Zakk Wylde Honors Ozzy Osbourne With a Deeply Personal New Song

Zakk Wylde has spent decades at Ozzy Osbourne’s side, not just as his guitarist, but as a trusted musical partner and close friend. From Ozzy’s late ’80s comeback through countless tours and records, Wylde became part of the Osbourne story in a way few musicians ever do. So when news broke that Wylde had written a new song in Ozzy’s memory, it carried a weight far beyond a standard tribute.

The song, simply titled Ozzy’s Song, closes the upcoming Black Label Society album Engines of Demolition. It was written in the weeks following Ozzy’s passing in July 2025, after what would become his final live appearance at the Back to the Beginning Black Sabbath tribute concert in Birmingham. For Wylde, the timing and circumstances made the song unavoidable rather than planned.

Wylde has been clear that the track only exists because of loss. He had music sketched out beforehand, but no words, no intention, and no sense that it would ever become something final. That changed once Ozzy was gone, turning an unfinished idea into a personal goodbye.

A Final Chapter After a Historic Farewell

The Back to the Beginning concert at Villa Park on July 5, 2025, was already being viewed as a historic celebration of Black Sabbath’s legacy. With Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Slayer, and more on the bill, it stood as one of the most significant metal events of the decade. Few realized at the time that it would also be Ozzy Osbourne’s last time on stage.

In the weeks that followed, Wylde reflected on how close the event came to becoming something ongoing. He revealed that he and Ozzy had discussed turning Back to the Beginning into an annual charity concert, rotating through countries like Brazil, Japan, and the U.S. The idea, Wylde said, was to give Ozzy something to look forward to and work toward each year.

Ozzy’s death on July 22 ended those plans before they could take shape. What remained was the emotional aftermath, including a funeral trip to the UK and a quick return to touring commitments with Pantera. It was in that unsettled space — between mourning and motion — that Ozzy’s Song began to take its final form.

Writing the Song He Never Planned to Write

Wylde says he never would have written Ozzy’s Song if Ozzy were still alive. The music existed, but without lyrics, meaning, or direction. That changed during the flight home after Ozzy’s funeral, when the reality of the loss finally settled in.

Once back in the U.S., Wylde had little time to pause. A show at Jones Beach followed quickly, along with Pantera obligations. It wasn’t until he finally got home that the lyrics came together, written in one emotional stretch rather than pieced together over time.

The song’s title itself came from an offhand moment at home. When Wylde played the track for his wife, she casually referred to it as “the Ozzy song.” The name stuck, fitting the song’s straightforward, unguarded nature. There was no need to dress it up or frame it differently — the purpose was already clear.

The Grail and a Full-Circle Tribute

When it came time to record the solo, Wylde turned to the guitar most closely tied to his early years with Ozzy: his custom Les Paul known as The Grail. The instrument had been central to his first writing sessions with Ozzy decades earlier, making its use on the tribute both symbolic and deliberate.

Black Label Society’s longtime engineer Adam Fuller suggested bringing The Grail into the session, a decision Wylde immediately understood. Using the same guitar for the final tribute that helped launch his career alongside Ozzy brought a sense of closure that couldn’t be manufactured.

Ozzy’s Song now stands as the closing moment on Engines of Demolition, set for release on March 27 via Spinefarm Records. It isn’t designed as a grand statement or a public spectacle. Instead, it plays like what it is — a private farewell from a guitarist who shared both the beginning and the end of a remarkable musical partnership.