Robert Trujillo, now famed as Metallica’s bassist, once found himself in the whirlwind world of Ozzy Osbourne — a chapter that would reshape his musical journey forever. In a recent interview, Trujillo recounted how a chain of unlikely events led him from playing with Infectious Grooves in early 1990s North Hollywood to joining Ozzy’s solo band in 1996. At Devonshire Studios, where his band was recording, Ozzy frequently wandered in, demanding mixes, drinks, and mingling chaotically with the sessions. “He was wild back then,” Trujillo said, describing the unpredictable, sometimes absurd environment that sparked a friendship and, ultimately, opportunity.
When Ozzy needed a bassist in 1996, Trujillo auditioned and secured the role. “All of a sudden I’m playing in his band… and I’m like, ‘Wait a minute — am I dreaming?’” he recalled. Over the next seven years, he played on the 2001 album Down to Earth and re-recorded bass parts for the 2002 reissues of Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman.
Trujillo described the creative process with Ozzy as chaotic: songs could be adored one day, forgotten the next, then embraced months later. Despite the unpredictability, he called the experience “wonderful” and credited it with preparing him for the pressures of joining Metallica. Beyond music, Ozzy’s encouragement to “play as loud as you want” allowed Trujillo to fully explore his style, giving him a rare sense of artistic freedom.
Looking back, Trujillo views his time with Ozzy as a defining stage in his career — a crash course in professional rock, moving from backyard covers of Sabbath songs to performing alongside the “Prince of Darkness.” That period taught him resilience, creativity, and the thrill of rock ’n’ roll at its most intense, shaping the bassist he would become in one of metal’s most iconic bands.
