Zakk Wylde Says Fans Are Turning His Shows Into A Tribute To Ozzy Osbourne

The shadow of Ozzy Osbourne still looms large over heavy music, and according to longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde, fans are making sure the Prince of Darkness isn’t forgotten.

Wylde is currently on the road pulling double duty with Black Label Society and Zakk Sabbath, his Black Sabbath tribute project, the two bands kicked off their co-headline tour in early March, and while the shows are packed with the usual riffs and volume, something unexpected has been happening in the crowd.

Fans have been chanting Ozzy’s name at nearly every stop, speaking about the experience, Wylde says the atmosphere has shifted into something closer to a celebration of Osbourne’s life and legacy (per ultimate classic rock):

“It’s pretty awesome, the people [who are coming to these shows], you know, because they chant Ozzy’s name,” he says. “They’re chanting Ozzy’s name at every gig. So it’s just a beautiful thing. Ozzy’s energy and his power is there and it’s just a way to celebrate his life and celebrate his greatness.”

Fans Are Celebrating Ozzy Through The Music

For Wylde, performing classic Black Sabbath songs with Zakk Sabbath has taken on deeper meaning since Ozzy’s passing. Instead of simply revisiting metal history, the shows now feel like communal remembrance, fans sing along, share memories, and keep the spirit of those songs alive:

“You realize how many people have so many beautiful memories attached to these songs, and what the music means to them, how it inspires them and and what a beautiful, special place it has in your life,” Wylde explains. “So that’s the way I look at all of it, every time. When we’d play Randy Rhoads’ stuff live with Ozzy, you’re celebrating Randy’s life and his greatness.”

Where New Fans Should Start With Black Sabbath

Wylde also offered advice for anyone somehow discovering Black Sabbath for the first time, his pick is the band’s classic compilation ‘We Sold Our Souls for Rock and Roll’, which he sees as the perfect gateway:

“I mean, I started with, We Sold Our Souls for Rock and Roll,” he says. “[It’s the perfect place to begin, because] that’s their greatest hits, right? I always tell everybody I was Catholic when I put the needle down on the record. Halfway through the album, I became a full-blown Satanist. And by the time the album ended, I converted back to Catholicism, just so I could thank God for creating Black Sabbath. That’s a true story. It was quite the production, but well worth it.”

A Personal Tribute On The New Black Label Society Album

Wylde is also preparing to release a new Black Label Society album, ‘Engines of Demolition’, on March 27th, the album will include a deeply personal moment for the guitarist, its closing track, ‘Ozzy’s Song’, was written shortly after Osbourne was laid to rest.

“I wrote the lyrics when we got back, after laying Ozzy to rest and I sat in the library. I just listened to music and I just wrote the lyrics right there,” he shares.

The solo was recorded using his 1981 Gibson Les Paul Custom, the same guitar he used when co-writing ‘Miracle Man’ with Ozzy, for Wylde the track serves as one final salute to the man who helped shape his career.

Black Label Society ‘Engines of Demolition’ Pre order

01. Name In Blood
02. Gatherer Of Souls
03. The Hand of Tomorrows Grave
04. Better Days & Wiser Times
05. Broken and Blind
06. The Gallows
07. Above & Below
08. Back To Me
09. Lord Humungus
10. Pedal To The Floor
11. Broken Pieces
12. The Stranger
13. Ozzy’s Song

Pre order/save here.

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