Ozzy Osbourne unable to perform with idol Paul McCartney
Black metal veteran Ozzy Osbourne has expressed his desire to work with Sir Paul McCartney in a musical collaboration. The 76-year-old Black Sabbath star revealed that although he would be honored to team up with the 83-year-old Beatles legend, there was something holding them back from making music together. Despite Sir Paul turning down a previous offer to record a bass part for one of Osbourne’s heavy metal tracks, the iconic frontman still dreams of sharing a song with the ‘Let It Be’ hitmaker.
During a recent episode of his SiriusXM show ‘Ozzy Speaks’, co-host Billy Morrison questioned Osbourne about potential duet partners, to which he promptly responded with “Paul McCartney”. However, he quickly acknowledged, “I would be honored but I couldn’t.” Ozzy has frequently spoken about the profound impact that The Beatles had on him during his formative years and their influence on his musical journey.
In a previous interview with Heat magazine, Osbourne described his unforgettable encounter with McCartney in the studio and his unsuccessful attempt to involve him in his music. Despite his failed collaboration attempt, Ozzy reminisced about the epic moment, saying, “Meeting Paul McCartney was f****** phenomenal. I was in the studio at the same time as him and tried to get him to play bass on one of my songs. But he said he couldn’t improve on the bassline that was there. I said, ‘Are you kidding? You could p*** on the record and I’d make it my life’”.
Expressing his admiration for the iconic late Beatles rocker, John Lennon, Ozzy revealed his deep respect for the band and his regret for not being able to work with Lennon. If he could choose any dream collaborators, he admitted, “John Lennon if he was alive. (I’m a) giant f****** Beatles fan. And I’d have to have Jimi Hendrix, right?”.
On his most recent solo album, ‘Patient Number 9′ released in 2022, Ozzy Osbourne enlisted a star-studded lineup of guest artists. The album featured esteemed musicians such as Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Zakk Wylde, Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, the late Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters, Robert Trujillo of Metallica, Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, and Chris of Jane’s Addiction.
Despite not having collaborated with Paul McCartney or John Lennon, Ozzy Osbourne continues to captivate audiences with his genre-defining music and musical innovation, earning his place as a music icon in the annals of rock history.