‘He Had a Coronary 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 lately mirrored on Ozzy’s resilience, “coronary heart of gold” and rather more throughout an interview with the Los Angeles Occasions.

Zakk Wylde’s First Public Statements About Ozzy

Throughout his chat with the publication (printed 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 last present – began by trying again on making 2007’s Black Rain. (It was Wylde’s first report with the Prince of Darkness since 2001’s All the way down to Earth and his final till 2022’s Affected person Quantity 9. Plus, it was Ozzy’s first LP executed sober.)

“What at all times struck me was his fortitude to simply preserve going ahead,” Wylde stated of Ozzy’s energy within the face of hardships similar to being fired from Black Sabbath and dropping Randy Rhoads. He continued:

Like I stated, I at all times 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 stop.” And I instructed him, after the gig after I texted him, I used to be like, “Ozzy, you by no means stop, man. You probably did nice.” So, yeah, undoubtedly, man, it simply is toughness alone. . . . If he was a fighter, a boxer, regardless of how lumped up he was, he would simply proceed.

After all, Wylde counseled Ozzy’s self-deprecating humor, too: “Oh, my God. [He was] so hilarious, man. He at all times made enjoyable of himself on a regular basis. I at all times stated it was a miracle any work ever bought executed simply because we’d at all times 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 largest 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 perfect qualities you possibly can ask for in any individual — tremendous giving, had a coronary heart of gold and simply powerful as nails. And to hold on undoubtedly. These are all redeeming qualities. They’re simply superior.

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

There’s just one time in Japan the place we bought past blasted above the berserker radar. And I keep in mind the subsequent day, he was like, “Zakk, you bought any beers?” I keep in mind that was on the prepare on the best way to the gig. I hooked him up, however other than that, we had been really within the rest room. I keep in mind he was identical to, “I’ll meet you within the rest room.” As a result of I used to be identical to, “What, are you making an attempt to get us each fired?”

So, I find yourself going into the lavatory and truly I’m in a single rest room stall. He goes into the opposite rest room. 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 a great present.” Simply hilarious, man, and I’m simply pondering, “If individuals solely knew what’s occurring.” It’s like we had been 14 years previous making an attempt to sneak it out of your mother and father. However that was his reward to himself, like, “After we get executed with the present, now I can have a cocktail.” However yeah, regardless of how lumped up he bought it by no means bought in the best way of gigs.

In actual fact, Wylde remembered how Ozzy “cherished doing gigs” as a result of being on stage was “the place he wished to be” (which is why he’s “at all times smiling” and “at all times joyful” in photos).

Wanting 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 instructed the Los Angeles Occasions.

He elaborated:

I used to be like, “Man, I’m wondering if we’re going to do that gig” earlier than it even occurred as a result of it was up to now out, like a 12 months. After which Oz was like, “Oh, man, my neck remains to be killing me. I can’t stroll.” And I used to be identical to, “Man, I’m wondering if this factor’s even going to get off the bottom.” However he was simply adamant about doing it.

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

No, I don’t suppose so. The best way I at all times felt, all of the issues that I’ve gone via with them, it was at all times — if it was a setback or something like that — it was extra of a velocity bump and it was identical to, “All proper, we’ll repair the flat tire on the truck after which we’ll simply preserve transferring.” So, I feel it was extra like that, as a result of I knew he nonetheless wished to make data 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’d have the ability to do another reveals or do choose reveals all year long.” Like these Ozzfest-type issues, simply so Oz can nonetheless preserve doing gigs, however perhaps not touring within the capability of doing 4 reveals every week or no matter.

Wylde additionally admitted that Ozzy form 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 Residence’ with him or ‘Loopy Practice’ with him or something. . . . You by no means suppose it’s your final Tremendous Bowl; you’re taking part in and also you’re taking part in to win. So, yeah, I didn’t give it some thought, and like I stated, I’ve at all times been optimistic. I’d at all times inform him, regardless of how bummed he bought, “Simply preserve doing remedy and preserve doing every little thing you’ve bought to do as a result of what’s the choice? Then you definately simply stop 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 little thing you bought to do.” . . . I didn’t suppose after we did the present, two weeks from now, he was gonna be gone. I wasn’t pondering that in any respect.

In the end, Wylde concluded, he hopes individuals keep in mind that Ozzy “had a coronary heart of maintain, man,” including: “It was that he had all the perfect qualities you’d need in any individual; his coronary heart of gold, and then you definately couple that with him simply being laborious as nails and difficult, no stop ever.”

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

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 last textual content message to him (throughout the Again to the Starting present):

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

Different Ozzy Information

It looks like there’s new information about Ozzy not less than just a few instances every week (which definitely isn’t a nasty factor).

Earlier this month, for instance, an excerpt from Ozzy’s new memoir – Final Rites – reveals him considering why “the perfect drug [he] ever took” and “the perfect drugs [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. Abruptly 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 favored me – and even knew who I used to be.

I choked up after I began ‘Mama, I’m Coming Residence.’ I imply, it’s Sharon’s music, y’know? One among 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 dropping the power to stroll or do something alone. 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 seen I used to be struggling they usually began singing again the phrases. I’ve been so fortunate to have had so many great 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 complete life making an attempt to get excessive from each substance recognized to man. … I used to be simply making an attempt 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’ll be able to 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 perfect drug I ever took.

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

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