Legendary guitarist Michael Schenker revealed in a recent interview with Classic Rock why he deliberately made Ozzy Osbourne turn him down as Randy Rhoads‘ replacement.
Schenker explained that he had been making music with the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP during its early stages when he received a phone call from Ozzy.
“I got a phone call from Ozzy Osbourne in the middle of the night, stuttering, asking me to help him out because Randy Rhoads had died in that plane crash,” he said.
“I loved SABBATH, and I should have been delighted to join. I instantly had visions of Ozzy dragging me across the stage by my hair, but a voice in my head said, ‘Michael, follow your vision.'”
“I’d left UFO and SCORPIONS because I didn’t want to go any further with the fame thing, and I wanted freedom and peace, so I felt it would be crazy to join. Ozzy knew that I was Randy‘s favorite guitar player, so he thought I’d be the perfect fit, but it wasn’t the right time. We were already rehearsing the Assault Attack album with Graham Bonnett.”
“The only way I could think of getting out of the Ozzy gig was by making outrageous demands, so that’s what I did. In his book [I Am Ozzy] Ozzy said I asked for a private jet, and that’s true, but it was only so that he’d turn me down.”
