Steve Baltin of the Los Angeles Times spoke with guitarist Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society, Pantera, Pride And Glory) about the Prince Of Darkness, portions of the interview appear below.
Los Angeles Times: I was lucky to spend a lot of time with Ozzy, and there was no one like him. He was very open with me about his substance abuse. He told me Black Rain was the first album he made sober, and it terrified him. But, at the same time, he had this childlike wonder and loved life and his family so much. How did this inspire you to be around this?
Zakk Wylde: What always struck me was his fortitude to just keep going forward. The Sabbath thing, how upset he was when they broke up and they fired him, he was like, “What am I going to do now?” Even Ozzy said, “I guess I’ll get a job, the dream is over.” Then he gets a second shot at life with Randy [Rhoads]. And then Randy passes away. It’s like he’s up again, and then all of a sudden the rug gets pulled out from underneath him again. But to just keep plowing ahead, it’s unbelievable. I can’t tell you how many times onstage his voice would be banged up, and I’d be thinking at some point in the show he’s either going to go, “I can’t, we’re going to have to reschedule the show or cancel. I’m sorry guys but I can’t sing anymore.” And I’d be saying as many prayers as I can to the big guy to get him through it. And by the time we got to War Pigs, he crushed it. Like I said, I always feel like he was my hero for his toughness as well. Even down to the last show, he willed himself, like, “I’m going to do this show.” And he did it. He had that one thing alone, like, “We’re not going to quit.” And I told him, after the gig when I texted him, I was like, “Ozzy, you never quit, man. You did great.” So, yeah, without a doubt, man, it just is toughness alone.
Los Angeles Times: With that toughness, though, he also had the driest sense of humor.
Zakk Wylde: I remember we were down at rehearsals one day and then this guy comes walking in and I’m like, “Who’s that guy?” And we’re all like, “He has a briefcase with him.” Ozzy goes, “Oh, it’s a vocal coach.” And I go, “I guess, mom, meaning Sharon, just wants the best for you.” He goes, “Yeah, I suppose. It’s a little late in the game for a vocal coach, isn’t it?” [cracks up] Oh, my God. So hilarious, man. He always made fun of himself all the time. I always said it was a miracle any work ever got done just because we’d always be on the floor crying, laughing.
Los Angeles Times: What are the things you take away most from him?
Zakk Wylde: The toughness. If he was a fighter…no matter how lumped up he was, he would just continue. But he also had the biggest heart in the world. He hated seeing people being upset and things like that. So, yeah, he had a heart of gold. And all the best qualities you could ask for in somebody — super giving, had a heart of gold and just tough as nails. And to carry on without a doubt. Those are all redeeming qualities. They’re just awesome.
Los Angeles Times: For all his partying and all he saw, he kept that sense of wonder. Did you see that with him?
Zakk Wylde: Yeah, the partying was hilarious. Because when I joined the band, it was still beyond silly. But it never got in the way of shows, and he would never drink before the gigs. There’s only one time in Japan where we got beyond blasted above the berserker radar. And I remember the next day, he was like, “Zakk, you got any beers?” I remember that was on the train on the way to the gig. I hooked him up, but aside from that, we were actually in the bathroom. I remember he was just like, “I’ll meet you in the bathroom.” Because I was just like, “What, are you trying to get us both fired?” Sharon was there with Mr. Udo, and he goes, “I’ll meet you in the bathroom.” So, I end up going into the bathroom and actually I’m in one bathroom stall. He goes into the other bathroom. He’s like, “All right, Zakk. I’m ready and I toss over a Kirin beer. He downs it in one [makes gulping sounds], slides the can back over like, “All right, Zakk, have a good show.” Just hilarious, man, and I’m just thinking, “If people only knew what’s going on.” It’s like we were 14 years old trying to sneak it from your parents. But that was his gift to himself, like, “After we get done with the show, now I can have a cocktail.” But yeah, no matter how lumped up he got it never got in the way of gigs.
Los Angeles Times: It also seemed like he never got over the joy of playing live.
Zakk Wylde: No, totally, he loved doing gigs. All you’ve got to do is just see the pictures of him, he’s always smiling, he’s always happy. That’s where he wanted to be.
Los Angeles Times: He also seemed like the type who never took the crowds for granted or how excited people were to see him.
Zakk Wylde: Oh, totally, man. He loved it, though. That’s why, he was just like, “I’m going to do this gig.” I would text Sharon. And I would just say, “Hopefully the game plan is we do this show, Back to the Beginning. Then it goes over great. And then we just book a tour and then just have the chair, have the throne. So, it’s hydraulic. It goes over the audience, and it shoots out flames, bubbles. It does your taxes as well and does dishes and laundry.” But Sharon was cracking up too. I was like, “Man, I wonder if we’re going to do this gig” before it even happened because it was so far out, like a year. And then Oz was like, “Oh, man, my neck is still killing me. I can’t walk.” And I was just like, “Man, I wonder if this thing’s even going to get off the ground.” But he was just adamant about doing it.
Los Angeles Times: What did he say about Zakk Sabbath?
Zakk Wylde: Just before we did Back to the Beginning, Oz was like, “Zakk, who’s playing harmonica on the Wizard?” I go, “That’s me. I actually took lessons from the guy who wrote it and performed it on the album.” [Laughs] He didn’t even know what I was talking about. And then I sent them some pictures of, like, when I first joined the band with the poofy hair, like I guess we were on some covers of Hit Parader or one of these magazines, Power Metal or something. I go, “Here’s a picture of me with my harmonica teacher.” Oh, my God, friggin’ hilarious.
Los Angeles Times: What do you want people to remember about him?
Zakk Wylde: Like I said, he had a heart of gold, man. It was that he had all the best qualities you’d want in somebody; his heart of gold, and then you couple that with him just being hard as nails and tough, no quit ever.
Read more at the Los Angeles Times.