Zakk Wylde Shares Surprise Cut From Ozzy’s Farewell

Nearly a year after Ozzy Osbourne’s final performance, longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde has revealed that one of the singer’s most iconic tracks was rehearsed but ultimately cut from the show.

Speaking on The Vinyl Guide podcast, Wylde looked back on the “Back to the Beginning” concert, a star-studded event celebrating both Osbourne’s solo career and his work with Black Sabbath. When asked whether any songs had been prepared but not performed, Wylde confirmed that “No More Tears” had been considered.

“Yeah, we were going to do ‘No More Tears,’” Wylde said. “Oz was like, if I’m up for it, if I can do it, we’ll do ‘No More Tears’. So, yeah, we did it in rehearsals.”

A Last-Minute Change of Plans

Despite rehearsing the track, Osbourne ultimately decided against performing it during the concert. According to Wylde, the decision came down to the singer’s condition on the day of the show.

“That day, as he looked over at me, he goes, ‘No, Zakk. We’ll just do ‘Mama [I’m Coming Home.’ And then we’ll end it with ‘Crazy Train,’” Wylde recalled. “It was Ozzy’s call. (4:27) If he felt he could do it, we [would have played it].”

The adjustment underscored the unpredictability surrounding Osbourne’s health at the time, as well as the collaborative dynamic between the vocalist and his longtime guitarist.

Hopes for More — and a Final Reality

In the aftermath of the concert, Wylde admitted he had not viewed the performance as a closing chapter. Instead, he imagined it as the beginning of a renewed creative period for Osbourne—one that could include new music and a global run of similarly themed shows.

“I just figured we’d be working on another record. And, you know, in between Oz doing his therapy and trying to get better, [Sharon Osbourne] would book these Back to the Beginning shows all over the world,” Wylde explained. “Do the next one in Brazil, the next one in Japan, the next one in Chicago, the next one in Australia, the next one in New Zealand… I’m just saying, you could do them all around the world.”

That sense of forward momentum makes what followed all the more poignant. Osbourne’s death just 17 days after the concert not only brought an abrupt end to those plans, but also reframed the event itself—transforming it from what seemed like a new beginning into an unintentional farewell.

“I didn’t see him passing away 17 days after the gig,” Wylde confessed.

In hindsight, the concert now stands as a powerful final statement from one of rock’s most enduring figures. What was once imagined as the first step in a new chapter has instead become a defining closing moment—one that captures both Osbourne’s resilience and the lasting impact of his decades-long career.