*Photo Zak Starkey: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images/ Photo Ozzy: Disney/Eric McCandless*
Zak Starkey Black Sabbath regret surfaced this week as the longtime drummer shared a heartfelt tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 76. In a reflective Instagram post, Starkey revealed he once declined an offer to perform with Black Sabbath—a decision he now considers one of his biggest regrets.
Starkey, known for his work with The Who and Oasis, shared a direct message he received years ago from Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy’s wife and manager. In it, she offered Starkey the opportunity to drum for Sabbath at Download Festival and Lollapalooza, both held in 2012.
The message also mentioned a spot on an upcoming Sabbath album produced by Rick Rubin, a reference to the band’s 2013 release, 13—their final studio album, which ultimately featured Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine on drums.
Sharon jokingly closed her note with:
“Also, Ozzy wants to have sex with you while he is singing ‘Iron Man.’”
Starkey captioned his post with a nod to the missed opportunity:
“Regrets I’ve had a few — this is one — (not the sex part!) Ozzy will always be one of the greatest, natural, brilliant singers of all time. I send much love and strength to his family at this sad sad time.”
He ended the post by encouraging fans to revisit a deep cut:
“If u aren’t familiar with the Never Say Die! record — get into it — it’s so far out — X,” referring to Sabbath’s 1978 album.
Content for this summary was derived from original reporting by ABC Audio, as featured on 105.7 The Point
