In a new interview with This Day In Metal, David Ellefson was asked if he envisions a day when bands like MEGADETH and SLAYER will finally get inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The former MEGADETH bassist responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Here’s the funny thing: out of all the people, I’m probably most supportive of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. And here’s why: because I’m already in it. And here’s how — and it’s not because I walked in and got inducted.
“In the late ’90s, we did a big auction on [MEGADETH‘s official web site] Megadeth.com and we sold off a ton of gear that we had at our storage unit here in Arizona, when the band was based here at that time,” he continued. “And a fan bought pretty much a bunch of my Jackson basses that I had from the early days, they bought some B.C. Riches. The B.C. Rich bass I used in the ‘Peace Sells’ video that’s got the Mockingbird and that’s got the fighter jet on it, a fan bought it. Actually, I think Dave McRobb, who runs the social media or the fan club of MEGADETH, I think he might have bought it and he sold it to this guy, and I think that’s how it went. He sold it to this fan. And the fan, rather than doing the douchey thing of just putting it on eBay and trying to make a bunch of money from it, he put it on consignment at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and it was the first piece of heavy metal memorabilia — period — in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Then they put Dimebag‘s [late PANTERA guitarist Darrell Abbott] guitar. And now there’s kind of a little heavy metal exhibit there. But it started with my bass. So, honestly, I’m already there. So I’m good. [Laughs] And, obviously, it represents MEGADETH. And so by way of this fan being cool, he sort of snuck MEGADETH in under the wire, which I thought was actually pretty cool.”
More than four years ago, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine also said that he was already in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Mustaine, who was a member of METALLICA for less than two years, from 1981 to 1983, before being dismissed and replaced by Kirk Hammett, was not inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with the band during the April 2009 ceremony at Cleveland, Ohio’s Public Auditorium. But Mustaine insisted he had already gotten the nod because he is credited on the first two METALLICA albums and co-wrote half a dozen or so songs with the band which, inarguably, helped launch their career.
“I’m in there,” he told The Richmond Register in a July 2017 interview. “Anyone who thinks that METALLICA is in there and Dave Mustaine is not has got a short between their headphones. I’m there. As far as being there and standing on my own two feet and going into the head, taking a piss and saying that I own the house, no, not yet. But I’m sure at some point if it is meant to be, it will happen. I’m patient.”
METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich explained to The Plain Dealer that Mustaine was not included into the Rock Hall along with his former bandmates because “you’ve got to kind of cap it somewhere. Dave Mustaine never played on any METALLICA records. No disrespect to him. But there [were] half a dozen other people that were in the lineup in the early days. We thought… the fair thing to do would be to include anybody that played on a METALLICA record.” He added: “Dave Mustaine was in the band for eleven months, predominantly in 1982… I’m not trying to play it down. I have nothing but respect and admiration for his accomplishments since.”
Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH earlier this year after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.
In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Mustaine, alleging the frontman shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.
Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band’s inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.
