Zakk Wylde: I Had ‘Nothing to Do’ with Ozzy’s Upcoming Solo Album
Frequent Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde had no involvement in the upcoming solo album from the renowned "Prince of Darkness," according to a recent interview with the six-string shredder who'll accompany Osbourne when the former Black Sabbath singer resumes touring next year.
That's what Wylde told the Cassius Morris Show Wednesday (Oct. 23) in a wide-ranging talk that also touched on topics such as Osbourne's health and the singer's superstar collaboration with rapper Post Malone. But when pressed for details regarding the album Osbourne completed last month, the guitarist revealed his absence on the collection of new Ozzy tracks. Listen to the full interview down toward the bottom of this post.
"We didn't do anything on that," Wylde responded, as transcribed by Blabbermouth. "Ozz, he just jammed with some friends that he knows. He was just like, 'Hey, Zakk, I ended up tracking some of the stuff' or whatever. And I was like, 'Oh, great, Ozz.'"
He continued, "That Post Malone thing I heard was awesome. Post came down to a Black Label [Society] show about maybe — I don't know — almost half a year ago or something like that, before the Ozzy thing. But he just came down and he was, like, 'Hey, Zakk, what's happening?' A really cool guy and everything like that. When I heard the track, Ozzy sounds great on it, man. But no, I didn't have nothing to do with the stuff that Ozz just recorded."
Posty's Hollywood's Bleeding song "Take What You Want" features rapper Travis Scott in addition to Osbourne. Last month, the tune's main artist said it was Ozzy's favorite thing he's done since Sabbath ended.
But while Osbourne's recovery from a fall required more time than initially thought — necessitating some of the rocker's European "No More Tours II" dates be rescheduled again — Wylde confirmed the singer's on the mend.
"I just saw Ozzy the other day — he was at my daughter's wedding," the guitarist said. "He's still doing his rehab and he's doing everything like that. Obviously, we were gonna do these shows right now, but the doctor was, like, 'Nah, you're not ready to get out there and do it.' It's no different than playing sports. If you're not ready to pitch, there's no sense in jeopardizing you making the injury even worse."
All the same, the North American portion of Osbourne's coming tour is still on the books for spring 2020. And according to the singer himself, that forthcoming solo album helped him push through some issues.
Speaking with the Sun last month, Osbourne divulged, "I've made a new album and it's helped me get back on track. I was just lying in my own self-pity for months. It's the greatest album I've done."
Ozzy's career-spanning vinyl box set See You on the Other Side comes out Nov. 29. The set's preceded by a hilarious promotional trailer starring Wylde.
Zakk Wylde on the Cassius Morris Show - Oct. 23, 2019
Photos: Ozzy Osbourne Through the Years