Zakk Wylde was pumping gas in New Jersey when he got the call to join Ozzy Osbourne’s band. Thirty-five years later and Zakk’s an icon in his own right – a legendary guitar god who helped pen some of Ozzy’s most acclaimed records (No More Tears, anyone?) while also forging a lucrative side-hustle as the singer, guitarist and all-round creative tour de force behind Black Label Society.
He’s also a funny motherfucker and the sweetest person you’ll ever meet. From his affectionate nicknames (Randy Rhoads is ‘Saint Rhoads,’ Sharon Osbourne is ‘Mom’, Ozzy is ‘The Boss’ – even yours truly becomes ‘Brother/Father Rich’ for the duration of our conversation) to his tendency to spice up interviews by giving utterly ludicrous comedic answers that he punctuates with a booming laugh, there is absolutely no doubt that this is somebody who has spent more than three decades with heavy metal’s original madman.
With Black Label Society’s hefty new record, Doom Crew Inc., on shelves and work well underway with Ozzy’s 13th record (something Zakk is keeping uncharacteristically hush-hush about), we cornered Zakk to separate the man from the (mostly self-made) myths… or at least, we tried.
You were born in New Jersey and raised by Catholic parents – so how does a good Catholic boy end up playing the Devil’s music?
“Well, when I was 11 I discovered Black Sabbath. Before that I was a huge Elton John fan
