Key Points

Ozzy Osbourne admits he couldn't bring himself to perform with his idol Paul McCartney despite being a die-hard Beatles fan. The Black Sabbath frontman once tried to get McCartney to play bass on one of his songs, but the Beatles legend declined. Ozzy still calls meeting McCartney a "phenomenal" experience and wishes he could have also worked with John Lennon. The rock icon is now preparing for his final Black Sabbath concert in Birmingham.

Key Points: Ozzy Osbourne Says He Couldn't Perform With Idol Paul McCartney

  • Ozzy wanted McCartney on a Black Sabbath track
  • McCartney declined, saying he couldn't improve the bassline
  • Ozzy calls The Beatles his lifelong influence
  • He also wished to collaborate with John Lennon
2 min read

Ozzy Osbourne says he 'couldn't' perform with his idol Paul McCartney

Black Sabbath legend Ozzy Osbourne reveals why he couldn't collaborate with Beatles icon Paul McCartney despite being a lifelong fan.

"Meeting Paul McCartney was f****** phenomenal... You could p*** on the record and I’d make it my life - Ozzy Osbourne"

Los Angeles, June 26

Black metal legend Ozzy Osbourne has shared that while he would love to collaborate with Sir Paul McCartney there’s something which stopped that from happening.

The Black Sabbath frontman, 76, previously tried to get The Beatles legend, 83, to record a bass part on the heavy metal band's track, which he declined, but he still dreams about being on a song with the ‘Let It Be’ hitmaker, reports ‘Female First UK’.

In a new episode of his SiriusXM show ‘Ozzy Speaks’, he was asked by co-host Billy Morrison who he'd like to duet with, to which he replied, "Paul McCartney”. However, he swiftly added, “I would be honoured but I couldn’t”.

As per ‘Female First UK’, Ozzy has spoken about the legendary Liverpool band being a huge influence on him since he was a young man.

He once told Heat magazine of their failed collaboration, “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’”.

Ozzy previously said he wishes he could have collaborated with late Beatles frontman John Lennon.

He told ‘The Sun’, "“John Lennon if he was alive. (I'm a) giant f****** Beatles fan. And I’d have to have Jimi Hendrix, right?”.

Ozzy's last solo album, 2022's Patient Number 9, featured a long list of guest artists, including Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Zakk Wylde, Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, Metallica's Robert Trujillo, Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses, and Jane's Addiction's Chris Chaney.

Ozzy is currently preparing to play his last concert with Black Sabbath at the Back To The Beginning concert at Birmingham's Villa Park on July 5. Special guests include Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan, Duff McKagan and Slash of Guns ‘N Roses.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the Ozzy Osbourne article:
R
Rahul K.
As a metalhead from Mumbai, this makes me emotional! Ozzy and Black Sabbath were my gateway to metal. It's beautiful to see legends respecting each other like this. McCartney might not realize how much his refusal actually shows his respect for Ozzy's music. 🤘
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Priya M.
Interesting how Western musicians maintain such humility despite their fame. In India, our legends like AR Rahman or Lata Mangeshkar also showed similar grace. Music truly transcends borders. Though I wish Ozzy had tried collaborating with some Indian artists too!
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Amit S.
The Beatles' influence is universal! My father in Kolkata still has original vinyl records. Ozzy's admiration shows how great music connects generations. Though I must say, a McCartney-Ozzy collab would have been... interesting to say the least! 😅
S
Sneha R.
Respect to both legends! But honestly, I'm more excited about Ozzy's final concert lineup. Metallica + Guns N' Roses members? That's like our Bollywood award shows where all stars come together! Hope someone streams it for international fans.
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Vikram J.
While I appreciate Ozzy's sentiment, I wish he'd acknowledged Indian rock/metal bands too. We have amazing talent here - bands like Parikrama or Bloodywood deserve international recognition. Global artists should look beyond just Western collaborations.
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Neha P.
Ozzy's humility is touching! Reminds me of when Zakir Hussain collaborated with Western artists - that mutual respect between different music worlds. Though at 76, Ozzy should maybe focus on resting rather than touring. Health comes first, na?

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