The ones who got away - specific musicians who wanted for existing act, but it didn't materialize

You can hear her on "The revenge of Vera Gemini" from "Agents of fortune". I like the song a lot

 

'Oh, my God - talk about a redirection': Micky Dolenz on his most interesting post-Monkees job offer | Something Else! Zappa wanted Micky Dolenz for the Mothers

 

Do you also not know that Mick also offered Chris Speeding the gig after Mick Taylor quit? But Spedding said, "I'll get back to you"!
And supposedly Nils Lofgren begged for an audition, as well.

 

More of a collaboration than joining a group. Ditto for Miles was interested in working with Prince several years after that too, but these examples are not really the same thing as this topic.

 

Rumors from late 80's that Johnny Marr was supposed to join Talking Heads (he did appear on some tracks for Naked album) and also Pretenders.

 

Clapton auditioned for The Band and was rejected.

That time Eric Clapton auditioned for — and was rejected by — the Band | CBC Radio

 

Eddie Van Halen apparently asked Cold Chisel’s Jimmy Barnes if he’d be interested in stepping in to the position left vacant by David Lee Roth’s departure.

 

Little Feat asked Robert Palmer & Bonnie Raitt to join the band after Lowell George's passing. They declined.

 

Colin Moulding reportedly offered the gig as Pink Floyd’s touring bassist after Roger Water’s departure. Not sure if it would’ve been a permanent arrangement but I think it worked out for the best.

 

Michael Schenker was considered as a replacement for Joe Perry in Aerosmith in 79.

 

Tom Scholz contacted Rik Emmett of Triumph in 1994 and offered him the lead vocalist's spot in BOSTON.

Emmett was interested........until he found out that Scholz only wanted to hire Emmett to sing on an upcoming tour. There would be no creative input involved. So, Emmett said "Thanks but no thanks."

 

Not quite - the story goes that Mike and Tony somehow got a hold of the then unreleased concert video of Kevin and his band doing a TLLDOB tribute set at IIRC the 1994 NEARFest festival, and contacted his management to find out if he was interested in auditioning for the job. Apparently Kevin never found out about the offer to audition, because he was found dead by his manager who had been trying in vain to contact him with the news.

 

I think Miles trying to get John McLaughlin in his touring band might qualify though?

 

Ron and Russell Mael asked Brian May to join Sparks in 1974, presumably before recruiting Trevor White.
The Maels felt that Queen had peaked commercially, and that May would be better off with them.
He politely declined. Asked a few years ago if he'd any regrets. "Not really, no..."

 

A little confused. McLaughlin recorded with Miles on BB and Jack Johnson. Like how Rick Wakeman had recorded with Bowie, and was then asked to join Spiders from Mars tour.

 

I believe Tony Levin (who played bass on AMLOR) was also offered the gig but turned it down due to being very in-demand for session work. Ahhh, the Chapman Stick...

 

In Ronnie Wood’s book he talks about Keith wanting Marriott.

Here's what Steve's second wife, Pam, said in the Marriott biography All Too Beautiful:

"Steve told me, 'I was good and stood at the back for a while, but then Keith would hit this lick and I just couldn't keep my mouth shut.' Keith wanted him in, but there was no way that once Steve opened his mouth Mick would have him in the band. He knew Steve would never stay in the background. They were the one band in the world that Steve would have loved to have been in. He just wanted to work with Keith."

 

According to Chris Charlesworth's Deep Purple book, Jon Lord almost became the 5th member of Bad Company after Purple's demise in 1976, but had second thoughts and took up David Coverdale's invitation to join Whitesnake instead.