Ozzy Osbourne sent a heartfelt message to his longtime guitarist in the final days before his death.
In a recent interview with Guitar World, musician Zakk Wylde revealed the final text he received from the late rock star, who died earlier this month at the age of 76. According to Wylde, Osbourne sent the message after playing his final Black Sabbath show in England on July 5.
“Everybody and their mother were in the backstage dressing room and I just wanted to give him a break,” Wylde recalled, noting that the two weren’t able to cross paths later in the day.
Wylde added, “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.”
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The concert was “business as usual,” Wylde recalled, adding that the No. 1 priority for the day was Osbourne’s happiness.
“It was definitely pretty amazing,” he said. “Seeing Oz onstage when Sabbath got done, that’s the last time I saw him.”
Wylde auditioned for Osbourne in 1987, following in the footsteps of guitarist Jake E. Lee. He joined Osbourne on the road and played on several of the rock legend’s albums through the years, most recently hitting the stage in Osbourne’s honor in October 2024 during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
“Oz was just the best,” Wylde told Guitar World. “I have my father, who was a World War II veteran; and then Ozzy, who was almost like an older brother. … We’d always keep in touch.”
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Wylde said the familial bond even extended to Ozzy’s wife, Sharon Osbourne. “Ozzy is the godfather of [my] oldest son,” he continued. “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.’”
Following a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease, Ozzy’s family announced his death on July 22. “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” their statement read. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
Ozzy shared children Aimee, Kelly and Jack with Sharon, 72, and was the father of Elliot, Louis and Jessica with ex Thelma Riley, to whom he was married from 1971 to 1982.
Fans and loved ones gathered to celebrate Ozzy’s life and legacy at an emotional funeral held in Birmingham, England, on Wednesday, July 30. Sharon struggled to hold back tears as she was comforted by Kelly and Jack. The memorial also marked a rare public appearance for Aimee and Ozzy’s son Louis.
