Did You Know That After Nirvana, Dave Grohl Got a Job Offer From This Rock Legend?

After the tragic death of Kurt Cobain, Nirvana officially broke up in 1994, leaving Dave Grohl both devastated and out of work. For a multitude of different reasons, finding your next gig in light of these circumstances has to be incredibly difficult, and Dave Grohl seemingly thought so as well. At the time, Nirvana was one of the biggest bands in the world; thus, Grohl was one of the biggest drummers in the world. So, there was certainly a lot of opportunity for the drummer, including an opportunity given to him by none other than Tom Petty.

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Months after Cobain’s death, in November of that year, Dave Grohl appeared on Saturday Night Live with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. To the general public, this was seemingly a one-time thing. However, Tom Petty privately told Grohl that it didn’t have to be and that he could join the band as their drummer. Though, as we know, Grohl respectfully denied the offer. Here is why.

Why Dave Grohl Decided to Chart His Own Path

Recalling how the offer to join the band arose, Dave Grohl told Howard Stern on the Howard Stern Show, “We played SNL, and afterwards, he basically was like, ‘Man, that was good, and it’d be a shame if that’s the only time we do it.’” Following the show, a more in-depth discussion transpired, but Grohl wasn’t sold on the idea for personal reasons.

Concerning his rejection, Grohl stated, “I had just started doing this thing, and I just felt weird going just going right back to the drums because it would have just reminded me of being in Nirvana. It just would’ve been sad for me personally. It would’ve been an emotional thing to be behind the drumset every night and not have Kurt [Cobain] there, so I was like, ‘Nah, f— it. I’m gonna try this other thing,’” added Dave Grohl.

That “other thing” was the Foo Fighters. Grohl recorded the iconic self-titled debut album the month before the SNL performance and eventually released it in 1995. This might be a futile fact, but if Grohl agreed to Petty’s offer, then, well, the Foo Fighters would seemingly cease to exist in their current capacity. So, would you have rather seen Dave Grohl working the sticks for Tom Petty? Or did he make the right decision?

Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage for Manning, Selvage and Lee