Swedish hard rocker shares landing the bass gig with Slash, navigating the ‘90s L.A. music scene

Exclusive video interview with FBPO’s Jon Liebman
March 31, 2025

Johnny Griparic is an accomplished Swedish-born bassist who moved to Los Angeles in 1990. There he joined local blues great BB Chung King’s ensemble and became a member of the legendary Screaming Cocktail Hour at the world-famous Baked Potato jazz club. During that time, Johnny became friends with guitar icon Slash of Guns N’ Roses, which led to landing the bass chair in Slash’s Snakepit band. Since then, Johnny has gone on to work with a variety of renowned artists, including Carole King, Richie Sambora, Ace Frehley, and Don Felder, before eventually joining Richie Kotzen’s band. Johnny spent the next few years touring the world and recording several albums with Kotzen, including the critically acclaimed Live in São Paulo release. In 2024, he rejoined Slash to record the award-winning Orgy of the Damned blues album, followed by the Slash SERPENT tour in the summer of 2024.

Watch our interview with Johnny!