‘I was living on 99-cent lollipops’: How Marty Friedman Landed His Megadeth Gig
In the late 1980s, guitar virtuoso Marty Friedman was so broke he could barely afford food while living in a run-down apartment building. But his life was about to change dramatically through a series of high-profile auditions.
His first big chance came when Ozzy Osbourne needed a new guitarist. Though Friedman played perfectly, the chemistry wasn’t right and Zakk Wylde got the job instead. Soon after, he considered auditioning for Madonna while also getting an opportunity with Megadeth.
Challenging
The Megadeth audition proved challenging, as Guitar World writes in an exclusive excerpt from Friedman’s new autobiography. The band kept asking him to learn more and more songs – eventually 13 in total.
“I couldn’t track down a used copy and eventually found a new one, but I didn’t have the $12.99 that it cost unless I went without eating for the day. My stomach incessantly grumbled as I tried to master the last few of the 13 or so songs that I prepared for the audition”, Friedman recalls.
Smart move
In a smart move, he hired a professional guitar technician for $65 – a huge sum for him at the time. The audition went well, and bassist David Ellefson soon delivered the news: “You got the gig. Oh and by the way, Dave told me to tell you that you played many of the wrong guitar parts.”
Despite this criticism, Ellefson reassured him: “Hey, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. You’re good. We can tell you know your shit.”
