Hulk Hogan is one of the most celebrated professional wrestlers in the history of sports entertainment. With generations of Hulkamaniacs behind him, he took home 12 world heavyweight championship belts between two promotions: WCW and WWE. He stepped into the ring in front of millions of fans in arenas around the world. However, he would have walked away from wrestling in a heartbeat to play bass for Metallica or The Rolling Stones. He attempted to get into both bands.
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Before he was a wrestling superstar, Hogan was chasing his dreams as a musician. His time on stage helped him gain the confidence to step into the ring. However, he would have walked away from the sport that made him a household name to continue chasing his rockstar dream.
Hulk Hogan Tried to Play Bass for Metallica and the Rolling Stones
Hulk Hogan opened up about trying to join two of the biggest bands in the world in a 2014 interview with Vice.
Bassist Bill Wyman retired from The Rolling Stones in 1993. The next year, Darryl Jones joined the band. Hogan recalled being in the United Kingdom for an award show. He was presenting an award with Mick Jagger’s wife, Jerry Hall. Before they presented the award, he recalled hearing her talking to Jagger about finding a new bass player.
“She had already told me that her kids are big fans, and she wanted merchandise, so I was like, ‘All right, let’s reel her in.’ I was like, ‘Look, I used to play bass. I know all the Rolling Stones songs. Tell Mick if you guys need a bass player for The Rolling Stones, I swear to God I could show up. I could rehearse one day and play everything they play,’” he recalled. “I got home, sent her all the merchandise–never heard a word back.”
Jason Newsted exited Metallica in 2001, after 15 years with the band. As a result, they were looking for a new bassist, and Hogan saw another chance to live out his rock and roll dream.
“I heard Metallica needed a bass player, and brother, I was writing letters, made a tape of myself playing, and sent it to their management company,” Hogan recalled. “Kept making calls, trying to get through. I tried for two weeks and never heard a word back from them either,” he added.
The later years of his career would have looked much different if he had gotten one of those gigs. “I would have quit wrestling to play in The Rolling Stones or Metallica like that,” Hogan said, snapping his fingers.
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