# [EP 414] Rock’s Greatest “What Ifs”: The Decisions That Could Have Changed Everything with Mike Garam

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/booked-on-rock-3881248/ep-414-rock-s-greatest-what-ifs-the-decisions-that-could-have-changed-everything-with-mike-garam.md
Podcast: [Booked On Rock with Eric Senich](https://stenobird.com/podcast/booked-on-rock-3881248)
Published: 2026-09-16T18:58:06+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ep-414-rock-s-greatest-what-ifs-the-decisions-that-could-have-changed-everything-with-mike-garam--75156605
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/75156605/episode_414_mike_garam.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3257

## Resource

What if some of rock history’s biggest personnel decisions had gone the other way? What if Eric Clapton had joined The Beatles, Slash had landed the gig with Poison, Richie Sambora became a member of KISS, or Sammy Hagar never joined Van Halen? Author Mike Garam joins Booked On Rock to discuss Near Miss: Alternate Histories of Rock’s Greatest Personnel Decisions, a fascinating exploration of the auditions, offers, lineup changes, and near-misses that could have completely rewritten rock history. We explore alternate timelines involving The Beatles, Van Halen, Poison, KISS, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, and more. Could George Lynch have replaced Randy Rhoads in Ozzy’s band? What if David Coverdale had joined Black Sabbath? Could Rory Gallagher have become a Rolling Stone? And what might have happened if John Bonham or Bon Scott had lived? Along the way, Mike examines more than who might have joined which band. We follow the ripple effects—the albums that might never have existed, the songs that could have sounded completely different, the careers that might have taken another path, and why musical chemistry and personality can matter just as much as talent. It’s a trip through the crossroads of classic rock history where one decision could have changed everything. Purchase a copy of Near Miss: Alternate Histories Of Rock's Greatest Personnel Decisions Watch/Subscribe Backstage Pass: All Excess channel on YouTube ---------- 🎧 Listen/Watch Ad-Free on Patreon Support Booked On Rock and get every new episode completely commercial-free with the Backstage Pass. Join here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/BookedOnRock 🛒 Old Glory - Iconic music and sports fan merch 💰 Get 15% OFF | Promo Code: BOOKEDONROCK https://oldglory.com/dis…

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