Ozzy’s Second Choice: The Jimi Bell Story

Jimi Bell

I was being judged.  That was understood.  I had put myself in this position with no expectations other than not to look like an idiot.  It was Guitar Center’s annual Guitarmageddon guitar competition.  I had never competed before and was scared to death.  The only judge I remember from that first year was Jimi Bell, sporting the prototypical heavy metal look: long black hair, black beard and mustache and a black leather jacket.  At the time, I had no idea who he was other than a local guitar hero.   I won the first round (top 6 of 30) and came in second in round two.  After the contest, Bell stopped to talk with me.  By this time, I had learned that he was in a movie with Joan Jett and had come very close to making Ozzy’s band: He was bigger than just a local hero.  Bell told me that I was his favorite player  in the competition, adding, “dude, you rocked!”  Validation!

The next year, I won rounds one and two and made it to the district finals in Boston.  I knew that Bell’s vote was a big part of the reason I made it that far.  He knew what it felt like to win, what it felt like to be judged and what it felt like to be validated.  He also knew what it felt like to come in second.

In 1987, Bell was an up-and-coming guitar phenom playing in local Connecticut bands like the now legendary Joined Forces (Joined Forces History).  The band had toured with Joan Jett (pictured with Bell below) and was featured in the Movie Light of Day with Jett and Michael J. Fox( Light of Day Jimi Bell Clip).

Jimi Bell with Joan Jett

At the time, Bell was endorsed by Kramer guitars (along with guitar Great Eddie Van Halen, pictured with Bell below).  Bell was the only Kramer endorsee without a major recording contract.  Kramer understood Bell’s talent and wanted him to get the exposure he deserved. Across the country, Heavy Metal God Ozzy Osbourne had begun an international search for the best guitar player to replace the departed Jake E. Lee who had served as Ozzy’s permanent replacement (1982-86) for Randy Rhodes following his untimely death.  Kramer heard about the auditions and sent a video of Bell to Ozzy’s wife, Sharon Osbourne.  Bell was thrilled to receive a call to fly out to Los Angeles for an audition.  He had a gig with his band the following weekend.  The audition was supposed to be a single day event so he figured he would be back in time for the gig.

Jimi Bell with Eddie Van Halen

Bell’s audition was scheduled with Ozzy’s bassist (Phil Soussan) and drummer (Randy Castillo).  Bell was one of nearly five hundred of the best young guitarists from around the United States called to audition.  While Sharon Osbourne didn’t usually attend the first round auditions, she was the one who had seen Bell’s video and wanted to see for herself if he was the real deal.  Bell’s playing made an immediate impression. He was asked to play with Ozzy himself the next day.  While he wasn’t nervous for the first audition, as he prepped for day two, Ozzy came into the room and introduced himself.  “My heart was racing at that point,” Bell recalls.  Feeling the pressure, he left for the audition.

Before his turn, Bell sat in the balcony with Sharon Osbourne and watched a Swedish guitar player (who’s name he couldn’t remember) audition with Ozzy.  “I felt like there was some weird stuff going on,” he recalls.  The Swedish player, clearly influenced by his famed countryman Yngwiee Malmsteen, changed the solo of his audition song, Ozzy’s classic “Flying High Again” by adding arpeggios.  According to Bell, “Ozzy went nuts and acted like he was going to physically attacked the guy behind his back while he was playing!”  Then, Ozzy did an about face and actually gave the guitarist a “thumbs up.”

At that point, Bell decided to play it safe for his audition and played the solo as it was originally recorded. Shortly after his audition, Bell was told that it was down to him and Zakk Wylde.  He was asked to stay in town for another day while they made their decision.  In the meantime, Ozzy and Sharon took him out to dinner and brought him to their house to meet their oldest daughter.  A day later, he was sent home only knowing that it had come down to two guitarists: Jimi Bell and Zakk Wylde.

The members of his band in Connecticut had found out about the audition by this time and, out of anger, had agreed to disband.  Now, with no band, all Bell could do was wait.

About a week later, Bell heard the news on the radio: Zakk Wylde was the new guitarist for Ozzy.  He was devastated.  “At that point, I felt like I had nothing.”  With no close relationship, no band and his dream squashed, he felt lost.   “I almost preferred to have not gotten that close. It might have been easier. It’s like Miss America. One goes home with the crown and all that goes with it and the other is just runner up.”

While he felt deflated, a few months later, Bell received a call that Geezer Butler , the bassist from Black Sabbath, was seeking a guitar player for his new project.  Sharon Osbourne had referred Bell to Geezer and he found himself on a plane headed for England.  They recorded some music and a video (Geezer Butler/Jimi Bell Video). With a renewed sense of hope, Bell flew back to the States.  Not long after, he received a phone call from Butler’s wife. The man representing Geezer Butler’s band at the record company was embezzling money.  The record company fired him and dropped all his accounts.  Bell was back to square one again.

Billy Sheehan

His video still circulating through the music industry, Bell was soon contacted by legendary bass player Billy Sheehan (of Steve Vai and David Lee Roth fame, pictured left).  Sheehan was putting together a new musical project and was seeking a guitar player.  He was up front with Bell in that there was another guitar player he was actively pursuing and, if that player accepted, they would take him.  Bell, however, was their clear second choice.  In the end, the other guitar player did accept.  His name was Paul Gilbert (from Racer X).  The band was Mr. Big who’s single “To Be With You” went to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart as well as in 14 other countries.

Despite the disappointments, Bell began to realize that every time one door closed, another would open.  This underlying shift in perception allowed him to adopt the belief that giving up on his dream of making music his life was simply not an option.

House of Lords

While Bell battled substance abuse problems throughout much of the 80’s, he is now several years clean. Battling cancer into remission a few years ago has added to an improved mindset and lifestyle. Bell is in a loving relationship and has a positive connection with his now grown daughter.  His career path has taken many turns.  Currently, Bell is playing with House of Lords, a band that originally formed under Gene Simmons’ record label in 1987.  Bell joined the band in 2005 and hasn’t looked back.  Last year, House of Lords released  their  ninth studio album, Precious Metal which received rave reviews in the heavy metal and progressive rock community.  Bell has toured Europe with House of Lords each year since 2005.  His band Maxx Explosion, an off-shoot of House of Lords, has been playing regularly in the United States.  As an aside, House of Lords will be playing at Maximum Capacity in Chicopee, Massachusetts on January 23rd and Bleachers in Bristol Connecticut on January 24th.  While Bell thought the House of Lords situation might be somewhat more lucrative, he’s thrilled to be making music as a living.  (House of Lords Video of New Song “Battle”)

At gigs, he is still asked about the Ozzy story.  Bell says “all these years, there were always people who didn’t believe me that it came down to me and Zakk.”.  Finally, in February 2014, an article in Guitar World documented Zakk’s process of getting into Ozzy’s band and states:

House of Lords

“In the end it came down to Wylde and one other candidate, a guitarist named Jimi Bell who had worked previously with Joan Jett (Bell would go on to play with Geezer Butler’s solo band and, more recently, design the Shredneck guitar practice tool).” Zakk Wylde Article

Validation!  Jimi acknowledges that he sometimes looks at Zakk and wonders how his own life might have been different if he had been chosen by Ozzy instead.  But, he also notes that “it would’ve changed my life, but, whether it would be for the better or worse I don’t know.  I’m not sure how I would have handled that situation at that time with all the drugs.”  Jimi recognizes that being rich and addicted can, and often does, have tragic consequences.  Zakk Wylde learned the hard way through his own alcohol issues.  Despite the “what if” thinking, Jimi looks back with positive feelings on his experience with Ozzy and has no regrets.

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Me and Jimi Bell, 2013

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