Zakk Wylde, a close friend and collaborator of Ozzy Osbourne, is opening up about his final moments with the late metal icon.
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During a recent interview with Guitar World, the legendary rock singer’s longtime guitarist reflected on his final conversation with the Prince of Darkness, who passed away on July 22 at the age of 76.
Wylde, 58, revealed that the last time he heard from Osbourne was following Black Sabbath’s final performance, when he received a text from him.
“Everybody and their mother were in the backstage dressing room, and I just wanted to give him a break,” Wylde told the outlet.
Wylde thought he’d see Osbourne later or the next day, but he didn’t.
“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,” the Black Label Society musician told Guitar World.
Wylde said the show was “business as usual” but emphasized that the priority was “making sure that Oz was okay.”
“It was definitely pretty amazing. Seeing Oz onstage when Sabbath got done, that’s the last time I saw him,” he explained.
Zakk Wylde on his Bond with Osbourne: “Ozzy is the Godfather of Our Oldest Son’
Wylde, who was nearly 20 years Osbourne’s junior, also discussed his close bond with Osbourne.
“Ozzy is the godfather of our oldest son,” the guitarist explained to the outlet. “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 became a member of Black Sabbath in 1987 and collaborated with Osbourne intermittently throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. He later reunited with Osbourne for the iconic No More Tours II, which kicked off in 2018.
Alongside Black Sabbath’s final performance earlier this month, he also joined Ozzy Osbourne for his 2024 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.