The bassist had to give up ownership of Megadeth "to maintain friendships."
Legendary bassist David Ellefson will release his second memoir this year. In More Life With Deth , he reveals why he didn't return to Megadeth in 2004. Ellefson wouldn't be an equal anymore, a co-founder and owner of the band. Fifteen years later, he remains a salaried employee.
“From the beginning, I was always an equal owner. When Dave [Mustaine] broke up the group in 2002, we left our businesses intact. When he returned in 2004, our disagreements were largely about the share of ownership in the group,” he explained.
“I’m not going to lie; going from being an owner and co-founder to just a supporting musician was initially the reason I didn’t come back in 2004. I wasn’t happy with the collaborations that were presented to me. Lately, looking back, I’ve been very happy making music with many other people in other situations that helped me fall in love with playing,” he said. “Now I can come back or get involved in musical situations and do it for a purpose and a certain level of payment. Being a supporting musician absolves you from being involved in all the other things. At this point in my life, I prefer to leave those things aside. As American Express says, ‘Association has its privileges,’ being a partner has its benefits. In my case, it helps maintain a friendship as well. To have a friendship, I had to give up some ownership.”.
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