“I wanted to give Ozzy one last hug, but I realised I probably wasn’t needed”: Gus G on his omission from Black Sabbath’s final concert
From Metallica, to Guns N’ Roses, to Slayer, the Back To The Beginning line-up was certainly star-studded. However, not everyone was fortunate enough to receive an invite – including Ozzy Osbourne’s ex-guitarist, Gus G.
Despite serving as Ozzy’s lead guitarist between 2009 and 2017, Gus reveals that he was never asked to attend Black Sabbath’s triumphant farewell show. Speaking on the Signals From Mars podcast, he explains: “I would’ve definitely loved to be there. I really wanted to see Ozzy one last time, to give him one last hug.”
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However, Gus doesn’t hold any resentment over his lack of invitation. Plenty of killer guitarists were in attendance, including his predecessor Zakk Wylde (who proved to be his eventual successor, when he reclaimed his role in Ozzy’s band in 2017). “I realise that I probably wasn’t really needed there – there were so many other people!” he admits. “So, it didn’t really bother me in that sense.”
Instead of ruminating on how he wasn’t able to attend, Gus instead focuses on how impressive the event was. “My mindset was more as a fan,” he explains. “When I saw the press release, I was like ‘Oh, cool! Ozzy’s finally doing his last show! He really wanted to get back on stage… and he’s gonna go out in the biggest way possible!’”
The excitement surrounding the gig was also somewhat overshadowed by one of Gus’ own personal milestones – the birth of his first child. “I had my kid the day before the show in Birmingham…” he smiles. “Wven if I was invited, I probably would’ve had to sit out of the rehearsals… I just came to the realisation that I had something much more important that I should be attending.”
While he may not have performed alongside Ozzy last July, nothing can take away Gus’ impact on Ozzy’s career. Even if we consider Nuno Bettencourt’s involvement in Back To The Beginning, the Extreme guitarist famously auditioned for Ozzy’s band and was ultimately turned down – Gus, in contrast, was Ozzy’s right-hand man for 8 strong years.
Not only is Gus is one of a small handful of guitarists to have served in Ozzy’s band, he also had the honour of appearing on Ozzy’s 2010 record, Scream. With all that in mind, Gus feels pretty positive about things. Whenever someone focuses on the “pity” of him not attending Ozzy’s last show, he believes that to be “looking at it from half-empty glass” perspective.
“You hear all these stories from all these incredible legendary players [about] how they auditioned… and then those guys never got the gig…” he reflects. “I’ve read a lot of those stories since Ozzy’s passing… and think ‘Wow, they must have auditioned everybody in Hollywood’. Just by putting all these stories together, [I can tell] how rare it was.”
“What were the chances of a guy like me – a kid from Greece, not even from America, that has really no history in heavy metal – to even get to that level,” he continues. “[To have the chance] to be there in that room with them and to get the stamp of approval. So, to me, that means everything. It’s like one of those stamp of approvals that is for life.”
He also expresses gratitude over just how long he was able to stand by Ozzy’s side. “It’s incredible that I got to do a whole album [with Ozzy], because I was originally signed to do an album and a tour, and I ended up being with the Osbournes for about seven years,” he explains. “I got a lot more time with Ozzy on stage and off stage than I was offered originally. So, I have no complaints.”
The post “I wanted to give Ozzy one last hug, but I realised I probably wasn’t needed”: Gus G on his omission from Black Sabbath’s final concert appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
