For nearly four decades, Zakk Wylde stood right beside Ozzy Osbourne—shredding riffs, chasing nights, forging history. But in a recent interview with NJ.com, Wylde revealed something fans didn’t know: Ozzy was already dreaming up one more chapter.
“He was texting me, ‘Zakk, let’s do another record. Because I really loved it when you were going through your Allman Brothers, [Lynyrd] Skynyrd phase when we did No More Tears. It’s heavy, but it’s more melodic. It’s not pummeling heavy.’”
Wylde’s reply was immediate: “All right, Oz. Whatever you want.”
Yet that record never took shape. The moment between them turned into a goodbye. Wylde shared the haunting final text from Ozzy after their last show—“Zakky, sorry, it was like a madhouse back there…Thanks for everything.”
Ozzy had famously skipped Wylde on his 2020 album Ordinary Man, and though Wylde returned on Patient Number 9 (2022), this new project aimed to recapture the uncharted territory of their earlier collaboration.
“I just figured we’ll do the gig, and then who knows?” Wylde recalled. But that “who knows” stopped short weeks later.
Now, with Ozzy gone and Zakk reflecting, fans are left to wonder what that record would have sounded like—a blend of melodic heft and heavy heart. Their final handshake became a promise. One they never got to keep.
