Few bonds in rock music rivaled the brotherhood between Ozzy Osbourne and his longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde.
After the Prince of Darkness’s demise on July 22 at age 76, Wylde has now opened up about their final dialog, sharing an emotional textual content message that provides each closure and a gut-punch reminder of Ozzy’s enduring legacy.
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The Remaining Textual content That Stated It All
Chatting with Guitar World, Wylde recalled the final time he heard from Ozzy Osbourne following Black Sabbath’s closing efficiency at England’s Villa Park on July 5.
“The final textual content I bought from Oz was saying, ‘Zakky, sorry, it was like a madhouse again there. I didn’t see you.’ He goes, ‘Thanks for all the pieces.’ It was simply us speaking, saying, ‘I really like you, buddy.’ That was it,” Wylde revealed.
Though the backstage was chaotic, Wylde thought he would get one other probability to attach. Nonetheless, that chance by no means got here.
“Everyone and their mom have been within the backstage dressing room, and I simply needed to provide him a break,” he defined. “I figured I’d see him afterward, however that didn’t occur.”
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Wylde described the present as “enterprise as normal,” however emphasised the main target was at all times “ensuring that Oz was okay.”
He added, “It was undoubtedly fairly superb. Seeing Oz onstage when Sabbath bought executed, that’s the final time I noticed him.”
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A Bond Past The Stage

For Wylde, his reference to Ozzy Osbourne was by no means simply skilled; it was household.
“Ozzy is the godfather of our oldest son,” he shared. “Whether or not I used to be taking part in with him or not, if Sharon known as me and my spouse up and mentioned, ‘Guys, are you able to watch the home whereas we’re away on a enterprise journey?’ I’d do it. It’s like, ‘When you want me to carry milk and eggs over, I’ll do it.’”
That deep private loyalty outlined their decades-long friendship, even through the years when Wylde wasn’t a part of the band.
Wylde first joined Black Sabbath in 1987 and remained one in every of Ozzy’s closest collaborators, working with him all through the ’90s and early 2000s.
He returned for the No Extra Excursions II run, which started in 2018, and was by Ozzy’s aspect throughout his Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame induction in 2024.
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Reflecting on these moments, Wylde expressed gratitude for being a part of the experience and for witnessing Ozzy’s highly effective presence till the very finish.
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Sharon Breaks Down As Household Honors Ozzy Osbourne In Birmingham

Sharon Osbourne was visibly emotional as she joined hundreds of followers paying tribute to her late husband in Birmingham metropolis centre.
The 72-year-old matriarch, supported by her youngsters Kelly, Jack, Aimee, and Louis from Ozzy’s first marriage, made the troublesome stroll to the rising memorial of flowers, playing cards, and candles honoring the rock legend.
In response to the Each day Mail, Sharon appeared frail and stumbled barely as she stepped from the van, clutching a bouquet wrapped in black and a tissue in her hand.
Jack rapidly rushed to regular her whereas Kelly held her hand, guiding her towards the ocean of tributes. Followers lining the road shouted, “We love you,” as she struggled by means of her grief.
Overcome with emotion, Sharon laid her flowers among the many hundreds already positioned in reminiscence of the Black Sabbath frontman. Her youngsters adopted intently behind, including their very own heartfelt tributes earlier than surrounding their mom as soon as extra.
After laying their choices, the Osbournes quietly returned to the automobile, abandoning a transferring reminder of putting up with love and loss.
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Followers Line Streets To Honor Ozzy Osbourne’s Legacy

Tributes coated the “Black Sabbath Bridge” on Broad Avenue, the place flowers and heartfelt messages have been positioned in his honor.
The cortege paused on the website, permitting the Osbourne household to acknowledge the help of grieving followers.
Main the procession was a Jaguar hearse carrying Ozzy on his closing journey, adorned with a placing floral show in purple, his favourite coloration, that merely spelled “OZZY.”
His son Louis, from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, paid a refined tribute by carrying a purple tie patterned with skull-and-crossbones.
Native brass band Bostin’ Brass accompanied the cortege, performing renditions of Black Sabbath classics that echoed by means of the streets, making a transferring soundtrack to the second.
Ozzy Osbourne’s Remaining Journey Via Birmingham

The procession additionally handed Ozzy’s childhood house on Lodge Highway in Aston.
The present residents honored him by putting {a photograph} of the rock icon of their entrance window, a reminder of his humble beginnings earlier than world stardom.
Earlier this yr, Ozzy returned completely to the UK after receiving medical clearance to go away the U.S.
He had lengthy battled Parkinson’s illness and persistent accidents stemming from a 2003 quad bike crash and a 2019 fall.