Somehow surviving Ozzy Osbourne’s admittedly ridiculous audition process, Zakk Wylde joined the Prince of Darkness’ band as lead guitarist in 1987. Although he would go on to find success with his own band, Black Label Society, Wylde (born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt) never stayed away from Ozzy for long. Osbourne passed away on July 22, just 17 days after what was billed as the final live performance of his career. As the music world mourns, the iconic guitarist is sharing his last encounter with his longtime bandmate and friend.
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Zakk Wylde Recalls The Last Time He Saw Ozzy Osbourne
You simply cannot have an Ozzy Osbourne farewell concert without Zakk Wylde. The pair’s careers are forever intertwined, but beyond that, they formed a genuine bond.
“Ozzy is the godfather of our oldest son,” the “No More Tears” co-writer told Guitar World in a recent interview. “Whether I was playing with him or not, if Sharon called me and my wife up and said, ‘Guys, can you watch the house while we’re away on a business trip?’ I’d do it. It’s like, ‘If you need me to bring milk and eggs over, I’ll do it.’”
Wylde, 58, last saw Osbourne during the star-studded Back to the Beginning concert in Black Sabbath’s hometown of Birmingham, England. Wanting to give the 76-year-old his space, he never found an opportunity to speak with Ozzy backstage.
“Everybody and their mother were in the backstage dressing room and I just wanted to give him a break. I figured we’d see him later on — the next day or whatever. But no,” Wylde recalled. “The last text I got from Oz was saying, ‘Zakky, sorry, it was like a madhouse back there. I didn’t see you.’ He goes, ‘Thanks for everything.’ It was just us talking, saying, ‘I love you, buddy.’ That was it.”
“What An Incredible Life”
Like most of us, Zakk Wylde had no idea just how final Ozzy Osbourne’s final concert ever would become. Still, he has no regrets.
“I’m blessed and grateful, man,” the Pantera guitarist told Guitar World. “Anything other than that would be selfish.”
Additionally, as Wylde pointed out, the gig raised $190 million for various organizations, making it the highest-grossing charity show since George Harrison and Ravi Shankar‘s 1971 Concert for Bangladesh.
“That’s unbelievable. He helped a whole lot of people instead of making a profit,” Wylde said. “My God, what an incredible master. What an incredible life.”
Featured image by Mike Guastella/WireImage
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