Zakk Wylde and Ozzy Osbourne: Firing, Friendship, Final Text

The bond between a guitarist and his frontman can survive a firing, decades of distance, and even death itself. Through Zakk Wylde’s own account of Ozzy Osbourne’s final text message — and the Prince of Darkness’s death on July 22, 2025 — the story of one of heavy metal’s most enduring partnerships comes into sharp relief.

Full name: Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt ·
Born: January 14, 1967 ·
Occupation: Guitarist, singer, songwriter ·
Known for: Lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, founder of Black Label Society ·
Net worth: $14 million (estimated) ·
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)

The table below summarizes the key personal and professional attributes of Zakk Wylde, drawn from verified biographical sources.

Why was Zakk Wylde kicked out of Ozzy?

The professional split between Zakk Wylde and Ozzy Osbourne came in 1991, during the No More Tears tour — a period when Wylde was at the peak of his early career but also struggling personally.

The firing during the No More Tears tour

Ozzy Osbourne fired Wylde in 1991. According to Wylde’s own account to Rolling Stone (music authority), he described himself as “a mess” at the time. The firing was not a dramatic onstage moment but a private decision by Osbourne, who had watched his guitarist’s reliability deteriorate.

Reasons: alcoholism and personal differences

Alcoholism played a central role. Wylde has publicly acknowledged his heavy drinking during those years, which affected his performance and relationship with the band. The split was not acrimonious in the sense of a public feud — it was a quiet separation driven by concern and frustration on Osbourne’s part.

Later reconciliation and reunion

The split did not last permanently. Wylde reunited with Osbourne for the Ozzmosis album in 1995 and continued to tour with him on and off through the 2000s and 2010s. Their last live performance together was in 2018. The pattern is telling: Ozzy fired the guitarist, but kept calling him back.

The implication: Wylde’s firing was a career interruption, not an ending. The professional relationship restarted multiple times, which suggests Osbourne valued the guitar work far more than the personal friction.

Were Ozzy and Zakk Wylde friends?

Yes — by multiple accounts, the relationship went well beyond a standard employer-employee dynamic in the music industry.

Their close bond

Wylde has consistently described Osbourne as an “older brother” figure. In an interview with Rolling Stone after Osbourne’s death, Wylde used exactly that language, framing the relationship as familial rather than purely professional.

Ozzy referring to Zakk as a ‘son’

Osbourne himself publicly called Wylde “my son” on multiple occasions, including during stage banter at concerts. This language was not rhetorical — Osbourne’s inner circle has noted that the guitarist held a unique place in the frontman’s personal life.

Friendship after firing

Perhaps the strongest evidence of genuine friendship: the 1991 firing did not end their personal bond. Wylde and Osbourne stayed in contact, collaborated again, and exchanged personal messages — including the final text in 2023. Friendships that survive a professional firing are rare in the music world. This one did.

The pattern: the professional relationship was bumpy, but the personal relationship was steady for nearly four decades.

What were Ozzy’s last words to Zakk Wylde?

This is the most emotionally charged detail to emerge since Osbourne’s death — and it was revealed by Wylde himself.

The final text message revealed by People

After Black Sabbath’s final show in Birmingham on July 5, 2025 — a concert billed as “Back to the Beginning” — Ozzy Osbourne sent a text to Wylde. People (celebrity news authority) reported that the message read: “Zakky, sorry, it was like a madhouse back there. I didn’t see you. Thanks for everything.”

Ozzy’s message: ‘I love you’

Wylde told New York Post that the exchange ended with both men saying “I love you, buddy.” The text was send after the Birmingham farewell show, which was also Osbourne’s last performance.

Zakk’s reaction

Wylde said he assumed he would see Osbourne later that night or the next day, but that meeting never happened. Speaking to Rolling Stone, he described the moment as bittersweet — grateful for the message, but haunted by the unfinished goodbye.

The trade-off: the text gave Wylde closure on the friendship, but the missed in-person meeting leaves a gap that cannot be filled.

Will Zakk Wylde attend Ozzy’s funeral?

The question has been circulating since Osbourne’s death was announced on July 22, 2025.

Zakk’s public statements

Wylde stated publicly that he would attend the funeral if invited. “If I’m invited, I’ll be there,” he said, according to Rolling Stone. The statement was conditional — not a guarantee.

Media speculation

A funeral procession was held in Birmingham on July 30, 2025, drawing thousands of mourners. New York Post reported that Sharon Osbourne and four of Ozzy’s six children were present, but there has been no confirmed sighting of Wylde at either the public procession or private service. The family has not issued a formal invitation list.

The catch: without official confirmation from the Osbourne family, Wylde’s attendance — or absence — remains the most persistent unknown in this story.

Is Zakk Wylde one of the best guitarists ever?

The question carries weight because Wylde’s playing has shaped heavy metal guitar for over three decades.

Critical acclaim and rankings

Zakk Wylde has appeared on multiple “greatest guitarists” lists. Guitar World (guitar authority) has ranked him among the top metal guitarists of all time. Rolling Stone included him in their list of the 250 greatest guitarists. He was inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk in 2004. These rankings reflect both technical skill and influence.

Influence on heavy metal guitar

Wylde’s signature techniques — pinch harmonics, fast alternate picking, and a thick, blues-infused tone — have been widely imitated. His Gibson Les Paul custom models are among the most recognizable signature guitars in metal.

Comparison with other guitarists

Comparisons to players like Dimebag Darrell, Randy Rhoads, and Eddie Van Halen are common. What sets Wylde apart: his sustained output across multiple bands (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society) and his role as both guitarist and frontman. Rhoads died young, Van Halen was the frontman of his own band — Wylde has been a lead guitarist for another star while also leading his own group for nearly three decades.

The implication: rankings are subjective, but Wylde’s influence is measurable — his playing style is a template that younger metal guitarists still follow.

“Zakky, sorry, it was like a madhouse back there. I didn’t see you. Thanks for everything.”

— Ozzy Osbourne, final text message to Zakk Wylde, reported by People

“I was a mess, but he gave me a second chance.”

— Zakk Wylde, on being fired by Ozzy Osbourne, speaking to Rolling Stone

“If I’m invited, I’ll be there.”

— Zakk Wylde, on attending Ozzy Osbourne’s funeral, as told to Rolling Stone

“It was like a madhouse back there. I didn’t see you.”

— Ozzy Osbourne’s text to Zakk Wylde after the Birmingham farewell show, per New York Post

Zakk Wylde’s story with Ozzy Osbourne is not one of a simple employee-employer relationship. It is the story of a guitarist who was fired, forgiven, called back, and ultimately treated as family — right up to the final text message. For the millions of fans who watched the relationship evolve over four decades, the emotional takeaway is clear: Zakk Wylde was not just Ozzy’s guitarist. He was Ozzy’s friend.

For the heavy metal community, the question is no longer whether Wylde was a great guitarist — that was settled years ago. The real question now is whether the final chapter of this relationship, the funeral, will include one last goodbye from Wylde.