Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 recently joined an interview with The Eddie Trunk Podcast and remembered when he was a member of Whitesnake and Quiet Riot icon Rudy Sarzo‘s band. He told the story of how the bassist decided to take him to his new group, which was an excellent chance for him.
John 5 began playing guitar when he was seven years old after seeing Buck Owens and Roy Clark’s television show ‘Hee Haw,’ a television variety show including country music and humor. It made him realize his great interest and passion for music, which would change his whole life and career. Since then, he continued to learn and play guitar, and he moved to Los Angeles at the age of 17, which was the beginning of everything.
The famous guitarist was a session musician, but he could draw Rudy Sarzo’s attention with his exceptional performance with his first band, Alligator Soup. After meeting with Sarzo, he recruited John 5 to his band, Sun King, in the early ’90s, also featuring Keith St. John. He revealed that Sarzo and his wife came to see him play during his conversation. The performance was exciting and filled with chaos as the lead singer hit his head, but John 5 played his solo successfully.
According to John 5, Sarzo loved that unusual show, and they started to work together as a part of his new project. The guitarist admitted that he could meet with significant producers and musicians thanks to Sarzo. He highlighted that the iconic bassist was one of the few people that gave him a chance. Therefore, Sarzo has a great place and contribution to his prolific career as a musician.
In his interview, John 5 said:
“I’ll tell you a quick story. I was playing with a band, and Rudy was in Whitesnake. He was like, ‘I want to put up a band together.’ This promoter from Hollywood said, ‘There was a guitar player named John Lowery.’ He goes, ‘Okay, I’ll come and see it.’ There was like nobody there during the show except for Rudy Sarzo and his wife. So, I’m like, ‘Oh My God! Rudy Sarzo was here.’ I was freaking out.
We went out there, and the singer hit his head as he walked down the stairs. He hit his head, and all the blood was coming down from his face. The singer looked at his hand and said, ‘Guitar Solo.’ I just ripped a guitar solo, and Rudy Sarzo saw all part of the show. He was like, ‘This is the greatest show ever.’ So after that, he took me out to breakfast. We started working on a band. It was incredible, and I’ve met so many people. Rudy was one of the main people who introduced me to many people and gave me a shot.”
Consequently, following his first step to a professional career as a guitarist, John 5 worked with many iconic musicians such as Van Halen singer David Lee Roth, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, and collaborated with several artists, including Avril Lavigne, Rob Halford, Garbage, Meat Loaf, Scorpions, and Ozzy Osbourne over the years.
