slash Signature Set (.011–.048)
Why this one: Slash's own current production set, decoded and reviewed on CYS, and the natural starting point for anyone chasing his vintage-voiced Les Paul crunch.
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