Classic Ozzy Bassist Comments on Not Being Invited to Play Osbourne’s Last Show

Last week, Black Sabbath announced that they’re reuniting (with all four original members) for a one-day all-star concert event to celebrate the final live performance of Ozzy Osbourne. Now, classic Ozzy bassist Bob Daisley has commented on not being invited to play Osbourne’s last show.

What Daisley Said

Daisley – who contributed to Ozzy’s entire 1980s solo catalog in some way – recently spoke to YouTube channel Indie Power TV about the arguable snub. During their conversation (uploaded on Feb. 6), they chatted about how successful Daisley’s time with Ozzy was, prompting Daisley to reflect [as transcribed by Blabbermouth]: “To be honest with you, I don’t think I’d wanna be a part of that day. It’ll be awkward, but it could turn out as an embarrassment as well, but we’ll see. We’ll see.”

READ MORE: The 20 Ozzy Osbourne-Era Songs Black Sabbath Never Played Live

As Blabbermouth notes, Daisley also commented on not receiving a mention when Ozzy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last October:

I didn’t expect [to get a mention]. I knew that was coming, because there’s been some dirty water gone under the bridge between us – there’s been lawsuits and legal issues and that –so I was not surprised when I didn’t get a mention. Many people thought that it was wrong and that I should have got a mention. But I really didn’t expect it, so I wasn’t surprised.

Daisley did have kind words to say about the original lineup of Ozzy’s band, however, which included late guitar god Randy Rhoads. Per Blabbermouth, Daisley surmised:

It was a chemistry and a formula that worked, and it worked very well. I don’t think any one of us could have been replaced with anyone else and have it work like it did. Ozzy’s voice, tone, and melodies were integral to the sound and deliverance of everything that we did. And Randy and me working together musically first, and then me writing the lyrics to Ozzy’s vocal melodies, it all just jelled [sic]. And Lee was definitely the last piece of the puzzle that helped the chemistry and the big picture.

You can watch Daisley’s full interview with Indie Power TV below.

Daisley’s History With Ozzy

As many diehard heavy metal fans already know, Daisley co-founded Ozzy’s solo band in 1979, and he contributed bass, songwriting and/or co-production to every studio and live collection from 1980’s Blizzard of Ozz to 1991’s No More Tears. Thus, he had a hand in creating iconic tracks such as “Crazy Train,” “Mr. Crowley,” “Bark at the Moon” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” (Around the same time, Daisley worked with eminent artists such as Rainbow, Uriah Heep and Gary Moore, too.)

That said, he was initially fired from the band in 1981 due to creative and personal differences (but came back here and there over the next decade to fulfill various roles). Over the last 25 years, Daisley has filed numerous lawsuits against Ozzy for unpaid royalties and issues regarding performance credits on studio records as well. To date, they’ve all been dismissed.

More About Black Sabbath’s Reunion Show (and Ozzy’s Last Performance)

As Loudwire reported last week, Black Sabbath’s reunion show (which will also be Ozzy’s last-ever live performance) will take place on July 5 at Villa Park, Birmingham. Unsurprisingly, many major metal acts have also joined the bill, including Pantera, Metallica, Slayer, Gojira, Alice in Chains, Mastodon and Anthrax. Likewise, special guests will include Billy Corgan, K.K. Downing, Frank Bello, David Draiman, Zakk Wylde and Wolfgang Van Halen.

The all-day affair (entitled Black to the Beginning – The Final Show) is obviously a monumental event for all metal fans, not just because it sees the godfathers of the genre taking the stage again, but also because it sees Ozzy finally getting back to the stage after years of postponements and cancelations due to various medical issues.

“It’s my time to go Back to the Beginning….time for me to give back to the place where I was born. How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham Forever,” he rejoiced.

Tom Morello will serve as the musical director, and the event will also benefit several charitable ventures (including the Acorn Children’s Hospice and the Birmingham Children’s Hospital).

Over the past few days, individual statements from guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and Sharon Osbourne have added excitement and emotion to the announcement. Plus, multiple rockers and fans have shared their enthusiasm for the event.

For instance, Mastodon proclaimed, “It’s hard to put into words how excited and honored we are to take part in this. July 5th at Villa Park, Birmingham! @BlackSabbath and @OzzyOsbourne and a killer lineup! Yes, please! This is going to be amazing.” Similarly, one user on X tweeted: “That Black Sabbath show and all the acts involved (except Pantera, fuck Pantera) is going to be the biggest metal event I think I’ve seen in my life so far.”

As for how you can be there, too, tickets will go on sale at 10AM GMT on Friday, Feb. 14 via Live Nation’s U.K. website.

So, are you excited about the show? What do you think of Daisley not being invited to it, as well as his reaction to not being included? Let us know!

Classic Ozzy Bassist Bob Daisley Discusses Ozzy’s Last Show + More With Indie Power TV