Ozzy Osbourne

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Marty Friedman and Ozzy Osbourne

“Being in a band is so much more than the playing. Actually, the playing is down on the list”: Before Megadeth, Marty Friedman says he auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne – but “failed miserably”

By Matt Owen published

Shortly before he became Megadeth's lead guitar player, Friedman took part in an ill-fated Osbourne audition – here's why it didn't work out, according to the man himself

Bob Daisley, Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads rehearsing at Ridge Farm Studios in 1980

“[He’d record] everything we ever did. He would record the f**king milkman”: there are reportedly 7 hours of unreleased Randy Rhoads demos taped by Bob Daisley, but Ozzy Osbourne says he has no plans to release ‘Holy Grail’ recordings

By Matt Parker published

The metal legend dismissed the material in the latest Osbournes podcast, while Sharon says it should be up to the Rhoads camp to decide its fate

Marty Schwartz giving a guitar lesson

“The picking speed on that open A is insane”: YouTube’s go-to guitar teacher Marty Schwartz reveals the hardest track he’s had to teach

By Matt Parker published

The online teacher has been pondering the most challenging lessons he’s recorded and says one song left him stumped

American Rock musician Vito Bratta, of the group White Lion, performs onstage at the Poplar Creek Music Theater, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, July 12,1989.

“I get off stage, and Paul and Gene want to talk to me: ‘We think you’d be perfect for Kiss. Would you consider playing a Les Paul?’” White Lion’s Vito Bratta on the time he nearly joined Kiss – and his failed Ozzy Osbourne audition

By Andrew Daly published

The ’80s shred icon explains what stood between him and the gig of a lifetime with Ozzy – and why he turned down Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley

Robert Trujillo of Metallica performs on stage at Ippodromo San Siro on May 8, 2019 in Milan, Italy.

“Ozzy Osbourne gets in my face and we're doing this dance. Sometimes Kirk and I do it during For Whom the Bell Tolls”: Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo explains the origin of his iconic crab walk

By Nick Wells published

Robert Trujillo thanks Ozzy Osbourne for helping turn on his stage performance with Metallica

Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads playing live, and an Ozzy Osbourne tribute that depicts him playing guitar

Worst Ozzy Osbourne tribute ever? British pub’s inexplicable Photoshop gaffe removes Randy Rhoads and hands his polka dot V to Ozzy instead

By Matt Owen published

This Birmingham pub’s tribute to Osbourne and the birth of Black Sabbath went very wrong indeed

Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne names his dream supergroup – and it features three guitarists

By Matt Owen published

The Black Sabbath icon was asked by Metal Hammer Guest Editors Jack Black and Kyle Gass about the musicians – alive or dead – he'd love to collaborate with. Safe to say it would have been a supergroup for the ages

Rudy Sarzo performs live with Quiet Riot

Rudy Sarzo: "Randy didn't live long enough to be the best Randy Rhoads. There was so much more inside of him that we never got to see"

By Andrew Daly published

The LA bass legend reflects on the legacy of his Ozzy Osbourne bandmate, 40 years of Quiet Riot's Metal Health, and explains why you can't compare Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads

Steve Vai

It turns out Steve Vai isn’t sitting on an unreleased Ozzy Osbourne album after all: “I spoke a bit carelessly”

By Matt Owen published

After seemingly revealing the existence of a “real heavy” album he recorded with Osbourne in the '90s, Vai has now set the record straight

Steve Vai (left) and Ozzy Osbourne

Steve Vai says he once recorded an entire album with Ozzy Osbourne – and used an Octave Divider on all his rhythm guitar parts

By Matt Owen published

The pair originally met in the '90s to write a track for Osbourne's Ozzmosis album, but got “carried away” and recorded a “real heavy” record as well

Black Sabbath performing live

Some of Black Sabbath’s heaviest tracks are being turned into a ballet

By Matt Owen published

War Pigs, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Iron Man and five other Sabbath songs will soundtrack the new three-act dance show – which might feature a Tony Iommi cameo

Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde

Zakk Wylde tells Ozzy Osbourne: “When you are ready to roll, we will roll”

By Matt Parker published

The Ozzy lifer has shared a touching tribute to the Prince of Darkness – and says he’ll be ready and waiting if a live return is ever on the cards

Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne announces retirement from touring, cancels all remaining shows

By Sam Roche published

The metal legend says he's not “physically capable” of a life of touring anymore

Kayla Kent

Watch Kayla Kent nail the solo to Ozzy Osbourne's Bark at the Moon – the first metal song she ever heard

By Matt Owen published

Kent's first experience with metal came thanks to a free Guitar Hero rip-off, but she wasn't even allowed to listen to heavy guitar music until a certain age

Ozzy Osbourne onstage in September 2022

Ozzy Osbourne’s 2023 tour dates thrown into question over singer’s struggle to recover from recent surgery

By Matt Parker published

The rock legend says he can’t walk much following the procedure, but the alternative was much worse

John Frusciante, Eric Gales, Ozzy Osbourne and Bonnie Raitt

Ozzy Osbourne, Muse, Megadeth, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eric Gales, Bonnie Raitt and Wet Leg nominated for 2023 Grammys

By Matt Owen published

Big Thief, Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, Machine Gun Kelly, Brandi Carlile, Snarky Puppy, Molly Tuttle, Måneskin, Madison Cunningham and Brothers Osborne have also received nods

[L-R] Ozzy Osbourne and Jake E. Lee

Jake E. Lee on how he nearly lost the Ozzy Osbourne gig, why he considers using the whammy bar "cheating" and the pressures of replacing Randy Rhoads

By Steven Rosen published

In this classic 1986 Guitar World interview, Lee reveals what he likes (and dislikes) about Bark at the Moon and The Ultimate Sin, what he thinks of Eddie Van Halen, and how being late to his audition very nearly cost him his place in the Ozzy lineup

[L-R] Jennifer Batten and Ozzy Osbourne

Jennifer Batten says being a woman prevented her landing an audition with Ozzy Osbourne in the ‘80s

By Sam Roche published

“I know my audio got to the right people, and I didn’t even get a chance,” the Michael Jackson guitarist reflects in a new interview

[L-R] Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads

Ozzy Osbourne was too drunk to recognise Randy Rhoads' talent when he first auditioned: “I thought, it’s never gonna work”

By Sam Roche published

Fortunately, with a little hair of the dog, Ozzy steeled himself for Rhoads' rescheduled audition the following day, and the rest was history

[L-R] Ozzy Osbourne, Randy Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen

Ozzy Osbourne on Randy Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen feud: “Randy didn't have a nice thing to say about Eddie – they were rivals”

By Sam Roche last updated

The Prince of Darkness has responded to comments made in a recent Randy Rhoads documentary, in which EVH accused Rhoads of stealing his guitar playing style