Zakk Wylde

"Maybe it'll come down to 'Let's just do "Free Bird" for two hours!"

- Andrew Daly

SINCE JOINING OZZY'S band in 1987, save for a few pitstops along the way, Zakk Wylde has been the Prince of Darkness's main guitar man. In fact, save for Tony Iommi, with whom Ozzy launched Black Sabbath (and heavy metal), and Randy Rhoads, who helped Ozzy resurrect his career in the early Eighties, no guitarist is more associated with Ozzy than Wylde.

With an array of bull's eye-adorned and EMG-equipped Les Pauls slung low from his burly shoulders, a kilt hanging off his waist and a caveman beard that hangs even lower, Wylde has been a rock for Ozzy - and he's also a friend, if not family.

"Ozzy is the godfather of my oldest son," Wylde says. "My wife Barbara and I - our relationship with Ozzy and Sharon [Osbourne] is more of a family thing I'm truly blessed to have him in my life.

Musically, If I would have never played with Ozzy, he'd still be such a huge part of my life. Just getting to know him, and then being in a band with him - forget about it!"

You've been playing with Ozzy since the Eighties. Did the final show announcement come as a surprise?

I was talking about this the other day, thinking, "What do I think should happen?" When we did the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [induction ceremony, October 19, 2024], we were doing a run-through, so the camera guys knew what to expect, and Oz was up there on the throne, and we started doing "Mama, I'm Coming Home," and Ozzy just started singing! His mic was live, and he was just sitting down on the throne and started singing "Mama, I'm Coming Home" because Jelly Roll (who sang the song during the actual performance] wasn't there. Oz was like, "Screw it - I'll sing it, man," so he just started singing and it sounded great.