Although the Ozzy Osbourne/ Rob Zombie Merry Mayhem tour has encountered its share of setbacks-including the postponement of 10 shows after Osbourne broke his leg in a bathroom mishap and the recent cancellation of the last two shows due to routing problems-Osbourne continues to be pleased with the proceedings. Fans, he says, are particularly happy that he’s gotten back together with Zakk Wylde, who was his guitarist in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
Osbourne said that bringing Wylde back into the band was a reaction to the fans’ expressed wishes. “I listen to my fan base,” he says. “I answer my Ozzy website. People were going, you know, ‘Zakk’s great, Ozzy’s great, but Zakk and Ozzy are the greatest,’ just the same way that people wanted me to go back with Black Sabbath and do a tour. If my fan base said, ‘Zakk Wylde, he should never go on stage again,’ I’d listen to that.”
The Merry Mayhem tour-in support of Osbourne’s new solo album, Down To Earth, which has been certified gold-will now end on December 23 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, at which time Osbourne and Zombie will donate ticket proceeds to the Howard Stern Relief Fund. The canceled shows are December 28 in Los Angeles and December 29 in San Diego, while a New Year’s Eve date in Phoenix was canceled some time ago due to security concerns in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
