Zakk's bakk after sakk
Guitar dynamo Zakk Wylde has laughed off his sacking by Ozzy Osbourne, and says it's typical he was the last one to hear about it.
The Black Label Society mainman rose to stardom when Osbourne hired him aged 19, and thinks he has nothing to complain about. He'd even rejoin the band if asked.
It's a far cry from his radio outbursts in September when he expressed rage at not being told Gus G from Firewind had replaced him and demanded that Ozzy "man up" and "just pick up the phone".
But after his recent health scare Wylde feels he's back on track and can concentrate on his BLS duties.
He explains to MusicRadar: "I'll tell you how it went down. Oz and Mom - Sharon - said, 'Zakk, son, we need to talk to you.' They sat me down at the kitchen table and said, 'Zakk, we're very proud of you but you're 42 years old now. It's about time you took your wife and kids and got outta your bedroom and got a job. Get out of the house!'"
Joking aside, he continues: "I found out from photographer Neil Zlozower. He was doing a photo shoot with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. He called up and went, 'Hey dude, I hear you're not playing with Ozzy any more.' I go, 'Where did you hear this?' He's like, 'I heard it from Gene and Paul.' So I go, 'Well, I guess I'm not playing with Ozzy any more.'
"It's always been this way. I'm the last person to find out anything, you know? It was always, 'We're going out on the road...' 'When?' 'Tomorrow...'"
Reflecting after being diagnosed with a blood disorder which means he can't drink any more, Wylde says he's grateful for the journey Ozzy set him on.
"I've been with Oz since I was 19," he states. "I got to spend 23 years with the boss. He knows I'll always be there with him. Gus G is awesome - I hope he has a millisecond of the good time I had. That's a lifetime. Gus will have a blast."
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