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His long-time guitarist and companion Zakk Wylde reveals the last secrets of the “Prince of Darkness”. Ozzy Osbourne contacted guitarist Zakk Wylde just days after the final Black Sabbath concert in Birmingham in July – exactly 17 days before the musician died at the age of 76.
Wylde told the American online platform “NJ.com” in an interview. “He wrote to me: ‘Zakk, let’s make another record. I liked it so much when you were in your Allman Brothers and Skynyrd phase, on No More Tears.’ It was heavy, but melodic, not just dumpy heavy,'” Wylde remembers. “I just said, ‘Sure, Oz, whatever you want.'”
Looking back, the guitarist sees Osbourne’s death as a dignified conclusion: “We played the concert, he finished his book, the documentary was filmed – and then he just said: ‘I’m out.’ He got everything he wanted done.”
Last years and documentaries
The last years of Ozzy Osbourne’s life are currently being explored in two documentaries: “Ozzy: No Escape From Now” (on Paramount+) and “Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home” (on the BBC). In it, the rock veteran reflects on his final Sabbath performance in Birmingham – a show that he had to perform mostly sitting down: “It was damn frustrating because all I wanted to do was run across the stage. Kind of humiliating. On the other hand, it was also a great farewell.”
A final farewell
Wylde, who is currently on tour with the hard edges of Pantera, looks back on their last moments together with mixed feelings. The last contact was a text message from Osbourne: “Zakky, sorry, it was crazy backstage. Thanks for everything. I love you, buddy.”
A message that has become his farewell.
After Osbourne’s death, Pantera postponed several concerts to give Wylde and the crew time to mourn.