Rudy Sarzo has confirmed that he is working on solo music. He plans to release it independently in the near future, as reported by Judy Rosenfeld. The bassist, best known for his work with Quiet Riot, addressed the motivations behind his solo venture and clarified whether financial reasons played a role in the decision.
Sarzo explained that his drive to create solo music stems from a personal need to express himself, not from any monetary necessity. He also touched on the musical direction he is taking, describing a return to the sounds he grew up with in the 1970s.
“I wanted to write music that I could play cool bass parts on and mix it myself, and tell a story, document my experiences in life lyrically and just put it out there,” Sarzo said. “I’m in a band, and we’re doing really well — we’re really busy touring; Quiet Riot — and it’s not like I’m doing this because I need to make some money, thank God. It’s just that I need to create.”
Sarzo went on to explain why he chose to step away from his signature sound for this project, opting instead for a more personal and nostalgic musical direction.
“If I do my typical, what I’m known for, then it will be more of the same,” he continued. “And what I really wanted to do is to go back to my roots of music that I grew up playing and loving back in the ’70s that people don’t really record new music like that anymore in the masses.”
He further elaborated on his confidence in that era’s sound and his overall satisfaction with the creative process.
“And I was there, so I’m very educated in how that music works and what it sounds like and the songwriting structure of it,” Sarzo said. “And so I’m just having a blast doing it… I’ll put it this way: I’m making music that I enjoy listening to. And if I am the only person in the world that will enjoy listening to that music, that’s fine with me.”
No official release date has been announced yet for the solo project.
Sarzo’s solo ambitions come as no surprise given the depth and breadth of a career that has placed him among the most recognizable bassists in rock and metal history. His work across multiple legendary acts has given him a unique musical perspective that few players in the genre can claim.
Bassists.com noted that Sarzo remains best known for his work with Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, and Whitesnake. He has also played with several other well-known heavy metal and hard rock acts throughout his career. His association with these bands during the height of the 1980s metal era helped cement his reputation as one of the genre’s most prominent and in-demand bassists.
His tenure with Ozzy Osbourne placed him at the center of one of rock’s most iconic solo careers. Wikipedia noted that Osbourne rose to prominence in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of Black Sabbath before launching a massively successful solo career. It was during this period that Sarzo contributed to the live band’s powerful stage presence.
Sarzo’s time with Whitesnake further broadened his profile, aligning him with one of the most commercially successful hard rock acts of the late 1980s. These high-profile chapters in his career helped define the sound and image of mainstream hard rock and heavy metal during one of the genre’s most celebrated eras.
With decades of experience across arena-level bands, Sarzo brings a rare level of authority to his solo project. His stated desire to revisit the 1970s sounds he grew up with reflects not just nostalgia, but a deep, firsthand understanding of that era’s songwriting and production. It is a foundation he now intends to channel entirely on his own terms.
