Rudy Sarzo recently opened up about his emotional response following Ozzy Osbourne’s death. He explained why he couldn’t speak to media outlets immediately after the news broke. The bassist shared his deeply personal reflections during an interview on Jay Jay French Connection.
Sarzo described the moment he learned of Osbourne’s passing and the overwhelming emotions that followed.
“Few weeks later, I’m at home and it’s early in in the morning for me and I get a text from a friend and he just says, ‘My condolences.’ And I go, ‘What happened?’ Then I text him back and I find out that Ozzy passed away and immediately there was a void and emptiness,” Sarzo said.
The bassist explained how the loss affected his ability to communicate with the press during that difficult time.
“I thought, okay, of course, he just passed away and I’ve been at this event and we share these moments and of course I feel like this. But then a couple of weeks later, I’m still feeling the same way, you know, and as soon as he passed away, immediately all these news outlets were reaching out and I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t talk. I was empty. Empty. I was out of words,” he continued.
Sarzo then revealed the deeper reason behind his profound grief. He drew a parallel to another significant loss in his life.
“Then I had to like really look inside myself. Why am I feeling like this? Then I came to the conclusion that since it was a very similar feeling as when we lost Randy [Rhoads], one of the things that Randy and Ozzy share as far as I go was that they are responsible for me having a career for me doing this, for being part of what we’re talking about. And it was like that’s what it is. I’ve lost the second person and that’s why it feels like it did for me when we lost Randy, you know.”
Sarzo’s emotional response stems from his deep professional and personal connections with both Osbourne and Rhoads. They shaped his entire musical career trajectory.
Blabbermouth reported that Sarzo played with Rhoads in Quiet Riot from 1978 to 1979 before joining Ozzy Osbourne’s band from 1981 until Rhoads’s tragic death in a plane accident in 1982. This timeline highlights how both musicians were instrumental in launching and sustaining Sarzo’s career in heavy metal.
The bassist’s relationship with Osbourne extended far beyond their professional collaboration. Guitar World noted that Sarzo has consistently praised Ozzy’s lifelong kindness toward him and Sharon Osbourne’s caring support for the band throughout their years together. This personal bond made the loss particularly devastating for the veteran musician.
Prior to Osbourne’s passing, Sarzo had recently participated in Black Sabbath’s farewell show. There he had the opportunity to thank Ozzy face-to-face. Ultimate Classic Rock revealed that during this event, Sarzo also reminisced with Sharon Osbourne about their July 4 wedding anniversary, which he and his wife had attended. This created one final meaningful memory before the tragic loss.
The parallel between losing Rhoads and Osbourne represents more than just professional setbacks for Sarzo. Both musicians were responsible for defining moments in his career. Rhoads brought him into Ozzy’s Blizzard of Ozz band in 1981, while Osbourne provided the platform that established Sarzo as one of heavy metal’s most respected bassists. Their deaths marked the end of two pivotal chapters in his musical journey.
