Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media, Inc.
Zakk Wylde potentially being in Rick Astley’s backing band? Ozzy Osbourne might have made it happen.
Many people are aware that Rick Astley, famous for his enduring pop hit “Never Gonna Give You Up,” has a fondness for rock music. He has made guest appearances with the Foo Fighters and has even taken the stage to perform a cover of AC/DC’s “Highway To Hell,” where he handles both drums and vocals.
Now, Astley has disclosed to Classic Rock that during the late 80s, at the height of his fame, Ozzy Osbourne attempted to assemble a backing band for him. At the time, Astley was in Los Angeles on his inaugural trip to the United States, and a chance encounter with Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne led to this unexpected proposal.
Astley shared the details of the encounter, explaining, “He said, ‘Are you over here playing?’ and I replied, ‘No, we’re just doing promo.’ Then he said, ‘If you want to put a band together, let me know. I’ve worked with all the greats.’ And I knew he had – he’d collaborated with some of the finest guitar players on this planet.”
The potential collaboration took an unexpected turn as Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy’s wife and manager, intervened. Astley recalls her response, saying, “Sharon just leaned over and said, ‘Will you shut up, he doesn’t want to play with your long-haired, tattooed f***ing monsters.'”
Astley was astonished by the offer and Ozzy’s belief that he could assemble the right band for Astley to perform “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Despite the abrupt end to the idea, Astley spoke fondly of Ozzy, saying, “But what a lovely man for doing it.”
In addition to this revelation, Astley expressed his admiration for Bon Scott-era AC/DC, particularly their “Highway To Hell” album. He recounted how he learned to play the drums by continuously playing along with it and even had a conversation with Dave Grohl, bonding over their shared love for the album. Dave Grohl mentioned that his daughter was also learning to play the drums to the same album.
While Rick Astley’s new album, “Are We There Yet?,” is expected to reach No. 1 in the UK, it regrettably does not feature any guest appearances from the long-haired, tattooed musicians Ozzy Osbourne had in mind.