- 5 months ago
They were so close to fame and fortune, but fate had other plans... Join us as we count down our picks for the musicians who exited famous bands just before they hit the big time! From founding members who were fired to talented players replaced by returning legends, these artists watched from the sidelines as their former bandmates achieved global stardom.
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00:00The famous line, Dave, you're out of the band, uh, you know, well, you know, when's my plane leave?
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:09And today, we're counting down our picks for musicians who, for one reason or another,
00:14left a famous band before they could make an impression.
00:17Maybe it's my karma, you know, it wasn't meant to be.
00:21Number 10. Danny Kerwin, Fleetwood Mac.
00:24Fleetwood Mac were a radically different band before they truly hit their stride in the mid
00:29to late 70s.
00:30She's got so much blues, the best we can do.
00:37For one thing, the groundbreaking duo of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks didn't join until
00:43late 1974.
00:44In its original form, the Peter Green-led group was a lot bluesier than they would later become.
00:49Their rhythm guitarist during the height of their late 60s and early 70s work was Danny
00:54Kerwin.
00:55He was hired due to his very evocative and emotional way of performing on the instruments,
01:05but interpersonal issues, mental health problems, and alcohol use disorder led to him getting
01:10the boots in 1972.
01:12Kerwin missed out on the band's golden period by a matter of years after suffering what was
01:17later described as a breakdown.
01:20Well, we've got the blues.
01:24Number 9.
01:25Latoya Luckett and Latavia Roberson.
01:28Destiny's Child.
01:29With a leading lady like Beyoncé, Destiny's Child were always bound to become something successful.
01:35Destiny's Child may not be a household name just yet, but displays like this one are popping
01:39up around the country and are just one more indication that the group's star power is on the rise.
01:45But what many people don't know is that the most famous lineup of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland,
01:50and Michelle Williams was not their first incarnation.
01:54In fact, Beyoncé was the only one who originally had a place in the group.
01:59She joined Latoya Luckett and Latavia Roberson in the first trio.
02:03A lot of people think that we just came from nowhere.
02:06They're like, y'all, new group, y'all came from nowhere.
02:08Um, but the truth of the matter is, it did take us four years to get a record deal.
02:13We've been together for six and a half years now.
02:16But just as they were on the cusp of fame, Luckett and Roberson were unceremoniously axed.
02:21In fact, they literally found out that they had been replaced when they saw the video for
02:26the song, Say My Name, on television.
02:28How's that for a cold way of doing business?
02:31Say my name, say my name, say my name is around you, baby, I love you, you want a name?
02:38Number 8.
02:39Glenn Matlock, The Sex Pistols.
02:42Glenn Matlock was probably the most technically proficient musician in The Sex Pistols.
02:47But he was missing one key ingredient that truly mattered in the band's quest.
02:59He simply wasn't punk enough.
03:01While Johnny Rotten, Steve Jones, and Paul Cooke embraced the image and style of the times,
03:06Matlock was seen as the odd one out.
03:09What about the accusation that you're more into chaos than anything else?
03:12Well, that's an accusation by people who really don't understand what kids want.
03:18So when manager Malcolm McLaren decided to draft in the iconic Sid Vicious to replace
03:22him on bass, it was a move made with one clear agenda in mind.
03:27The problem?
03:28Well, Vicious could barely play the bass.
03:30This led to guitarist Jones playing most of the parts on their debut album.
03:34It was too much too soon at a really young age.
03:38Matlock rejoined the band for several reunion tours after Vicious' untimely death at the
03:43age of 21.
03:45Number 7.
03:46Josh Klinghoffer, Red Hot Chili Peppers.
03:49Josh Klinghoffer was already a friend and a collaborator to John Fruscianti when he was
03:54hired to replace him in the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
03:57Really what happened is, you know, Josh rose to the top of that meditative search.
04:03In many ways, he was the perfect replacement, and though his work on the albums I'm With
04:08You and The Getaway didn't quite reach the band's earlier peaks, he was still warmly
04:13received by the fans.
04:15Got necessities, I'm part of my design.
04:20Klinghoffer spent ten years recording and touring with the Chili Peppers as a full band
04:24member.
04:25When legendary Fruscianti decided to rejoin the band in 2019, Klinghoffer was immediately
04:30dismissed.
04:31He insists that there were no hard feelings, but he still took the abrupt nature of his
04:36exit as a shock to the system.
04:38I was surprised when I heard, but then in the big picture.
04:44Number 6.
04:45Jason Everman, Nirvana and Soundgarden.
04:48Getting kicked out of one legendary band is bad, but to do it twice is another level
04:54of unfortunate.
04:55Being a professional rock musician was something I kind of fell into, it wasn't something that
05:01I had a dream of.
05:03By all accounts, Jason Everman was pretty difficult to work with.
05:07His antisocial behavior rubbed his bandmates in Nirvana the wrong way, leading them to fire
05:12him as soon as their tour concluded.
05:15Even upon joining Soundgarden, the exact same thing happened.
05:18At the end of the day, I wasn't getting along with Chris Atwell, the singer.
05:26And obviously, who's gonna go?
05:29Right, of course.
05:30It was me.
05:31Kurt Cobain famously described him as a moody metalhead, which is probably an accurate description.
05:37After getting dismissed from these two bands, he decided to join the US Army.
05:41From the edgiest of anti-establishment bands to finding himself on the opposite end of the
05:47spectrum.
05:48So the military seemed like more and more like a viable option.
05:53Number 5.
05:54Crystal Jones, TLC.
05:57In many ways, Crystal Jones was absolutely crucial in the creation of 90s R&B legends TLC.
06:04We auditioned for her, she felt it likened to us and just wanted to continue meeting up
06:09with us.
06:10She was the one who came up with the entire concept for the group, and discovered her bandmates,
06:14Lisa Left Eye Lopez and Tian Watkins.
06:17But just as the group were poised for success, she was kicked out.
06:22Depending on whom you believe, it was due to her subpar vocal ability.
06:25And I looked to Pebbles and I said, you know, can I take it home, let my mom take a look
06:29at it because I really don't understand what I'm reading.
06:33And she said, no, absolutely not.
06:35So I didn't sign it.
06:37Or more likely due to her refusing to get rushed into signing a contract by Perry Pebbles
06:41Reed.
06:42Either way, Jones had a watch from the sidelines as TLC catapulted to global fame, making millions
06:49on the back of a concept that she created.
06:56Number four, Doug Hopkins, Gin Blossoms.
07:00The Doug Hopkins story is undeniably one of the greatest musical tragedies of the 1990s.
07:07In 1987, Arizona songwriter Doug Hopkins formed the Gin Blossoms, a group that quickly developed
07:13a reputation for big pop hooks and copious cocktails.
07:17After founding the band Gin Blossoms, Hopkins spearheaded their songwriting on their debut
07:22and its follow-up, New Miserable Experience.
07:25The problem?
07:26Well, prior to their second album's release, Hopkins' drinking had become a major issue.
07:31It's really hard to watch someone you care about so much going so fast downhill, especially
07:38when he's your creative leader.
07:41And so the band were left with no choice but to fire him around the time of its release.
07:45The album went on to become a huge commercial success, leaving Hopkins miserable as he watched
07:51his bandmates enjoy the fruits of his labor.
07:54Unfortunately, it all became too much for him to take, and just one year later, he took
07:58his own life at the age of 32.
08:01I think he felt he had no way out.
08:03It was, you know, the most difficult, and saddest, and most shocking thing I've ever had to go
08:07through.
08:08Number 3.
08:10Brian Jones — The Rolling Stones
08:13The version of The Rolling Stones with Brian Jones had a different flavor from the
08:17one that followed it.
08:18Jones' experimental nature and prowess on multiple instruments helped the band stand
08:29out from its contemporaries.
08:32But like with so many rock stars of that time, substance use disorder was a serious problem
08:37for Jones.
08:38Fame doesn't sit very comfortably on anyone's shoulders.
08:45But some people's shoulders doesn't seem to sit on at all.
08:50And he was one of them, and I don't think it suited him.
08:53Unfortunately, in 1969, a myriad of personal and legal issues led to him leaving the band.
08:59Although he cited musical differences, the true root cause was likely far more complex.
09:06Jones would die just one month after his exit from the group, joining the infamous 27 Club.
09:12Brian went for it all the way, and once he was down that path, man, there was no stopping
09:16him.
09:17Number 2.
09:18Dave Mustaine — Metallica
09:20Dave Mustaine's exit from Metallica is one of the most famous rock and roll firings
09:25of all time.
09:26I watched people around the world say what a great guitar player Kirk is, and what a piece
09:32of shit I am, and that I got kicked out of Metallica.
09:36Even in their earliest days, Mustaine was already living the rock star life a little
09:42too heavily.
09:43As the band were trying to figure out their sound and direction, Mustaine's explosive
09:47behavior and substance use disorder were a problem.
09:51Despite his clear talent, the band were already past their breaking point.
09:55And so, one day, they woke up a hungover Mustaine and fired him, to add insult to injury.
10:06They then refused to book him a plane and instead sent him on a four-day-long bus ride to get
10:11home.
10:12Sure, he eventually went on to form Megadeth, but this metal legend never seemed to get
10:16over this abrupt dismissal.
10:19And am I happy to be a number two?
10:21No.
10:22Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:26Al Bryant, The Temptations, forced out of The Temptations due to alcohol and erratic behavior.
10:33Paul D'Anno, Iron Maiden, fired from Iron Maiden and replaced with Bruce Dickinson.
10:40Tracy Guns, Guns N' Roses, the guns in Guns N' Roses, who lasted only eight months in
10:53the band.
10:54It's great, you know, ever since the Salad of Jane video came out, you know, things have
10:58been pretty rough.
10:59Chad Channing, Nirvana.
11:01Creative differences led Nirvana to replace Chad Channing with Dave Grohl.
11:06I look back on it now and I think, wow, how did we ever do that?
11:10Henry Padovani, the police.
11:13The police guitarist who was booted after Andy Summers joined.
11:17You see Henry Padovani, the original guitarist and the police.
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11:391.
11:40Pete Best, The Beatles.
11:42No musician in music history gets talked about in terms of missing the boat quite like Pete
11:49Best.
11:50When the incident happened, you know, it just happened completely out of the blue.
11:55Yeah.
11:56There was no, you know, forewarning at all about it.
11:58As the drummer of The Beatles, he was adored by the band's loyal fans, but there was one major issue.
12:05His drumming was not quite up to scratch, and so the band made manager Brian Epstein fire him,
12:11which John Lennon later admitted was a cowardly move.
12:14Once the deed was done, they hired Ringo Starr.
12:18Help me get my feet back on the ground.
12:22Thankfully, Best went on to earn a massive payout in royalties thanks to the inclusion
12:27of some of his drumming on a later compilation release.
12:30Seems like fair compensation for him being branded as the guy who almost made it big with
12:35The Beatles, right?
12:36The fact that it wasn't part of them to become the icons, but the contribution and what we
12:41achieved in the two years I was with them was something I can look back with fond memories.
12:46Did we miss out on any poorly timed exits from famous bands?
12:50Let us know in the comments below.
12:52I was just sort of grateful for all these incredible experiences I've had with them for the last
12:5810 years.
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