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Artist News
Ramones bassist turned down invitation to join Metallica
By CMU Editorial | Published on Tuesday 4 October 2011
Former Ramones bassist CJ Ramone has revealed that he was asked to join Metallica after Jason Newsted left the band in 2001 but was forced to turn the offer down.
Ramone told The Great Southern Brainfart: “I was approached about joining Metallica not once but twice. When Jason first left the band they approached me. [Then] a while had gone by and they were having a hard time finding someone, so they approached me again. At the time my son had been diagnosed with autism and there was just no way I could leave him”.
He continued: “Johnny [Ramone] was actually the one who hooked me up with the audition because he was friends with [Metallica guitarist] Kirk Hammett. I talked to my son’s doctor and explained the opportunity and that I could bring my family out on the road and even hire a nurse. The doctor just told me that my son needed to wake up in the same place every day, he needs to have meals at the same time every day and he needs to go to school everyday and be around other kids. He said that anything other than that could be a detriment”.
Saying he was “honoured” to have been asked, he added: “I have no regrets. [But] it would’ve been great to play with Metallica after being in the Ramones. Jesus, that would be just like a too-perfect life”.
