In a recent chat with Guitar World, Tommy Shannon recalled the time The Rolling Stones’ offered him an audition to be their guitarist after Bill Wyman retired. When the interviewer asked if the rumors were true, Shannon said:
“Oh, yeah, that happened. I believe there were something like 17 bass players who auditioned, and I was one of them. I made it to the top three, but I obviously didn’t get the gig.”
Tommy also shared how the experience of auditioning went by adding:
“I went in, knew all the songs, and it felt great. I always loved The Rolling Stones, so that wasn’t an issue; I was very comfortable.”
When asked why he didn’t get the gig, Tommy replied:
“I’m not sure. But I did so well that I remember leaving and thinking, ‘I think I got this gig.’ But it wasn’t meant to be. I guess they liked Darryl Jones better. That was tough because after playing ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash,’ ‘Start Me Up,’ ‘Miss You,’ and some other songs, I really felt like I should have that gig. I still do.”
Even though Rolling Stones chose Darryl Jones over him, the guitarist still believes he would have been a better choice for the part. So he added:
“I still think I would have been the best choice for that band. But they disagreed.”
You can read Tommy Shannon’s interview with Guitar World here.