During a new interview with Rolling Stone to promote his forthcoming memoir, Brothers, Alex Van Halen disclosed that both Ozzy Osbourne and Chris Cornell were once considered as possible replacement frontmen for Van Halen. Osbourne was approached to potentially lead the band in 2001, following the end of Gary Cherone’s run in 1999. Alex revealed that he and his brother Eddie discussed a possible Ozzy-fronted Van Halen album with Sharon Osbourne, but the launch of MTV’s The Osbournes reality show dashed those plans.
“Yes, we were discussing it,” Ozzy confirms. “It is something that if it had come to fruition, would have been phenomenal. Eddie and Alex were great friends of mine for a very long time and it’s a regret of mine that we never got it together.” Alex also recalled a jam session involving himself, Eddie, and Cornell shortly before the Soundgarden singer’s tragic death in 2017, when they briefly considered him for the Van Halen frontman role. (Consequence of Sound)
