In a new interview with Fox 13 Seattle‘s “Good Day Seattle”, DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott reflected on his friendship with Ozzy Osbourne who died last week at the age of 76. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, we toured with Ozzy in ’81. He was touring the U.S. the whole summer of ’81, and we were the opening act. And I have to say that Ozzy [and his] band, which was Randy Rhoads [on guitar], Rudy [Sarzo on bass] and Tommy Aldridge on drums, they were great with us. [Ozzy‘s wife and manager] Sharon was fantastic with us. We got full lights, full sound, the whole stage — none of that shenanigans that headline acts can pull on a support band. They were really nurturing towards us. They wanted us to succeed. So there’s always been a lot of love between both camps. And, of course, over the years since then, we’ve met [Ozzy] many times. I think we’ve had more Indian meals with Ozzy than we ever did shows with him. [Laughs] If we were in the same town, it was always we’d go out and eat together.”
Joe continued: “We crossed paths [with Ozzy] many times. But we were also kids that grew up with BLACK SABBATH and watching them play, and then all of a sudden you’re touring with an ex-member of BLACK SABBATH who’s got his own career. And then he becomes somebody that you see at award shows or just in a restaurant or whatever. And he was a great guy. He was very vulnerable, but he was a great guy and he was an iconic rock artist. He was crazy — he was. He did some incredibly weird things, but he made fantastic music and had a fantastic fanbase that loved him to death. And that was very obvious from that final show that Ozzy and BLACK SABBATH did just a couple of weeks ago [in Birmingham, United Kingdom]. You could tell how almost love there was for him throughout that entire day.”
In a separate interview with KPTV Fox 12, Elliott and DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen were asked if BLACK SABBATH and Ozzy Osbourne were an influence on DEF LEPPARD when their band first started out. Phil replied: “I remember seeing BLACK SABBATH on the SABBATH ‘[Vol] 4’ tour. Actually, BLACK OAK ARKANSAS was the opening act at the Rainbow Theater in London [in March 1973]. Tommy Aldridge was actually the drummer in BLACK OAK ARKANSAS, and he was opening up for SABBATH and obviously years later he’s in Ozzy‘s band. So [Ozzy] obviously saw something in [Tommy] back then. But it was great. We grew up [on LED] ZEPPELIN, [DEEP] PURPLE, SABBATH and all of that stuff. And it was just mind-blowing. Like I said, I was so glad to see that SABBATH that early, and then, obviously, years later tour with Ozzy.”
Phil continued: “I was in a band called GIRL [before I joined DEF LEPPARD], and we were on the same record label as Ozzy, and that’s where he met [his wife and manager] Sharon. So it went back right there — [with Ozzy‘s band consisting of] Randy Rhoads, Rudy Sarzo, Tommy Aldridge. It was just wonderful. And then obviously DEF LEPPARD toured with that same band on the ‘Blizzard Of Ozz’ tour in the U.S., and we actually would be in connection with each other all the time, we’d be in contact.”
Added Joe: “[Ozzy] was a lovely guy. Sharon was a great manager for him. And I don’t think that SABBATH were a huge influence on DEF LEPPARD, but we were big fans — still are. It was more a case of we just happened to be blessed with the opportunity, both Phil‘s band at the time and LEPPARD, to tour with Ozzy and to just experience their enthusiasm and how nurturing they were towards us.
“A lot of headline bands, they’ll kind of stamp on an opening act by not letting them have soundchecks or giving them no lights. Ozzy gave us the full stage — lights, soundchecks, everything,” he explained. “They wanted us to succeed. And so there’s always been a lot of love between their camp and ours. And it’s just very sad. But I’m really happy he got to do that final show in Birmingham, just 17, 18 days ago. I think he was ready after that. I think he’d said all he had to say.”
Elaborating on his impressions of the “Back To The Beginning” event, which marked Ozzy and SABBATH‘s final performance, Joe said: “It was amazing. The love towards Ozzy you could see, I mean, we were doing our own show, which is why we couldn’t be there. Sharon did ask if we could do it, but we sent a message instead that they put on the screens. But we were keeping an eye on it on YouTube, and you could even tell through a laptop how much love there was heading towards that stage when Ozzy sat in that throne. It was kingly — it really was. It was like watching the king of rock getting worshipped by his loving audience. And I felt really happy for him. I’m glad he got to do it.”
As previously reported, DEF LEPPARD paid tribute to Ozzy by performing a cover of BLACK SABBATH‘s “Changes” during their July 22 concert in Saratoga Springs, New York.
“We all know just a few hours ago we lost our beloved Ozzy Osbourne,” Elliott said during the band’s show at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “So tonight we’re celebrating Ozzy.”
“Changes” originally appeared on SABBATH‘s 1972 album “Vol. 4”, and was re-recorded by Ozzy in 2003 as a duet with his daughter Kelly, featuring revised lyrics.
Ozzy died on July 22, his family announced in a statement.
“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. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time,” the family said.
No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson’s disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.
