Legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne recently sat down with Billy Morrison for a new episode of "Ozzy Speaks" on SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard. During their conversation, Osbourne reminisced about the time Van Halen opened for Black Sabbath in 1978 on the European leg of the latter band's "Never Say Die!" tour.
"I just couldn't believe it," Osbourne said. "Eddie Van Halen made it look so fucking easy. They outshone us. They blew us off the stage."
Osbourne also shared fond memories of Eddie Van Halen, describing him as a "great guy" and "lovely man to be around." He recalled taking the entire band to his local pub and having a great time.
In a previous interview with Revolver in October 2022, Osbourne discussed his memories of touring with Van Halen. He said at the time: "Eddie Van Halen was such a great guy. They came to our local pub and it was good fun. But David Lee Roth, he's lost a couple of nuts and bolts. When you meet him, it's like, 'What's wrong with him?' He's like somewhere else, you know?"
Osbourne also touched on the rivalry between his guitarist Randy Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen, noting the competitive nature between the two. "They were arch enemies," Osbourne said, explaining that while both were exceptional guitarists, they took different influences. " They were very, very similar guitar players. Randy didn’t have a lot to say about Eddie… Eddie took that tapping thing to another level. Randy could do that, but he liked people like Leslie West."
Ozzy concluded by marveling at the continuous evolution of rock music, stating, "It amazes me that you have Eddie, you have Randy, and you think, 'No one can ever surpass that.' But then something new always comes along."
