NEWSOzzy Osbourne's Final Text to Black Sabbath Guitarist Zakk Wylde Revealed After Late Star's Farewell Concert
Zakk Wylde revealed late rock legend Ozzy Osbourne's final text after their farewell concert.
July 31 2025, Published 7:29 a.m. ET
Zakk Wylde is still reeling from the loss of his longtime friend and bandmate, Ozzy Osbourne.
The legendary Black Sabbath guitarist opened up about the final message he received from the Prince of Darkness before his death.
“The last text I got from Oz was saying, ‘Zakky, sorry, it was like a madhouse back there. I didn’t see you.’ He goes, ‘Thanks for everything,’” Wylde shared during a new interview with Guitar World published on Tuesday, July 29.
Zakk Wylde shared the last text Ozzy Osbourne sent him.
“It was just us talking, saying, ‘I love you, buddy.’ That was it,” he said, recalling their final exchange.
The late rock legend thanked Zakk Wylde and apologized for missing him backstage.
Osbourne passed away on July 22 at 76 years old, just weeks after he took the stage one last time during Black Sabbath’s farewell concert in Birmingham, England, on July 5.
Wylde had expected to catch up with Osbourne after the show — but that reunion never happened.
“It was definitely pretty amazing. Seeing Oz onstage when Sabbath got done, that’s the last time I saw him,” Wylde said.
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Ozzy Osbourne died on July 22 at the age of 76.
He explained that the backstage area was chaotic, packed with people and he didn’t want to overwhelm the singer in those final moments.
“Everybody and their mother were in the backstage dressing room and I just wanted to give him a break,” he said, adding that the band was focused on “making sure that Oz was OK.”
Things got emotional as Wylde reflected on their decades-long bond.
“Oz was just the best. I have my father, who was a World War II veteran; and then Ozzy, who was almost like an older brother,” he shared. “There was almost a 20-year age gap between us. With our relationship, there was the fun drinking – but if I ever needed advice, I could talk to him.”
He went on, “Ozzy is the godfather of our oldest son. Whether I was playing with him or not, if Sharon [Osbourne] called me and my wife up and said, ‘Guys, can you watch the house while we’re away on a business trip?’ I’d do it. It’s like, ‘If you need me to bring milk and eggs over, I’ll do it.’”
Before his death, the singer battled Parkinson's disease for years.
As OK! previously reported, the iconic rocker died with his loved ones by his side.
"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning," read a statement from his wife Sharon, sons Jack and Louis, and daughters Kelly and Aimee. "He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time."
Osbourne had battled Parkinson’s disease for years, a diagnosis he kept private until January 2020, nearly a year after suffering a serious fall.
"It's not a death sentence but it affects certain nerves in your body. You have a good day, a good day, then a really bad day," Sharon previously shared on Good Morning America while discussing her husband's condition.
