Left: Ozzy Osbourne, Right: Eddie Van Halen
(Photo by Ilya S. Savenok, Jerod Harris – Getty Images)
If it wasn’t David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar fronting Van Halen, who would be your top choice? Joe Elliot? Joe Walsh? Vince Neil? Robert Plant? Axl Rose? How about Ozzy Osbourne? So many options, but all with very different styles, and it’s hard to say who would’ve been a good fit. One idea we now know was briefly considered was the Prince of Darkness himself, yes Ozzy.
Apparently, Eddie Van Halen once called Ozzy while intoxicated to ask him if he wanted to sing in Van Halen. Ozzy says, “He phoned me up one time and asked me if I wanted to sing in his band — way after Sammy [Hagar had exited the band]. I think he was a bit drunk,” and added, “We’ve all done one of them — calling at four o’clock in the morning…” We can only dream about what that version of the band would’ve sounded like.