Former Guns N' Roses star Slash is mourning the death of close friend and promising musician Heath Sammons.

Sammons, an aspiring performer and songwriter, passed away on Christmas Eve, after losing his battle with a rare form of bone cancer. He was 20 years old.

He became close friends with his idol Slash after the legendary guitarist treated him to a private jam session last June in Los Angeles.

And Sammons' mother Karis Meier has thanked the Velvet Revolver star, who also visited her son at his Manatee County, Florida home in September, for helping lift Sammons' spirits during his cancer battle.

She says, "It helped him cope because Slash was always just a phone call away. Slash saw Heath not only as a young man who had an illness, but as a friend. They grew close.

"It was just amazing the compassion that Slash had for Heath and the friendship between them. Heath believed he would be a rock star some day, and now he's a rock star for Jesus."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)