OZZY OSBOURNE Says He’d Work With TONY IOMMI, GEEZER BUTLER Again

In a new interview with Goldmine, legendary Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne talks about leaving the concert stage with Sabbath for the last time, whether he regrets being the most famous drug addict in heavy metal history, and the future. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:

Goldmine: This is a bittersweet interview because the name of this tour is The End. I don’t want it to be the end…

Ozzy Osbourne: “At the end of the day, Black Sabbath, when I left, we were a big driving force in the ’70s. It was dwindling and we needed to separate for a while. They went their way and I went my way. We both had our ups and downs in our careers. Sabbath has had more band members than I don’t know what, but that’s how things go. With the recent success of the 13 album, which was, believe it or not, makes this release the first No. 1 album for Sabbath or anyone’s solo career. We decided, at first, to do another album but we decided that would take too long, as it would be two or three years. Tony was then diagnosed with lymphoma and we didn’t know if he was going to pull through it. We decided not to do an album. Our last recorded album went to No. 1. Tony recovered from lymphoma. I hope he has, I mean I am sure he has. We don’t like to talk about it much. He appears great. Tony is one of these guys who says, ‘Okay, Doc, what do I have to do?’ And then he does it. We did our last tour around all of his doctor appointments. The one thing I am really happy about is that he didn’t get any worse. He says his doctors told him that he will always have the gene in him so it could come back. He’ll be alright.”

Goldmine: Do you realize the influence that you’ve had on heavy metal? Not just one generation or two generations, but all future generations as well. Ozzy, what you’ve done will live on forever. Do you realize what you’ve been a part of and done?

Ozzy: “No. I have got no idea … well, I do have an idea, but I kind of humble myself. If I go, ‘We did that” then I will fall on the floor. I am glad people remember us. When we did the Ozzfest, the bands would be like Volume 4 was so important to me.’ When you’re in the inside looking out, then you don’t have any idea of the importance of what you’ve done. I have an even better example. When I was doing my solo career – before I got mega – Metallica opened for me. I would go by their dressing room and they would be playing a Sabbath album. I thought they were taking the piss out of me. I said to my assistant, ‘Are they joking with me?’ He said, ‘Ozzy, they love you.’ I said, ‘They love us? They love Sabbath?’ Then it started to grow and grow and grow. I didn’t let it get on top of me though, as I was just happy to be doing it. It is weird. It is hard to get your head ‘round that.”

Goldmine: It may be the end of Black Sabbath, but it is not the end for you…

Ozzy: “It is the end of Black Sabbath, but if Tony phoned me up and said he was doing a blues album and he wanted me to sing on it then I would ask him where he wanted to meet. The same goes for Geezer. The one thing that I am happy about is that we’re all still alive, you know. David Bowie dying was fucking hell. What a talent he was. I met him once or twice. Once I was walking across the road and he shouted ‘Hey, Ozzy!’ He sat next to me in a restaurant and he was reading the newspaper. He was a very, very, very talented guy.”