TOMMY CLUFETOS, Who Played With OZZY OSBOURNE And BLACK SABBATH: 'I Didn't Get Into Drums To Play At The Corner Bar'

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, drummer Tommy Clufetos spoke about what it was like to play with Ozzy Osbourne, one and off, for more than a decade, first as a member of Ozzy's solo band and then as the replacement for Bill Ward in BLACK SABBATH's touring lineup. Asked if he ever thought, while growing up in Detroit, that he would so connected to Ozzy's camp, Tommy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, in a strange idea, yes, I did think, whether it was Ozzy or somebody else, I did envision whatever's happened in my life to happen. And I envision more to happen. I didn't get into drums to play at the corner bar. Even though I played at the corner bar — I got no problem with it — but I had the biggest aspirations. I still do, and that's where my fire comes from, is I want."

He continued: "They say, "Well, you can't play in every band.' And I go, 'Why not? Why can't you? Why can't you?' I can do whatever I want, and wherever my talent leads me, I will follow. And that's what I've always done. And it's led to playing with Ozzy Osbourne and BLACK SABBATH and Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper. But I always approached it the same when I was playing at home in Detroit, the same death grip of the drumsticks and going for it. That's where I got my craft. That's where I got to play for all these greats, is from playing in Detroit like it was the end, 'cause it's always the end. And that's what I'm gonna do at the Token Lounge [in Westland, Michigan when I play there in April with my band TOMMY'S ROCKTRIP]. I'm gonna play just like I was playing at the BRIT Awards [as part of the Ozzy tribute], like everybody's watching, because everybody always is watching."

Tommy added: "It's not about being a used car salesman, but it's about having a passion for what you do. And hopefully that passion ignites inside of you, and you can't help but let it out. I can't help but let it out. When I get behind my drums and I do what I do, the Motor City and playing gigs till four in the morning and lugging my gear in the snow and loading up the P.A., and bar owners screwing you on money and all these hard things and all these things that you secretly love come through the passion of what I do."

Asked if he was a RUSH fan growing up, Clufetos responded: " I wasn't. I appreciate RUSH, but I wasn't a RUSH guy. That wasn't my thing. But they do have a wonderful new female drummer [Anika Nilles], who I've seen play with Jeff Beck. I'm sure she's gonna do awesome… We have the same cymbal endorsement company, so I have met her and I saw her play and she's a phenomenal drummer. And I'm sure they're just gonna go sell out everywhere.

He added: "Like I said, I appreciate RUSH. [But] that wasn't my side of things. That wasn't where I was coming from [musically]. And you know what I found out? As I got older, everybody, they tell you, 'Oh, you gotta enjoy all types of music. You gotta be so well rounded.' And the older I get, I go, why? Why can't you just like what you like? And that's okay too. And maybe do your thing. The older I've gotten — you can appreciate other things in music and you can partake, but that doesn't mean because somebody else is a big band that you have to love it. I'm not saying I don't appreciate it, but it doesn't get my guts — like it gets somebody else's guts. You know what I mean? And they're not gonna get off on the same music that I get off on. That's the cool thing."

Circling back to RUSH, Tommy said: "So, yes, I absolutely appreciate them. They're a killer band. I did watch their documentary, and what a story. And I do have utmost respect for Neil's [Peart, late RUSH drummer] approach and his dedication and the way he spoke about his family and certain things like this that I definitely connect to that side, maybe more so than the actual… I like some of their older stuff where it was killer rock and stuff. I did like that."

TOMMY'S ROCKTRIP, where Clufetos offers his take on the rock 'n roll influences that made him one of the most sought-after drummers in the current hard rock scene, will play at the Token Lounge in Westland, Michigan on April 23.

In May 2021, TOMMY'S ROCKTRIP released its debut album, "Beat Up By Rock 'N' Roll", via Frontiers Music Srl. Eric Dover, known for singing and playing guitar with JELLYFISH, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and Alice Cooper, handled lead vocals on the LP (though Tommy grabbed the mic for three tracks). Eliot Lorengo (bass),Hank Schneekluth (guitar) and Nao Nakashima (guitar) rounded out the supporting cast.

Clufetos worked with such rock icons as Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie before joining Ozzy Osbourne in 2010. That led to a spot as the drummer on BLACK SABBATH's last two world tours.

Clufetos did not play on the SABBATH reunion album, "13", a role that was filled by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE drummer Brad Wilk. Ozzy Osbourne told The Pulse Of Radio at the time that Clufetos was gong to play on the record until producer Rick Rubin stepped in.

Image credit: George s Pogacich