Before becoming an actor, Johnny Depp aspired to be a rockstar. However, his poor musicianship prompted a music producer to call him the worst guitarist he’d ever seen.
Johnny Depp is an award-winning actor who is best known for his portrayal of Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Long before Johnny Depp became one of the world’s most famous movie stars, he had musical ambitions that were foiled by a recording producer who founded Guns N’ Roses.
It’s no secret that the Sweeney Todd star wanted to be a rock star as a child. Following his breakthrough as an actor, he has worked with musical artists such as Steven Tyler, Patti Smith, and Iggy Pop. He also established the Hollywood Vampires, a rock supergroup with Alice Cooper and Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, which performed in concerts over the years.
Before becoming an actor, Johnny Depp wanted to be a rock star. However, his poor musical abilities led a recording producer to declare him the worst guitarist he’d ever seen.
While Johnny Depp is now a well-known actor, as a boy he wished to be a rock star. When he was 12 years old, he began playing in bands, eventually joining The Kids and Rock City Angels.
If it hadn’t been for one music entrepreneur, Depp might have remained a failing musician and never considered acting
Tom Zutaut, the former Geffen Records executive who brought us Guns N’ Roses and Motley Crue, is responsible for Depp temporarily abandoning his musical ambitions in favor of acting as a youngster.
Zutaut told the anecdote on the X5 Podcast earlier this year, recounting Depp’s audition to be a musician as a teenager. The producer who signed two of history’s most successful heavy metal artists stated he was unimpressed with the actor’s audition and even went so far as to dub Depp the “worst guitarist” he had ever heard.
According to Zutaut, “I go to a rehearsal, the manager’s a friend of mine, and he goes, ‘I got this band from Jacksonville, they’re great,'” said Zutaut. “I went to see ’em and they were dreadful. Johnny Depp was the worst guitar player I’d ever seen.
Zutaut observed that, despite his less-than-desirable musical ability, Depp exuded magnetism and advised his management not to give up chasing the spotlight. Xuatut told Depp’s management, “This kid is a star, but the songs suck, and the musicianship is terrible.”
Several months later, Zutaut allegedly received a call from Johnny Depp’s manager informing him that he had landed a job at 21 Jump Street.