Longtime Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde has delved into the side of The Prince of Darkness that fans are not privy to.
The rocker recently sat down with Kerrang! in promotion of his most recent album, Vertigo. The interview saw Wylde offer a little insight into the mythical world of what Ozzy Osbourne is like away from the public eye.
“Friends who’ve known Ozzy ever since he was eight years old have all said the same thing, that no matter how much money he’s had or how much fame he’s had, he’s always been the same as he was back in school,” he revealed.
“He takes the piss out of himself all the time. Even if you just sit around watching TV with him, you’ll be on the floor crying and laughing.
“It’s a miracle that any work ever gets done. He’s hysterical all the time. We get together, we jam and we go home.”
Zakk Wylde did not feature on Ozzy’s latest studio release, 2020’s comeback record Ordinary Man. When asked whether he see’s himself and Ozzy collaborating on any future projects, Wylde mused “If he wants to do it, without a doubt.”
He continued, “He’ll say, ’Zakk, if you have any riffs lying around, then let me hear them and we’ll take it from there.’ [When my daughter got married] Ozzy and his family were there. They remember the day she was born. It’s pretty crazy how time flies, man.”
Love Classic Rock?
Get the latest Classic Rock news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
Elsewhere in the interview, Wylde delved into his longterm friendship with Ozzy’s wife and manager, Sharon, whom he’s known since he was 19.
”I lovingly refer to her as Mom. She’s been like a mother figure to me since then. My life wouldn’t be what it is without them, that’s a fact,” he shared.
“I wouldn’t have Black Label and I wouldn’t have been able to do Pride and Glory or anything. Everything I have, I owe it to them. They took a 19-year-old kid and gave him the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Check out ‘The Wizard’ by Zakk Wylde:
