Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Today I have a new show for ya all. Ya know, sometimes the music industry can seem more like a blood sport than an art form. For every legendary band forged in brotherhood, there's a back-alley betrayal that left someone burning in the wreckage. On today’s episode, we’re counting down the stories they don't put in the liner notes… tales of betrayal and backstabbing. We’re calling this one double-cross!, and we’re featuring one of rock's most iconic guitarists, Dave Mustaine, who couldn’t hold his liquor. So as he lay passed out drunk, his Metallica bandmates packed his bags and bought him a one-way bus ticket out of the band. By the time he sobered up, he’d been replaced. Plus, The Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan, who made his bandmates sit and watch him in the studio as he re-recorded all of their parts for their sophomore album. Also, one of rock's greatest icons, David Bowie, fired his band mid-concert, but made them play the rest of the show before sending them on their way. And finally, the female singer Martha Wash, who laid down a perfect vocal on a song, but later the song became a hit, and when she saw the music video, a fashion model was lip-syncing her voice and got all the credit for it! Let’s get into it.
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Executive Producer
Brandon Fugal
Honorary Producers
Holly Hammet, Remnarc, Kevin riley, Paul Moore II, CharleyAnne
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to the Professor of Rock Podcast
Apple: apple.co/445fVov
Spotify: spoti.fi/42JpfvU
Amazon: amzn.to/44b5D6m
iHeartRadio: bit.ly/444h8MO
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Patreon: bit.ly/ProfessorofRockVIPFan
Merch Store: professor-of-rock-lsn-shop.fourthwall.com
Instagram: bit.ly/Instagram_Professor_of_Rock
#classicrock #70smusic #vinylstory #70srock
Hey music Junkies Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. If you ever had a console to play Pong back in the day, you’ll dig this channel of deep musical nostalgia. Make sure to like, share, and comment to keep this channel alive, and unsubscribe and resubscribe to get me on your feed again. It’s time for a new show Double Cross the most ruthless music stories in history. Starting off this Double-Cross countdown at #6, I’ve got the early line-up of Metallica with a cold as ice HR move. From the beginning, Metallica had the talent. They had the hunger. But they also a problem, and his name was Dave Mustaine. Metallica came together in LA in 1981 after drummer Lars Ulrich placed an ad in The Recycler newspaper. In addition to Ulrich, the band’s early line-up consisted of singer-guitarist James Hetfield, bass player Ron McGoveny, and lead guitarist Dave Mustaine.
Cliff Burton later took over on bass in 1982. As for Mustaine, between 1981 and early 1983, the guitarist became a pillar of the young band, contributing heavily to their initial local buzz and shaping the riffs that would define Metallica’s debut Kill 'Em All.
However, as Metallica's profile grew and they traveled across the country to New York to record under Megaforce Records… relationships began to sour. While all members of the band drank heavily, Mustaine had a chemical dependency that transformed him into a destructive liability. Unlike Hetfield and Ulrich, who were disruptive but jovial drinkers, Mustaine became aggressive and prone to fits of rage when intoxicated. Said James, “Dave was incredibly talented, but he also had a huge problem with alcohol and drugs. When he got drunk, he became a completely different person—unstable, aggressive, and angry. It got to the point where it just wasn't workable anymore.”
Tensions repeatedly boiled over into physical violence… most famously during a rehearsal where Mustaine assaulted Hetfield after Hetfield kicked Mustaine's dog for scratching Ron McGovney’s car. On another occasion, a drunk Mustaine poured a can of beer into the pickups of McGovney's bass guitar, nearly electrocuting Ron when he plugged in. These escalating outbursts convinced the rest of the band that Dave had to go. But instead of sitting him down to talk it out, they set up an audition for his replacement. On April 1st, 1983 (April Fool's Day), Exodus guitarist Kirk Hammett picked up the phone to hear Metallica's manager, Mark Whitaker, inviting him to audition for the band. So while Kirk was making travel arrangements to New York, Mustaine was still showing up to rehearsals, playing gigs, and cracking beers with his bandmates. This went on for ten days. Lars later admitted that they just weren’t mature enough to face Dave directly. So they handled it with what he called “execution style.”
Today I have a new show for ya all. Ya know, sometimes the music industry can seem more like a blood sport than an art form. For every legendary band forged in brotherhood, there's a back-alley betrayal that left someone burning in the wreckage. On today’s episode, we’re counting down the stories they don't put in the liner notes… tales of betrayal and backstabbing. We’re calling this one double-cross!, and we’re featuring one of rock's most iconic guitarists, Dave Mustaine, who couldn’t hold his liquor. So as he lay passed out drunk, his Metallica bandmates packed his bags and bought him a one-way bus ticket out of the band. By the time he sobered up, he’d been replaced. Plus, The Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan, who made his bandmates sit and watch him in the studio as he re-recorded all of their parts for their sophomore album. Also, one of rock's greatest icons, David Bowie, fired his band mid-concert, but made them play the rest of the show before sending them on their way. And finally, the female singer Martha Wash, who laid down a perfect vocal on a song, but later the song became a hit, and when she saw the music video, a fashion model was lip-syncing her voice and got all the credit for it! Let’s get into it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive Producer
Brandon Fugal
Honorary Producers
Holly Hammet, Remnarc, Kevin riley, Paul Moore II, CharleyAnne
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to the Professor of Rock Podcast
Apple: apple.co/445fVov
Spotify: spoti.fi/42JpfvU
Amazon: amzn.to/44b5D6m
iHeartRadio: bit.ly/444h8MO
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patreon: bit.ly/ProfessorofRockVIPFan
Merch Store: professor-of-rock-lsn-shop.fourthwall.com
Instagram: bit.ly/Instagram_Professor_of_Rock
#classicrock #70smusic #vinylstory #70srock
Hey music Junkies Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. If you ever had a console to play Pong back in the day, you’ll dig this channel of deep musical nostalgia. Make sure to like, share, and comment to keep this channel alive, and unsubscribe and resubscribe to get me on your feed again. It’s time for a new show Double Cross the most ruthless music stories in history. Starting off this Double-Cross countdown at #6, I’ve got the early line-up of Metallica with a cold as ice HR move. From the beginning, Metallica had the talent. They had the hunger. But they also a problem, and his name was Dave Mustaine. Metallica came together in LA in 1981 after drummer Lars Ulrich placed an ad in The Recycler newspaper. In addition to Ulrich, the band’s early line-up consisted of singer-guitarist James Hetfield, bass player Ron McGoveny, and lead guitarist Dave Mustaine.
Cliff Burton later took over on bass in 1982. As for Mustaine, between 1981 and early 1983, the guitarist became a pillar of the young band, contributing heavily to their initial local buzz and shaping the riffs that would define Metallica’s debut Kill 'Em All.
However, as Metallica's profile grew and they traveled across the country to New York to record under Megaforce Records… relationships began to sour. While all members of the band drank heavily, Mustaine had a chemical dependency that transformed him into a destructive liability. Unlike Hetfield and Ulrich, who were disruptive but jovial drinkers, Mustaine became aggressive and prone to fits of rage when intoxicated. Said James, “Dave was incredibly talented, but he also had a huge problem with alcohol and drugs. When he got drunk, he became a completely different person—unstable, aggressive, and angry. It got to the point where it just wasn't workable anymore.”
Tensions repeatedly boiled over into physical violence… most famously during a rehearsal where Mustaine assaulted Hetfield after Hetfield kicked Mustaine's dog for scratching Ron McGovney’s car. On another occasion, a drunk Mustaine poured a can of beer into the pickups of McGovney's bass guitar, nearly electrocuting Ron when he plugged in. These escalating outbursts convinced the rest of the band that Dave had to go. But instead of sitting him down to talk it out, they set up an audition for his replacement. On April 1st, 1983 (April Fool's Day), Exodus guitarist Kirk Hammett picked up the phone to hear Metallica's manager, Mark Whitaker, inviting him to audition for the band. So while Kirk was making travel arrangements to New York, Mustaine was still showing up to rehearsals, playing gigs, and cracking beers with his bandmates. This went on for ten days. Lars later admitted that they just weren’t mature enough to face Dave directly. So they handled it with what he called “execution style.”
