Ozzy Osbourne’s longtime pal opens up about last conversation with singer

Ozzy Osbourne left his bandmates and friends in mourning after his death last week.

The Black Sabbath singer’s friend and guitarist Zakk Wylde shared the final conversation he had with Ozzy via text.

The guitarist detailed that the final text message the metal icon sent him was, “‘Zakky, sorry, it was like a madhouse back there. I didn’t see you.’ He goes, ‘Thanks for everything,'” in conversation with Guitar World, on Tuesday.

“It was just us talking, saying, ‘I love you, buddy.’ That was it,” Zakk added.

The guitarist, who joined Black Sabbath in 1987, went on to add that he wished to meet Ozzy after their farewell concert in Birmingham, England, on July 5, but fate had other plans.

“Everybody and their mother were in the backstage dressing room and I just wanted to give him a break,” Zakk said.

Speaking about the final performance with Ozzy, “It was definitely pretty amazing. Seeing Oz onstage when Sabbath got done, that’s the last time I saw him,” Zakk recalled.

Elsewhere in the interview, Zakk also shared that he saw the legendary Rockstar as family. “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 continued, “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.”