Why Vito Bratta Lost Ozzy Gig and Told Kiss to F— Themselves

Earlier than he soared to multiplatinum success in White Lion, guitarist Vito Bratta had alternatives to play with Kiss and Ozzy Osbourne — although each slipped by means of his fingers after various levels of deliberation.

The six-string virtuoso entered the Prince of Darkness’ orbit when Osbourne was touring with interim guitarist Brad Gillis (of Night time Ranger) and Bratta was gigging in a pre-White Lion cowl band, whose repertoire included an hour of Black Sabbath materials.

“Anyone despatched a cassette of me doing the Sabbath stuff to Ozzy’s individuals,” Bratta advised Guitar World. “After which – if I keep in mind proper, it was in all probability Sharon Osbourne, however I am unable to be 100% positive – known as me saying, ‘Hey, we like your tape, and we would like you to return all the way down to the Ritz to play.'” 

Why Vito Bratta By no means Obtained to Audition for Ozzy Osbourne

There was only one drawback: Bratta knew materials solely from Osbourne’s former band. “So, she tells me, ‘Have you learnt something from Ozzy’s two solo albums?’ I advised her, ‘No, I do not know something. I beloved Randy [Rhoads], however my cowl band solely performed Sabbath stuff.’ The reality was that I did love Randy’s stuff, however I did not have time to sit down at dwelling and be taught it. I by no means acquired round to it.”

READ MORE: The Day Brad Gillis Performed His First Live performance With Ozzy Osbourne

Bratta recalled Sharon’s voice “getting larger and better” as he defined himself. “So, I simply mentioned, ‘Look, I do not know Ozzy’s first two albums. Possibly this is not a good suggestion … .’ After which I advised her, ‘You need me to return down there quickly, however I am telling you, I do not know the stuff but. How lengthy do you suppose it is gonna take me to be taught the primary two albums?’ And she or he mentioned, ‘How lengthy do you want?’ I advised her, ‘Give me every week, and I will be prepared to return.’ After which she says, ‘OK, perhaps you are proper, it is not a good suggestion.’ And she or he hangs up, and I bang the cellphone down.”

So as to add insult to damage, Osbourne’s subsequent launch was the Gillis-assisted double dwell album Converse of the Satan, which comprised all Black Sabbath songs. “After which they had been enjoying that on tour – that is in all probability why they needed me,” Bratta mentioned. “However I did not know that. The funniest factor about it was that only some years later, there I used to be, standing subsequent to Sharon backstage whereas White Lion was on tour with Ozzy. We by no means spoke about it, however I feel she knew.”

Why Vito Bratta Turned Down Kiss

Bratta acquired nearer to filling the footwear of one other hotshot guitarist: Ace Frehley, who had just lately left Kiss. The face-painted rockers initially took an curiosity within the different guitarist in Bratta’s cowl band, who was named Ace and resembled Frehley in sound and look. However when Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley went to catch a gig in New York, Bratta stole the present with “a half-an-hour guitar solo proper in entrance of their faces.”

Suitably impressed, Stanley and Simmons advised Bratta he can be “excellent for Kiss” and requested if he would think about enjoying a Les Paul. Bratta mentioned he “simply could not image it, you realize? However I used to be perhaps keen to associate with it as a result of I had began with a Les Paul. After which, after asking me my identify, they mentioned, ‘Your identify is simply too ethnic. Would you ever think about altering it?’ And I simply mentioned, ‘Would you ever think about fucking your self?’ I used to be not going to vary my identify. I imply, severely, ‘Gene Simmons’ is not ethnic. Come on.”

READ MORE: 10 Underrated ’80s Laborious Rock Guitar Heroes

As soon as once more, Bratta crossed paths with Kiss when White Lion opened for them a number of years later. “And this time, I knew that Gene remembered the entire thing,” he mentioned. “I do know that as a result of whereas on tour with Kiss, we rolled in to play the Meadowlands, a hometown present. And after we acquired there, we had been advised, ‘You guys have the evening off; we’re getting Ted Nugent to open.'”

It was an odd selection, contemplating Nugent hadn’t had successful in years. “This wasn’t 1978; it was the guts of the MTV period, and this wasn’t a ‘Wango Tango’ crowd, so it made no sense,” Bratta mentioned. “I at all times suspected Gene had one thing to do with it as a result of he might try this, and I feel he would try this.”

What Occurred to Vito Bratta and White Lion? 

White Lion hit the large time with their 1987 sophomore album Delight, which earned a double-platinum certification and spawned the High 10 singles “Wait” and “When the Youngsters Cry.” Its successor, 1989’s Huge Sport, additionally went gold, however their fortunes plummeted with 1991’s Mane Attraction. The band broke up the next 12 months, and Bratta injured his wrist in 1997, making it troublesome for him to play guitar and inflicting him to remain largely out of the general public eye.

When requested if he would think about a White Lion reunion, Bratta beforehand advised Guitar World, “I could not ever, ever say no to that, as a result of it hurts not doing it. However a variety of issues must change round right here for me to have the ability to stroll out of the home.” Trying again at his profession, he mentioned, “I am simply blissful that I left all of it out on the sphere. Typically I actually really feel like I exceeded my capacity.”