![\"\"](\"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ZHi2XL9CmbW6cDHN3nYWA3-1200-80.jpg-1024x579.webp\")
Richie Ranno (Auditioned in 1982)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Richie Ranno, formerly of Starz, auditioned for Osbourne in 1982 after Randy Rhoads\u2019 tragic death. Ranno, who had met Rhoads in 1976, prepared diligently, learning key tracks such as Crazy Train<\/em> and Over the Mountain<\/em>. In a 2022 interview with Guitar World<\/em>, he recalled being the first to audition, a position he felt disadvantaged him. Despite a strong performance, the role went to Bernie Torm\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robert Sarzo, brother of bassist Rudy Sarzo, was nearly invited to join Osbourne\u2019s band following Rhoads\u2019 death. According to Rudy Sarzo\u2019s 2006 memoir, Off the Rails<\/em>, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne favored Robert for the role. However, manager Don Arden had already paid Bernie Torm\u00e9 to join the Diary of a Madman<\/em> tour, precluding Robert\u2019s inclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vito Bratta, later of White Lion, was contacted by Osbourne\u2019s team in 1982 while Brad Gillis was still in the band. In a 2023 Guitar World<\/em> interview, Bratta recounted receiving a call, likely from Sharon Osbourne, inviting him to audition at the Ritz. However, Bratta admitted he was unfamiliar with Osbourne\u2019s solo material, requesting a week to prepare. This hesitation led to the opportunity being withdrawn, a decision Bratta later regretted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dutch guitarist Adrian Vandenberg was approached to join Osbourne\u2019s band during the Speak of the Devil<\/em> tour, while Jake E. Lee was still the guitarist. Vandenberg, in a 2025 social media post, recalled spending time with Osbourne during a 1983 U.S. tour. Despite opportunities to perform soundchecks with Osbourne\u2019s band, Vandenberg declined due to commitments to his own group, Vandenberg, and Lee\u2019s continued presence in Osbourne\u2019s lineup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following Jake E. Lee\u2019s departure in 1987, Jimi Bell, then with Joan Jett, auditioned for Osbourne. In a 2022 podcast, (Don\u2019t) Quit Your Day Job<\/em>, Bell described a successful audition on a large soundstage, with Osbourne expressing enthusiasm. However, the role went to Zakk Wylde. Bell later worked with Geezer Butler, contributing uncredited material to Black Sabbath\u2019s Dehumanizer<\/em> (1992).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marty Friedman, later of Megadeth, auditioned to replace Jake E. Lee in 1987 but described the experience as a failure during a 2023 Rock \u2019n\u2019 Roll Fantasy Camp<\/em> Q&A. Friedman attributed his rejection to a mismatch in image, noting that Osbourne\u2019s band favored an \u201880s Sunset Strip aesthetic, which contrasted with his own appearance at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jennifer Batten, known for her work with Michael Jackson and Jeff Beck, submitted an audition tape for Osbourne\u2019s band in 1987. In a 2022 Ultimate Guitar<\/em> interview, Batten suggested that her gender likely influenced the decision not to grant her an audition, as the role was perceived as requiring a traditionally masculine image. The position was ultimately filled by Zakk Wylde.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chris Impellitteri, known for his high-speed shredding, was invited to audition for Osbourne in 1987. In a 2024 Guitar World<\/em> interview, he recalled multiple conversations with Sharon and possibly Ozzy Osbourne. However, a prior commitment to Relativity Records prevented him from pursuing the opportunity further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 1995, Extreme\u2019s Nuno Bettencourt was offered a position in Osbourne\u2019s band. In a 2025 Guitar World<\/em> interview, Bettencourt explained that, despite the prestige of the role, he declined to preserve his individuality as an artist, aspiring to carve his own legacy akin to guitarists like Randy Rhoads or Jimmy Page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Richie Kotzen, formerly of Poison and Mr. Big, was offered a role in Osbourne\u2019s band in 1995 after an unsuccessful collaboration with Steve Vai and Zakk Wylde\u2019s departure. In a 2014 Metal Sludge<\/em> interview, Kotzen claimed he secured the position, but a leak to the press by a friend disrupted the arrangement, leading to Joe Holmes taking the role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2005, Ozzy Osbourne auditioned guitarist Buckethead (Brian Carroll) before Ozzfest, as Zakk Wylde\u2019s availability was uncertain. In a 2005 Revolver<\/em> interview, Osbourne recounted requesting that Buckethead remove his signature bucket, only to find him wearing an equally eccentric hat. The unconventional interaction led to Buckethead\u2019s exclusion from the band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before Zakk Wylde\u2019s third tenure with Osbourne for a planned farewell tour, Frank Sidoris auditioned for the band. Although Wylde was ultimately chosen due to his long-standing relationship with Osbourne, Sidoris, now with Mammoth, received positive feedback from Osbourne, who praised his talent in a personal letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Thirteen Guitarists Who Auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne but Did Not Secure the Role Few vocalists in rock history are as closely associated with exceptional guitarists as Ozzy Osbourne. From his early collaborations with Tony Iommi to his work with Randy Rhoads, Brad Gillis, Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wylde, and others, Osbourne has consistently selected […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[76,75,78,77,74],"class_list":["post-23936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists","tag-guitar","tag-guitarmadridmagazine","tag-hardrock","tag-madrid","tag-ozzy-osbourne"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23936"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23936\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23940,"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23936\/revisions\/23940"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guitarmadrid.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Robert Sarzo (Considered in 1982)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Vito Bratta (Invited to Audition in 1982)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Adrian Vandenberg (Offered a Role in 1983)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Jimi Bell (Auditioned in 1987)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Marty Friedman (Auditioned in 1987)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Jennifer Batten (Submitted a Tape in 1987)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Chris Impellitteri (Invited to Audition in 1987)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Nuno Bettencourt (Offered a Role in 1995)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Richie Kotzen (Offered a Role in 1995)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Buckethead (Auditioned Around 2005)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Frank Sidoris (Auditioned Around 2017)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n