According to Dave Mustaine, following the tragic death of Metallica bassist Cliff Burton in a 1986 tour bus accident, Megadeth's David Ellefson was on a list of potential replacements.
Troy Gregory (Prong), Les Claypool (Primus) and Joey Vera (Armored Saint) were among forty bassists considered for the gig, but ultimately Jason Newsted of Flotsam And Jetsam got the job.
"When Cliff died, there was a moment where Dave's name had come up, and I was a little concerned," Mustaine tells CBS. "I didn't want to lose my bassist and I certainly didn't want to have another reason to be upset. God knows I had my reasons, even though they weren't all real. A lot of them were caused by myself."
Megadeth Megadeth – Peace Sells
Rock in Rio – Lisboa, Portugal – May 30, 2010
See also:
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VIDEO: Metallica – Big 4 jam at Sonisphere UK
VIDEO: Metallica - pro-shot footage of Big 4 jam in Germany
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VIDEO: Big 4 - Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax jam at Sweden show
