The real reason Myles Kennedy said no to Velvet Revolver

Prior to Alter Bridge establishing its stable lineup and gaining momentum, Myles Kennedy temporarily withdrew from the music industry due to tinnitus becoming a significant health concern, as per MetalInjection. This health issue influenced one of the notable “what if” scenarios of the 2000s, which involved an audition opportunity with Velvet Revolver. In an interview with Metal Hammer, Kennedy revealed that declining this opportunity had notable repercussions.

It was very difficult to turn that opportunity down. Though my friends might have thought that I was crazy, I knew that I wasn’t mentally prepared, at least at that stage, to jump into something of that magnitude and do it justice.

The situation was quite challenging.

Very disturbing initially, especially mentally. The biggest concern was maintaining the hearing quality that I still had. Fortunately, since I’m very careful with how loud I listen to music, I’ve managed to keep it in check.

Subsequently, he transitioned to a different musical endeavor by joining Mark Tremonti in what became Alter Bridge, a move he deemed feasible. Alter Bridge debuted with the album “One Day Remains”, and later, the narrative shifted as Kennedy collaborated with Slash on his solo project and served as his touring vocalist.

Enough time had passed. There was a limited amount of music written at that point, but I could recognize from the beginning that this was potentially something that would be appropriate for my voice and songwriting approach.

Regarding Velvet Revolver, vocalist Scott Weiland was dismissed from the band in 2008, and the group never fully reunited thereafter. Following Weiland’s departure, Velvet Revolver experienced an extended and irregular period of searching for a new lead singer, characterized by intermittent activity.

Auditions during this period were sporadic and frequently disrupted by solo projects and hiatuses. Numerous prominent musicians, including Myles Kennedy, Chester Bennington, Lenny Kravitz, and Sebastian Bach, were rumored or confirmed to have been considered for the role.

In 2008, Franky Perez was briefly hired as the vocalist, but this arrangement was short-lived. Band members, especially Slash and Duff McKagan, consistently noted that no candidate had fully satisfied their expectations, hindering progress toward establishing a stable lineup.