‘He Had a Heart of Gold’

Though guitarist Zakk Wylde had shared his ideas on the passing of Ozzy Osbourne through social media, he hadn’t but commented publicly on the lack of his good friend, mentor and bandmate. That’s, till now, as Wylde not too long ago mirrored on Ozzy’s resilience, “coronary heart of gold” and far more throughout an interview with the Los Angeles Occasions.

Zakk Wylde’s First Public Statements About Ozzy

Throughout his chat with the publication (revealed on-line on Oct. 9), Wylde – who’d sporadically been in Ozzy’s band since 1987 and who carried out at Black Sabbath’s Again to the Starting closing present – began by wanting again on making 2007’s Black Rain. (It was Wylde’s first file with the Prince of Darkness since 2001’s Right down to Earth and his final till 2022’s Affected person Quantity 9. Plus, it was Ozzy’s first LP achieved sober.)

“What all the time struck me was his fortitude to only hold going ahead,” Wylde stated of Ozzy’s power within the face of hardships reminiscent of being fired from Black Sabbath and shedding Randy Rhoads. He continued:

Like I stated, I all the time really feel like he was my hero for his toughness as effectively. Even all the way down to the final present, he willed himself, like, “I’m going to do that present.” And he did it. He had that one factor alone, like, “We’re not going to give up.” And I informed him, after the gig after I texted him, I used to be like, “Ozzy, you by no means give up, man. You probably did nice.” So, yeah, unquestionably, man, it simply is toughness alone. . . . If he was a fighter, a boxer, irrespective of how lumped up he was, he would simply proceed.

In fact, Wylde recommended Ozzy’s self-deprecating humor, too: “Oh, my God. [He was] so hilarious, man. He all the time made enjoyable of himself on a regular basis. I all the time stated it was a miracle any work ever obtained achieved simply because we’d all the time be on the ground crying, laughing.”

Wylde additionally touched upon what’s arguably Ozzy’s most beloved and attribute private trait by explaining why he “had the most important coronary heart I the world”:

He hated seeing individuals being upset and issues like that. So, yeah, he had a coronary heart of gold. And all the most effective qualities you possibly can ask for in someone — tremendous giving, had a coronary heart of gold and simply powerful as nails. And to hold on unquestionably. These are all redeeming qualities. They’re simply superior.

When requested about Ozzy’s “sense of surprise” at the side of his well-known proclivity for partying, Wylde was equally blunt and endearing. “[W]hen I joined the band, it was nonetheless past foolish. Nevertheless it by no means obtained in the best way of exhibits, and he would by no means drink earlier than the gigs,” he clarified, including:

There’s just one time in Japan the place we obtained past blasted above the berserker radar. And I keep in mind the following day, he was like, “Zakk, you bought any beers?” I do not forget that was on the prepare on the best way to the gig. I hooked him up, however apart from that, we had been really within the lavatory. I keep in mind he was similar to, “I’ll meet you within the lavatory.” As a result of I used to be similar to, “What, are you attempting to get us each fired?”

So, I find yourself going into the lavatory and truly I’m in a single lavatory stall. He goes into the opposite lavatory. He’s like, “All proper, Zakk. I’m prepared and I toss over a Kirin beer. He downs it in a single [makes gulping sounds], slides the can again over like, “All proper, Zakk, have an excellent present.” Simply hilarious, man, and I’m simply pondering, “If individuals solely knew what’s occurring.” It’s like we had been 14 years outdated attempting to sneak it out of your dad and mom. However that was his reward to himself, like, “After we get achieved with the present, now I can have a cocktail.” However yeah, irrespective of how lumped up he obtained it by no means obtained in the best way of gigs.

In reality, Wylde remembered how Ozzy “liked doing gigs” as a result of being on stage was “the place he needed to be” (which is why he’s “all the time smiling” and “all the time comfortable” in footage).

Trying about on the Again to the Starting present, Wylde defined that Ozzy was decided to do it regardless of his medical points. “I’d textual content Sharon [Osbourne]. And I’d simply say, ‘Hopefully the sport plan is we do that present, Again to the Starting. Then it goes over nice. After which we simply guide a tour after which simply have the chair, have the throne. So, it’s hydraulic,” he informed the Los Angeles Occasions.

He elaborated:

I used to be like, “Man, I ponder if we’re going to do that gig” earlier than it even occurred as a result of it was to this point out, like a yr. After which Oz was like, “Oh, man, my neck remains to be killing me. I can’t stroll.” And I used to be similar to, “Man, I ponder if this factor’s even going to get off the bottom.” However he was simply adamant about doing it.

On a extra somber observe, Wylde then mentioned whether or not Ozzy and Sharon knew Again to the Starting would really be Ozzy’s closing skilled endeavor:

No, I don’t assume so. The way in which I all the time felt, all of the issues that I’ve gone via with them, it was all the time — if it was a setback or something like that — it was extra of a velocity bump and it was similar to, “All proper, we’ll repair the flat tire on the truck after which we’ll simply hold shifting.” So, I believe it was extra like that, as a result of I knew he nonetheless needed to make information and issues like that. However I used to be simply pondering, “Who is aware of, man, hopefully if this factor goes over effectively, then we would be capable of do another exhibits or do choose exhibits all year long.” Like these Ozzfest-type issues, simply so Oz can nonetheless hold doing gigs, however perhaps not touring within the capability of doing 4 exhibits per week or no matter.

Wylde additionally admitted that Ozzy type of felt invincible to him:

Even after we had been doing [Back to the Beginning], I didn’t go, “Oh, that is the final time I’m ever going to play ‘Mama, I’m Coming Dwelling’ with him or ‘Loopy Prepare’ with him or something. . . . You by no means assume it’s your final Tremendous Bowl; you’re enjoying and also you’re enjoying to win. So, yeah, I didn’t give it some thought, and like I stated, I’ve all the time been optimistic. I’d all the time inform him, irrespective of how bummed he obtained, “Simply hold doing remedy and hold doing every part you’ve obtained to do as a result of what’s the choice? Then you definately simply give up within the nook, and also you whine about it. Or you possibly can do one thing about it, with remedy and hitting the weights and doing every part you bought to do.” . . . I didn’t assume after we did the present, two weeks from now, he was gonna be gone. I wasn’t pondering that in any respect.

Finally, Wylde concluded, he hopes individuals do not forget that Ozzy “had a coronary heart of maintain, man,” including: “It was that he had all the most effective qualities you’d need in someone; his coronary heart of gold, and then you definitely couple that with him simply being onerous as nails and hard, no give up ever.”

READ MORE: 10 Issues We Realized From Ozzy Osbourne’s New ‘Final Rites’ Ebook

Wylde’s Prior Remarks About Ozzy’s Life + Legacy

On the day Ozzy died (July 22, 2025), Wylde paid tribute to him through social media, sharing a video clip of the 2 performing collectively in 2010. Alongside it, Wylde wrote:

THANK YOU FOR BLESSING THE WORLD w/YOUR KINDNESS & GREATNESS OZ – YOU BROUGHT LIGHT INTO SO MANY LIVES & MADE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE – YOU LIVED w/THE HEART OF A LION – I THANK THE GOOD LORD EVERY DAY FOR BLESSING MY LIFE w/YOU IN IT –
I LOVE YOU OZ
BEYOND FOREVER
ZAKK
XOXO

Per week later (on July 29), Loudwire reported on Wylde revealing Ozzy’s closing textual content message to him (throughout the Again to the Starting present):

All people and their mom had been within the backstage dressing room and I simply needed to provide him a break. I figured we’d see him afterward – the following day or no matter. However no. The final textual content I obtained from Oz was saying, ‘Zakky, sorry, it was like a madhouse again there. I didn’t see you.’ He goes, ‘Thanks for every part.’ It was simply us speaking, saying, ‘I like you, buddy.’ That was it.”

Different Ozzy Information

It looks as if there’s new information about Ozzy not less than a number of instances per week (which actually isn’t a nasty factor).

Earlier this month, for instance, an excerpt from Ozzy’s new memoir – Final Rites – exhibits him considering why “the most effective drug [he] ever took” and “the most effective medication [he’d] had since all [his] medical shit began again in 2019” was the adulation he acquired throughout Again to the Starting:

[A]s quickly because the curtain went up I forgot about my nerves. Instantly I used to be searching over 42,000 faces, with one other 5.8 million watching on-line. That was when the emotion actually hit me. I’d by no means actually taken it on board that so many individuals preferred me – and even knew who I used to be.

I choked up after I began ‘Mama, I’m Coming Dwelling.’ I imply, it’s Sharon’s music, y’know? Considered one of her favourites. Lemmy [Kilmister] wrote it with the 2 of us in thoughts. However the feeling I had was about greater than that. It was my final hurrah. I’d made it to the stage after six traumatic years, after shedding the power to stroll or do something by myself. It was simply the entire thing, all of it coming collectively. There was a lot love in that stadium, coming at me in waves… The gang observed I used to be struggling and so they began singing again the phrases. I’ve been so fortunate to have had so many fantastic followers. God bless you all.

What I’ve realized is that the one place the place I’m freed from all my demons is on a stage… I spent my entire life attempting to get excessive from each substance identified to man. … I used to be simply attempting to get again the sensation of after I was up there onstage, doing my job. The packed area; The thump of the bass drum you may really feel in your abdomen. Forty or fifty thousand voices singing again your phrases. All alongside, that’s what I used to be chasing. It was the most effective drug I ever took.

Final Rites additionally reveals Sharon Osbourne’s backup plan in case Ozzy couldn’t sing at Again to the Starting: “Finally Sharon stated, ‘Look, there’ll be no backup plan. No video. No prerecorded something. Should you can’t sing on the night time, simply discuss to the group and thank them. All it is advisable to do is rise up there and be Ozzy.’”

There’s loads extra to find in Final Rites, too, which is why it is best to take a look at our characteristic on 10 [other] issues we discovered from it!