“Ozzy looked well. He did not look like he was two weeks away from passing… The feeling was similar to when Randy passed away – that dead void, that emptiness”: Rudy Sarzo on the lifelong kindness of Ozzy Osbourne – and the miracle of his final weeks

Rudy Sarzo remains justifiably proud of the music he made with Ozzy Osbourne in the early ‘80s – but equally important is the kindness he received at the time from Ozzy and wife Sharon.

Taking part in Black Sabbath’s Back to the Beginning farewell show in July was, of course, a no-brainer. But Sarzo says he couldn’t have predicted how special the experience would be. “I was just watching and listening – it was a miracle,” he tells Bass Player.

“My purpose in going was to have a few minutes of face-to-face with Ozzy and Sharon, and to thank them. When I got there I realized that everybody else was there for the same purpose.

“There was so much complete gratitude. I’ll never have enough time in my life to thank Randy Rhoads, Sharon and Ozzy for changing my life. We wouldn’t be having this conversation if not for them.”

What was the Back to the Beginning show like?

“I gotta tell you: Ozzy looked well. He did not look like he was two weeks away from passing. In medical terms there’s this thing called ‘the gift,’ where, when people are about to pass, they get lucid. It’s like, ‘Oh, they’re okay,’ and then they pass away.”

Is that how Ozzy was?

“I think the whole world witnessed the gift. He was fine. Then a couple of weeks later I received a text from a friend sending me condolences. I replied, ‘What happened?’ And my friend goes, ‘He died. He passed.’

“The feeling was similar to when Randy passed away – that dead void; that emptiness. It took me a few days to analyze what I was feeling. Since Randy’s passing in 1982 I’ve had family members who passed, but those was natural causes and expected. Randy and Ozzy had a different effect on me.

“Ozzy, Randy and Sharon are the three main people who changed my life. I went from sleeping on the floor of Kevin DuBrow’s apartment to passing the audition with Ozzy and moving in with Sharon’s family.”

You’ve often talked about how welcoming Ozzy was.

“He opened up his suitcase because I didn’t have any clothes to wear, and said, ‘Take whatever you want.’ The kindness never stopped.”

You hadn’t seen him for some time before the Birmingham show. Was there time to reconnect?

“He was busy rehearsing when we arrived; the following day we all had soundcheck, then it was show day. It was jam-packed. So the only time I got to spend with Ozzy was at the big photoshoot with Ross Halfin. And everybody was there, so time was limited.

“It was basically having a little face-to-face and thanking him for everything he did for me. I got to spend more time with Sharon because she didn’t have to deal with rehearsals. We got to reminisce.

“And the soundcheck day, July 4, was their wedding anniversary. My wife and I, I think, were the only people there who were also at Ozzy and Sharon’s wedding in Maui. So we were reminiscing about that, the big stadium shows we did with Randy, and all the wonderful times that we had together.”

How did your all-star jam with Nuno Bettencourt go?

“There were no egos, no drama, just a lot of love. We played as a celebration. Tom Morello did a wonderful job putting the bands together. I am so glad to have represented the Randy era of Ozzy’s band.”

What did you think of the Ozzy and Sabbath sets?

“I was waiting for his solo set. It was the first time he showed up on stage. And let me put it this way: I got it. I understood it. The whole event was a celebration of Ozzy and Black Sabbath – a celebration of our generation of music. I understood Ozzy’s condition, but when he opened his mouth and started singing, I was in awe. I told my wife, ‘We’re witnessing a miracle here.’

“He wasn’t well, you know? For him to sing at that level and sound so great – I got chills. I couldn’t believe it. And as he kept going he got a bit stronger, and the audience carried him. You could feel the love from everybody in the stadium.

“When he did the Black Sabbath set, I knew it was a moment that would never recreate itself again. I’m so glad that it’s been captured. And there’s a lot of fan footage on YouTube, so no one can claim anyone fixed the sound. That’s Ozzy singing right there on the spot.”

Did it surprise you that he was able to rise to the occasion?

“Having been on the road with Ozzy for two tours, I understand what motivated him. When he had to do something, he always worked himself up to the moment and then delivered beyond expectation.

“I got the text for this event back in October 2024. By the time the show was performed, it had been two years in the making. I knew that, so I knew Ozzy was gonna make it. I felt like, ‘He’s gonna work himself up to it, just like he did when I was in the band.’ I was not surprised when he did it.”

After having some time to reflect, how are you feeling now?

“We experienced the gift, which gave us hope. It was like, ‘Look what Ozzy did. Maybe this is a turning point in his health.’ And then, boom, he passes.

“It took me a few days of soul searching to realize, ‘This is pretty much how I felt with Randy.’ The difference is that, with Randy, it was a traumatic experience with the plane crash. With Ozzy it was a bit different – we knew he had Parkinson’s and that he wasn’t doing well.”

Ozzy’s death, if only for a moment, gave the world pause. Why do you think that happened?

“While I was on tour with him, I witnessed how he remained a common man. He was a bit low – he told Sharon, ‘I’m missing home and my friends.’

“Sharon goes, ‘Okay, let me bring one of your friends over, and have him on the bus with us.’ He was a very nice guy. After a couple of days I asked, ‘What do you do for a living?’ He says, ‘I sell vegetables on the side of the road.’

“I was thinking, ‘This is Ozzy Osbourne. He’s been with Black Sabbath. He could have his pick of friends – but his best friend sells vegetables.’ That gave me the whole picture of Ozzy’s humanity.

“It wasn’t about what you do, but who you are as a human being that he gravitated to. No matter how famous he got, he was still just Ozzy.”