6 Legendary Guitarists Who Came Close to Joining The Rolling Stones
Photo by Jan Slob, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Rolling Stones have had some of the greatest guitarists in rock history pass through their orbit, but not all of them became official members. Over the years, several legendary players were invited to join—or at least audition—but circumstances, personalities, or personal ambitions kept them from stepping into the spotlight with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and the rest of the band. From early friends like Eric Clapton to later virtuosos like Nils Lofgren, these six guitarists came close to joining rock’s most enduring group, leaving fans to imagine how different the band could have sounded.
Eric Clapton: The First Call
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When Brian Jones was ousted from The Rolling Stones in 1969, Eric Clapton was one of the first guitarists Mick Jagger reached out to. The two were close friends, and Clapton had already contributed to the band’s sound, playing the solo on “Sympathy for the Devil” and slide guitar on a version of “Brown Sugar.” However, he turned the offer down, saying, “the pros and cons of being in a band like that were massively extreme.” At the time, Clapton was more interested in joining The Band, though Robbie Robertson quickly ended that idea.
Clapton also famously declined to join The Beatles. After George Harrison left in 1969, Lennon suggested, “If George doesn’t come back by Monday or Tuesday, we ask Eric Clapton to play.” Instead, Clapton focused on Derek & The Dominoes, producing hits like “Layla” and “I Shot The Sheriff.” Even when Mick Taylor left The Stones in 1974, Clapton waited for a call. Richards later said, “Eric wanted to jump in after Mick Taylor, but never did say so… Because you’re too damn good – and your own man.”
Jeff Beck: A Mismatched Fit
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After Taylor’s departure, The Stones invited several guitarists to jam during the Black and Blue sessions in 1974/75. Jeff Beck, known for The Yardbirds and Beck, Bogert & Appice, attended but felt musically incompatible. “I’d like to have been a Rolling Stone,” he admitted, but his jazz-influenced style didn’t match the band’s teamwork. Beck’s personal lifestyle, vegetarianism, and hot-rod racing interests also set him apart.
Keith Richards praised Beck’s talent: “He was a tremendous player… But (The Stones) are all about teamwork. We felt Jeff had his own furrow to plow and he was not a team man.” Beck later joined Jagger on his 1988 solo tour but never became an official Stone. Beck passed away in January 2023 at 78 from bacterial meningitis.
Rory Gallagher: The Midnight Call
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Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher, praised by Hendrix, Clapton, and Slash, was contacted at 1 a.m. by Ian Stewart. He raced to Holland to meet The Stones but left when Jagger and Richards were in the middle of a bust-up. “Please let me know what’s going on because I’ve got to be on a plane to Tokyo tomorrow,” Rory told Mick. The brief sessions ended, and Gallagher continued his solo career, selling 30 million albums before passing away at 47.
Steve Marriott: Talent and Trouble
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Steve Marriott of Small Faces and Humble Pie played backup for The Stones during the Satanic Majesties sessions. By the time they considered him, he was battling substance abuse and personal bitterness. Keith Richards liked him, but Jagger clashed with Marriott at auditions. Marriott died in a house fire in 1991 at 44.
Peter Frampton: Solo Ambitions
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Peter Frampton’s early connection with The Stones began in 1964 when Bill Wyman produced a single for The Preachers. During the mid-1970s auditions, Frampton’s name surfaced, but he wanted to maintain his solo career. A year later, Frampton Comes Alive made him a global star. “I would have joined (The Stones) but I would have wanted to be able to make my own solo records as well… But I probably would be dead by now,” he said.
Nils Lofgren: The Singing Problem
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Nils Lofgren impressed Richards and Jagger during a try-out in Geneva after Ron Wood introduced him. Though his guitar playing was praised, his singing failed to impress, and the band passed on him. Lofgren went on to a successful solo career and later joined Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.
