"I never wanted to be a star. I never wanted to be famous. I just wanted to play guitar in a really good rock 'n' roll band"
About this Quote
The intent is to reclaim authorship. “Star” and “famous” are passive roles, things that happen to you and then tell the world who you are. “Play guitar” is active: hours, calluses, repetition, a skill you can measure in rooms and rehearsals. By specifying “a really good rock ’n’ roll band,” he’s not romanticizing struggle; he’s drawing a line against the lone-genius myth. Slash’s identity is inseparable from ensemble chemistry, from the combustible social unit that made Guns N’ Roses feel dangerous and alive.
The subtext also nods to the trade-off fame demands: image discipline, access journalism, the endless obligation to perform a version of yourself offstage. His phrasing suggests that the purest musical life is the one least contaminated by that economy. Coming from a player canonized for riffs that became corporate assets, it lands as a small act of resistance: reducing the legend back to a guy chasing a sound with other guys, loud enough to matter.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Slash. (2026, January 15). I never wanted to be a star. I never wanted to be famous. I just wanted to play guitar in a really good rock 'n' roll band. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-never-wanted-to-be-a-star-i-never-wanted-to-be-172326/
Chicago Style
Slash. "I never wanted to be a star. I never wanted to be famous. I just wanted to play guitar in a really good rock 'n' roll band." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-never-wanted-to-be-a-star-i-never-wanted-to-be-172326/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I never wanted to be a star. I never wanted to be famous. I just wanted to play guitar in a really good rock 'n' roll band." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-never-wanted-to-be-a-star-i-never-wanted-to-be-172326/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.



