Ozzy Osbourne‘s departure from Black Sabbath has been a topic of rumors, mainly pointing at the feud between the former bandmates. Even though Osbourne and the band eventually made up, many wondered whether Ozzy’s successor Ronnie James Dio resented the singer. During a recent conversation, the late rocker’s wife and manager, Wendy Dio, answered the question while speaking to Goldmine Magazine.
“After Ronnie joined Sabbath, he changed the band entirely,” stated Dio as she remarked how her husband established his presence in the act. “Sabbath couldn’t have made ‘Heaven and Hell’ or ‘Mob Rules’ with Ozzy because Ozzy couldn’t sing those sorts of things. But Ronnie could sing the Ozzy stuff, but differently, of course.”
She continued, “I think a lot of fans latched on to the idea that the two of them didn’t like each other or that they hated one another. I can’t say it was that way. You have to understand, Ozzy, after he left Sabbath, he went out and had his own career, which he still has. As we all know, Ozzy has had a tremendous amount of success. He’s proven that he’s able to make his own music and that he can run his own career with help, as we all need.”
Wendy pointed out that Ozzy had established himself as a solo artist after leaving Black Sabbath. So, there was no need to resent Ronnie for taking his place in his former act. There was no resentment or feud between the two rockers as they were on their separate paths.
Furthermore, the manager believes that Ronnie and Ozzy brought different elements to Black Sabbath’s sound, and she discussed their unique styles by comparing the two rockers. For her, Ronnie had changed the band’s dynamics and sound entirely after his recruitment.
