10 Musicians Who Almost Joined The Wrong Band

By the time Kurt Cobain took his own life in April of 1994, Dave Grohl did not want to be a part of the music business anymore. In an attempt to run away from his pain, Grohl traveled through Greece only to find grim reminders all around him.

After returning to the States, he started cutting demos when he got a call from Tom Petty asking if he could play drums with the Heartbreakers on Saturday Night Live. The shows went off so well that Petty offered Grohl the job of permanent drummer if he wanted it. Though everyone was in good spirits, keyboardist Benmont Tench listened to the demos Grohl had been carrying with him and encouraged him to pursue that sound.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Grohl finished his demo tape and had to make the decision of playing drums for a legend or create a new project from the ground up. Throwing caution to the wind, Grohl called up Petty, politely declined his invitation, and went on to produce what would become the Foo Fighters' debut album. While being the power behind Nirvana and the heart of the Foos, it doesn't hurt for Grohl to have the title of Honorary Heartbreaker.