Audio By Carbonatix
Maybe getting rejected by Ozzy Osbourne isn’t such a bad thing after all. At least not for Gary Hoey. The veteran axman, who’s gearing up to release his 17th album, Utopia, on August 24, auditioned for the Prince of Darkness in the late ’80s but didn’t get the gig. Instead of letting that crush his musical dreams, Hoey moved on to forge his own musical career, snatching a hit with his cover of “Hocus Pocus” and dipping his toes in surf rock. Dick Dale even called Hoey his favorite modern guitarist, proving you don’t have to bite the heads off bats to be successful. Hoey has shorn his surfer-worthy long locks and transformed into a rocker with serious heartthrob potential — very impressive for a man days away from turning 50. He’s transitioned into a harder sound, too, with an emphasis on classic rock and heavy metal melodies — though he doesn’t shy away from playing a holiday tune or two, having released three volumes of Christmas music. The guy’s just everything a MILF could want, so don’t be surprised if a couple of bras end up on the Marquee stage by the end of his show.
