Before he became a thrash metal icon with Megadeth or a beloved cultural ambassador in Japan, Marty Friedman was just another hungry guitarist in San Francisco trying to catch a break. In a candid new interview with Argentina’s “TCDG Guitar Lessons,” the virtuoso shredder revisited one of the most pivotal “almost” moments of his career: his late-80s audition for Ozzy Osbourne.
While Friedman is universally regarded as one of the most technically gifted players in metal history, he admitted that his rejection from the Prince of Darkness’ camp had nothing to do with his fingers—and everything to do with his fashion sense.
Friedman recalled the desperate circumstances he was in when the life-changing phone call arrived. Living in the Bay Area while playing with Cacophony, his financial situation was dire.
“They actually called me when I lived in San Francisco. I was in Cacophony at the time and completely broke, almost homeless,” Friedman revealed (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “But [Ozzy‘s wife and manager] Sharon Osbourne called me up and said if I want to go to L.A., they’d fly me out to L.A. to audition. I’m, like, ‘Wow, that’s cool.'”
Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Friedman quickly realized he had stepped into a different world. While he was prepared musically, he was woefully underprepared for the visual aesthetic of the Sunset Strip scene, which apparently applied even to private rehearsals.
“I did the audition and played. I thought I did a good job. But I didn’t really match the vibe of the band very much,” Friedman explained. “They were full-on L.A.-metal type of guys with handcuffs in their belts and Jack Daniel’s t-shirts, and they were all decked out for rehearsal. And I understood doing that for a show, but at rehearsal they wore cowboy hats and all kinds of necklaces and jewelry.”
In stark contrast to the glam-metal excess surrounding him, Friedman had arrived ready to work, not to pose.
“They were full-on Sunset Strip rock mode. And I came in a t-shirt and jeans. I looked like a regular guy waiting for a bus or something.”
Musically, the session went smoothly. Friedman learned four songs and knocked them out “bam, bam, bam,” feeling confident in his performance. However, the sight of a rehearsal room cluttered with “envelopes with cassettes and resumes” hinted at the sheer volume of competition.
Ultimately, the gig went to Zakk Wylde, a decision Friedman now views as the correct one.
“Finally Zakk Wylde got the job. And he was just perfect. He was so much better than I would’ve been for that gig. He was just right, and he plays really well,” Friedman admitted graciously. “I thought, ‘Well, I did a good job, but I don’t think those guys are gonna [pick me].’ They probably went out drinking and partying right after rehearsal, and I was a real good-boy type of guy. Really boring.”
This isn’t the first time Friedman has analyzed this specific rejection. During an appearance at Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp‘s “Metalmania III” in Los Angeles back in 2023, he offered a deeper philosophical take on why bands choose members based on personality over pure skill.
At that event, he famously described the cultural clash using olfactory terms.
“They smelled like L.A. and I smelled like San Francisco, which was a different smell. Neither of us smelled very good,” he joked at the time. “Being in a band is so much more than the playing. And, actually, the playing is kind of down on the list. If you have the same kind of vibe with the people, you can just kind of smell it: ‘This is the guy I wanna hang out with.’ And it was different on that level.”
He concluded that technical proficiency is often secondary to camaraderie when you are spending months on a tour bus.
“There’s so many great players who can play every gig, you know what I mean? It’s really about who do you wanna hang out with? I would have loved to have got the gig, but they were probably just getting ready to go back out drinking, and I’m not a very big drinker, so it wouldn’t have jelled so well.”
