Love has always played a significant role in the rock world, with many famous love stories emerging from the scene. From Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love to Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull, love and passion have often gone hand in hand with the wild and unpredictable world of rock ‘n’ roll. One such love story is that of Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash and his first wife, Renee Suran. Their tumultuous relationship lasted five years, and at one point, it almost cost Slash his life.
While working on Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Use Your Illusion’ records, Slash wasn’t socializing much, opting to stay at home or in the studio. However, one night, bassist Duff McKagan persuaded him to join him at a bar in LA. There, Duff met a girl who was accompanied by her friend, Renee Suran. Renee, a successful model working towards an acting career, didn’t show much interest in Slash initially. But for the guitarist, the challenge was appealing, and within a few weeks, the pair started living together.
In 1992, during Guns N’ Roses’ European tour with Faith No More and Soundgarden, Slash and Renee had temporarily split up due to his infidelity. Feeling lonely, Slash called Renee, hoping to reconcile. Renee agreed to see him but presented an ultimatum: they would either get married or end their relationship for good. Despite some initial tension over a prenuptial agreement, Slash and Renee eventually got engaged and married in October 1992.
The stress from the prenuptial argument had a severe impact on Slash. After a show, he found himself in the company of the wrong people and overdosed. The band’s security team took care of him until paramedics arrived, and he was shocked back to life with defibrillators. Although he was advised to stay in the hospital, Slash left after a few hours, feeling no remorse for his actions.
Here is what the guitarist said about that period in a 2001 interview with Howard Stern:
“The beginning of the end was when I said, ‘Sign this prenup.’ I remember exactly where that was. I was in San Francisco. Guns was touring the stadiums with Metallica, and the phone call was made that there was going to be a prenup…
That was one of the biggest fights in our entire relationship over the phone… It stressed me out so bad that after the show was over, I ran into the wrong people at the wrong time after the gig, and I ended up in the hospital, messing around cause I was so depressed from the whole argument that I ended up OD-ing that night.”
Guns N’ Roses’ frontman Axl Rose later told Slash how scared he was, thinking he would have to find a new guitarist. The incident even led Axl to believe that a different Slash had taken over his body, which became a significant obstacle in the band’s future.
Slash and Renee’s marriage was never truly stable. They had a co-ed bachelorette party so Renee could keep an eye on him. Ironically, at this party, Slash met his future second wife, Perla Ferrar. In a twist of fate, Slash and Perla ended up spending the night together before his wedding to Renee, sealing the fate of their doomed marriage.
The musician said the following about his first marriage in a 2007 chat with Howard Stern:
“The first marriage I got into was an ultimatum, and I don’t think I went in the right way. I didn’t go into it from the heart, and so I had sort of dated this girl that is now my wife. Not really dated, but we saw each other on occasion, and we always had a good time, and she knew that. She knew that we had a connection…
So what happened was Perla heard that I was getting married. Actually, she came to my bachelor party, which was a co-ed bachelor party… I called my girlfriend up, who was going to be my wife, and I said, ‘Let’s get back together,’ and she said not unless we get married…
Then we did it and Perla, who had known me… came around… then somehow we ended up doing it the night before my wedding. The wedding was doomed from that point on. The marriage was doomed. You know, but I feel really bad because I put her through something. I’m not into hurting people’s feelings.”
After five years, Slash and Renee divorced in 1997. They didn’t have any children together. Renee continued her acting career, appearing in various films and TV shows, including a regular role in the web series ‘Broken at Love.’ As for Slash, he went on to marry Perla Ferrar in 2001, with whom he shares two sons. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2018, just before Guns N’ Roses reunited.
The story of Slash and Renee Suran shows the tumultuous nature of love and relationships in the rock world. Their marriage may have been brief and fraught with challenges, but it left an impression on both of their lives. Through it all, the music continued, as did their individual journeys, each finding their own path in life after the storm.
