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Guitar World
Guitar World
Entertainment
Andrew Daly

“Ozzy had a problem with my short hair. Sharon had a problem with my green guitar – she said it looked like a booger”: The unlucky 13 guitarists who auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne – but didn’t make the grade

Jennifer Batten plays an Ibanez S-style during a Michael Jackson show, George Lynch plays his tiger stripe ESP, and Nuno Bettencourt plays his Washburn signature model live with Extreme.

Few vocalists in history are as synonymous with guitar heroics as Ozzy Osbourne. Starting with Tony Iommi and connecting with Randy Rhoads, Brad Gillis, Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wylde and many other greats, Ozzy knew how to pick ’em.

But what about the coulda-beens, shoulda-beens and never-beens? You know – the “close, but no cigar” gang? So many top-notch guitarists have told tales of auditioning for Ozzy and, for one reason or another, weren’t the right fit.

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