There’s been much speculation regarding Ozzy Osbourne ostensibly disliking Ronnie James Dio after Dio replaced him in Black Sabbath in 1979. In a new interview, drummer Vinny Appice – who’s played with Dio and Black Sabbath – clarifies that the late, great Prince of Darkness actually “really liked” Dio despite initially being upset about what happened.
What Appice Said
During his recent appearance on Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk (uploaded to YouTube on July 24, 2025), Appice explained how Ozzy truly felt about Dio:
Ozzy would always tell me how he loved Ronnie. Everybody, you know, created this thing that they hate each other, but Ozzy used to talk about him all the time. Then, he used to talk about my brother [Carmine], saying, “You know, I really like your brother.” He would tell me the same things the next day, too [laughs].
Trunk then notes how “interesting” it is to hear Appice’s words given how often “it was presented that there was a thing [between Dio and Ozzy].”
Appice continues:
Yeah, he used to sit down and tell me about Ronnie, too. He really liked Ronnie and this and that, and there’s some pictures on the internet where they’re hanging out, actually. A festival, it looks like, and there’s a picture of Ronnie and Ozzy and they’re just hanging out. You know, things get blown up on the internet. You know, you don’t know the truth – really – of what’s going on.
That’s certainly great to hear, but it would’ve been understandable if Ozzy felt differently, too.
As he told SiriusXM in 2022 (via Ultimate Classic Rock): “Ronnie did a good job [in Black Sabbath]. At the time, I was fucking sad because . . . they were the only thing that ever happened to me.” At the time, he also applauded his former bandmates for “[getting] somebody completely different” instead of choosing from the countless “Ozzy sound-alikes.”
That said, he admitted that he hadn’t listened to the Dio-era of Black Sabbath.
“It’s like my ex-wife . . . [when] you leave a band like that, it’s just like getting divorced,” he reflected (per Ultimate Classic Rock). “You don’t go, ‘How’s your new bloke? Is he better than me?’”
Finally, Ozzy concluded: “Looking back, [hiring Dio] was the best thing that ever happened” because “[Black Sabbath] had a good start again.”
You can listen to Appice and Trunk’s clip below:
READ MORE: The Most Collected Albums By 11 Big ’80s Metal Bands (on Discogs)
More About Dio + Ozzy’s Histories With Black Sabbath
Speaking of Dio’s tenure with the godfathers of heavy metal – and as genre fans probably already know – he made his studio debut with Black Sabbath on 1980’s beloved Heaven and Hell. He remained for 1981’s Mob Rules but left afterward due to personal issues, ultimately taking Appice with him so they could start Dio. Both men returned for 1992’s Dehumanizer, left shortly after and then formed Heaven & Hell with Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler in 2006. Their only studio record – The Devil You Know – arrived in 2008.
As for Ozzy, he returned to Black Sabbath for Live Aid 1985; did a one-off show with them in 1992; and properly returned in 1997. A year later, the original quartet put out the Reunion live album (which featured two new studio tracks: “Psycho Man” and “Selling My Soul”). Ozzy stayed until Black Sabbath’s hiatus in 2006 and came back when Black Sabbath returned in 2011. Subsequently, they put out their last LP (13) in 2013 and their last EP (The End) in 2016.
Of course, the foursome played their final (“Back to the Beginning”) shows on July 5, 2015 in Birmingham, England.
Other Ozzy + Black Sabbath News
There’s been a lot of news to report following the landmark Back to the Beginning show and the July 22, 2025 passing of Ozzy Osbourne.
For instance, former Who and Oasis drummer Zak Starkey recently expressed “regret” over declining Sharon Osbourne’s offer to have him play on 13. As it turns out, Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk performed drum duties on the LP, with both men eventually playing on The End.
Outside of that, fans can look forward to a film commemorating the Back to the Beginning concert coming out in 2026.
As for Ozzy, countless tributes have been made in his honor over the last few days from fans and fellow musicians (including Zakk Wylde, David Lee Roth and Billy Corgan). Black Sabbath as a collective – in addition to drummer Bill Ward, Iommi and Butler – have issued separate statements, too. Ozzy’s final social media post was turned into an online fan memorial as well, and Loudwire even started a petition to have Chipotle create an “Ozzy” burrito!
Plus, Ozzy announced earlier this month that his second memoir – Last Rites – will be coming out on Oct. 7 via Grand Central Publishing. You can preorder it here.
Memorials For Ozzy Osbourne Around Birmingham, England
Music fans flocked to various landmarks around Birmingham to honor the late Ozzy Osbourne, who died on July 22 at the age of 76.
Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll
