ZAKK WYLDE: OZZY Looking For New Guitarist Is 'News To Me'

July 10, 2009

Zakk Wylde has commented on a brand new interview with Ozzy Osbourne in which the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer revealed that he is currently seeking a new guitarist for his solo band.

Classic Rock caught up with Osbourne last week at the Slash & Friends gig in Norway, where the whispers backstage had guitarist John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, ex-MARILYN MANSON) lined up as a possible replacement for Wylde.

"Well, I'm getting a new guitar player as we speak," Ozzy told Classic Rock, "and everyone has been saying to me for a long time, 'Get Johnny 5!' And I tried him at one time and I didn't really give him a chance. We'll see, I don't know. I haven't fallen out with Zakk, but Zakk's got his own band, and I felt like my stuff was beginning to sound like BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. I just felt like I wanted a change, y'know?

"I've got a guy from Greece coming in — not the musical, the country of Greece — but I'm not going to say too much about it, 'cos I don't know myself at this point.

"Zakk came down and [recorded] a bunch of stuff [for my new solo album] and I don't know if I want to use it but I've got it there if I do. And this Kevin Churko [producer] is a bit of an all-rounder so I'm getting back to basics in some respects. One thing about a guy who can't do all the finger-tapping stuff is that he plays better on the riffs 'cos it's not all [hums riff for 'Iron Man' followed by over-the-top widdling]."

Wylde, who originally joined Osbourne's band in 1987 as the replacement for Jake E. Lee, posted the following message earlier today (Friday, July 10) on his Twitter account: "I'm doing BlizzCon [convention in Anaheim, California] with [Ozzy] in August and supposed to finish up the [new Ozzy] CD in September…. This" — referring to Ozzy's comments to Classic Rock — "is news to me." He added, "I haven't heard anything about this. Until I talk to the Boss, I don't know. I love Ozzy."

Wylde was replaced in Osbourne's band by Joe Holmes from 1995 until his return in 2001.

(Thanks: Fullshred)

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