Zakk Wylde has spoken about his friend Ozzy Osbourne for the first time since the Black Sabbath icon's death – saying he was always blown away by the Prince of Darkness's mental toughness.
The man who performed alongside Osbourne as the guitarist in his solo band for many years also talked about his friend's heart of gold, his wicked sense of humour, and his ability to party with the very best of them.
But the way he kept going despite setbacks like being fired by Sabbath, losing his guitarist Randy Rhoads and even battling through illness at his epic farewell Back to the Beginning show was what impressed Wylde the most.
Wylde tells the Los Angeles Times: "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. 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.'"
Anyone who watched the MTV reality show The Osbournes would know how funny Ozzy could be, but Wylde had access to the laughs that no TV crew ever captured.
He adds: "I remember we were down at rehearsals one day and then this guy comes walking in and I’m like, 'Who’s that guy?' Ozzy goes, 'Oh, it’s a vocal coach.'
"And I go, 'I guess 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?'
"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.
"But he also had the biggest heart in the world. He hated seeing people being upset and things like that. 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."
Wylde's Black Label Society released a new single, Broken And Blind, this week.
