Ozzy Osbourne’s Final Conversation With Tom Morello

Tom Morello served as the musical director for Ozzy Osbourne’s Back to the Beginning concert, and during a recent conversation at the Rocklahoma Festival, he shared his final exchange with the legendary rocker.

Speaking with Rocklahoma Live hosts Johnny Dare and Chuck Armstrong (of Loudwire Nights), Morello humorously recounted his last interaction with Ozzy — a moment that was unmistakably Ozzy.

What Were Ozzy Osbourne’s Final Words to Tom Morello?

With Ozzy Osbourne’s passing so close to his final performance, many involved were left reflecting on their last moments with the Prince of Darkness. For Morello, it was a conversation he almost missed — and one that caught him by surprise.

“This is the last time I saw Ozzy,” Morello began. “The day is done. It’s been great. People have been working on the show for a very long time, and we’re all hugging and crying. So we go to the afterparty, and finally it’s mellow. I’m playing pinball with my son, and somebody taps me on the shoulder. I’m in the middle of a multi-ball and I’m like, ‘Get off me.’ And it’s Jack Osbourne — his dad wants to say hi.”

He continued, “So I finish my game, and it’s like, ‘Ozzy would like to say something,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ First of all, Ozzy comes to the afterparty — which is crazy, right? So I got to kiss his head one last time, tell him I love him, thank him for a lifetime of music — and his reply was, ‘Could you find Sharon? I want to get the fuck out of here.’”

Laughing, Morello added, “That’s the perfect coda to the day.”

How Important Was Ozzy Osbourne to Tom Morello?

“Heavy metal is the music that made me love music, and Black Sabbath invented that,” Morello explained. “And then Ozzy Osbourne is the artist who brought Randy Rhoads to the world. That was the poster on my wall when I was practicing eight hours a day.”

Morello’s admiration went beyond music. “I named my first son Rhoads Morello in honor of Randy, so I don’t just owe a musical and artistic debt to those guys — it’s a real personal life debt,” he revealed. “So when Ozzy and Sharon asked me to be the musical director and curate that day, I took it very, very seriously. The idea was to make it the greatest day in the history of heavy metal — and I think we did pretty well.”