Ozzy Osbourne Admits He Wanted to Work with Paul McCartney But Says It Wasn’t Possible
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The legendary rocker opened up about a past exchange with former Beatles icon Paul McCartney during a recent radio broadcast, revealing that although he hoped to collaborate, the opportunity never materialized.
Ozzy Osbourne Reflects on Missed Opportunity to Collaborate with Paul McCartney
Ozzy Osbourne still dreams of working with Paul McCartney—though he admits it may never happen.
On a recent episode of his SiriusXM show Ozzy Speaks, the 76-year-old rock legend opened up about his admiration for the Beatles icon. When co-host Billy Morrison asked who his ultimate musical partner would be, Osbourne didn’t hesitate: “Paul McCartney,” he replied immediately.
But Osbourne quickly tempered his enthusiasm, adding, “I would be honored, but I couldn’t…” suggesting that despite his respect for McCartney, he doesn’t see the collaboration happening.
Morrison encouraged him not to give up hope, saying, “Why not? Put it out into the universe. You never know.”
Osbourne has long expressed his reverence for the Beatles and McCartney in particular. In a previous interview with Heat Magazine, as reported by Far Out, he recalled an unforgettable encounter with the music legend.
“Meeting Paul McCartney was f—— phenomenal,” Osbourne said. “We were in the studio at the same time, and I asked him to play bass on one of my songs.” However, McCartney declined, saying the bassline was already strong and didn’t need improving. Osbourne joked in response, “Are you kidding? You could piss on the record and I’d make it my life!”
Despite his admiration, a musical partnership has never come to fruition—despite multiple run-ins over the years. McCartney, who’s worked with artists like Rihanna, Kanye West, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and members of Nirvana, has yet to add Osbourne to his extensive list of collaborators.
While fans may not get to hear a McCartney-Osbourne track anytime soon, there’s another exciting milestone ahead for Osbourne. On July 5, he’ll reunite with his Black Sabbath bandmates—Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—for the Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham, U.K.
The upcoming performance will be the first time in two decades that the original Black Sabbath lineup takes the stage together, marking what’s expected to be a powerful sendoff for the heavy metal pioneers.