In a recent interview to Jeff Nielsen, Zakk Wylde talked about how he wound up with Ozzy’s Farewell Tour and about the success of their partnership on a ham sandwich. Take a look:
“Ozzy said, ‘Gus G. is doing the Firewind thing, and Jake [E. Lee] is doing his thing. Brad Gillis is doing Night Ranger. Bernie Torme is still doing the blues thing. You’re the last option. Do you want to do it?’
“I said, ‘Yes.’ My buddies go, ‘Doesn’t it bother you that you’re the last option?’. I said, ‘No. At least, I’m an option.’
“We did rehearsals, and Ozzy said to me like he said to me when I was 19 years old, ‘Just play with your heart and make me a ham sandwich and go light on the mustard.’ I made him a ham sandwich and went light on the mustard and here we are.”
“It helps that you like the same type of music. I’ve always been a Sabbath fan and I was a Randy [Rhoads] fan, and I loved Jake [E. Lee]. It’s almost like I’ve been a Yankees fan all my life, and [catcher] Thurman Munson was my guy, and now I’m catching for the Yankees.
“I’ve always loved playing the music. It’s like trying out for the Yankees. You know how sacred it is when you put that uniform on. That’s the way I’ve always viewed it.”
