Slash to play at Rock Hall’s tribute to Les Paul

updated 5:54 p.m. ET Oct. 9, 2008

CLEVELAND - Slash couldn’t miss a chance to pay tribute to his own guitar hero, Les Paul.

The former Guns N’ Roses guitarist signed up to play at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s tribute concert Nov. 15 without even hearing who he’d be playing with on stage.

“I’m just coming with my guitar,” Slash said.

The concert at Cleveland’s State Theater includes a lineup of guitar virtuosos like Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, The Ventures and Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi.

Slash, a member of Velvet Revolver, said he’d do anything for the 93-year-old Paul, known as the “Father of the Electric Guitar.” Paul’s many contributions to music include building the first solid-body electric guitar in 1941.

“The legion of guitar players I grew up listening to would have been completely different had Les not been around,” Slash said.

Paul is expected to attend the American Music Masters series event. Slash said he previously played with Paul and couldn’t keep up with him.

“He just cleaned the stage up with me,” the 43-year-old Slash said.

Slash recorded Guns N’ Roses’ masterpiece “Appetite for Destruction” on a replica of a 1959 Gibson Les Paul that was made by a private builder.

This is the second time Slash will be involved with a Rock Hall gig in the last two years. Velvet Revolver performed when Van Halen was inducted into the hall last year.

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Slash said someone pointed out to him at the performance that Guns N’ Roses would be eligible for the hall in 2012. Artists are eligible 25 years after recording their first single or album.

Only two members of Van Halen showed up for their induction. Slash said if Guns N’ Roses were inducted, he wouldn’t want to follow a similar path.

“I hope whatever differences we’d accrued over the years, we’d be able to show up as professionals and accept it with dignity,” he said.

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