OZZY OSBOURNE/BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - ZAKK WYLDE

"This is the coolest thing on the planet. right then I thought 'This is what I want to do with my life." Zakk Wylde, guitarist, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society, Zakk Sabbath

 WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE

ON EPISODE 38 - LIVING THE DREAM:

An amazing 13 million-year-old baby ape skull was found in Kenya, complete with an intact brain case and unerupted adult teeth. This could help scientists piece together the evolution of modern apes and even humans, and we discuss the possibilities on Science this week. Then on What Fuels You, the idea about chasing your dreams and making them a reality is commonplace, but how you go about it different for everyone. Finally, on the Update, D-Man and Jeff talk about an upcoming pull-over hoodie and the next issue of the comic book, Death Wish Coffee Presents Odinforce #2.

ABOUT ZAKK WYLDE:

Zakk Wylde started playing guitar at a young age but it wasn't until high school when he decided to pursue it as a career. He joins the show to talk about his early days as a musician and auditioning for Ozzy Osbourne. Also, Zakk talks about following your dreams and being determined, and his solo career including Black Label Society and Zakk Sabbath. Of course, we talk about Valhalla Java coffee and it is revealed that Zakk will be a character in the upcoming second issue of  Death Wish Coffee Presents Odinforce comic book. 

TRANSCRIPT:

Jeff: First question I want to start with. I want to go all the way back. I want to go into your past because it is widely known that you play a little instrument called the guitar. But I really want to know what actually made you pick up the guitar, to begin with. Like who ... What were your influences? Why did you gravitate to the guitar and not the trombone or whatever?

Zakk: Well, if we're really going that far back-

Jeff: Oh yeah.

Zakk: I used to be a ping pong champion-

Jeff: Whoa.

Zakk: but I was ... yes, I was ... once I saw Father John and his skills, I decided to step away from the table and that's when I realized, actually, that Big Dave actually needs work on his game as well if he plans on even ever entering a tournament.

Jeff: Are you calling out Big Dave, our roaster?

Zakk: I'm not calling anyone out. I'm just speaking factually.

Jeff: Oh, oh I got it. I got it now. I got it.

Dustin: Those are fighting words.

Zakk: I mean it's just because I can.

Jeff: Aw, but seriously though, like who were guitar influences for you? Were there guitarists that you were listening to as a kid when you were first starting to play?

Zakk: No, I mean, my first musical moment where I was like, the power of music and there's just like how powerful it is. Remember, probably about 1975 I saw Elton John playing "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" on the Sonny and Cher show.

Jeff: Yeah.

Zakk: And I remember just thinking it was like the coolest thing I ever saw. And not only that, just the music, the song, and everything like that. I mean, before that ... obviously when you're kids you just like AM radio and then you just listen to what's on the radio, whatever you folks are playing. There's really ... you don't have any favorite bands or anything like that because I was eight years old.

Jeff: Right.

Zakk: So I mean ... after I heard that, it was I was just an Elton John freak o after that. So the whole thing is ... and I still am. We just saw him out in Vegas not too long ago and he was crushing.

Jeff: He's still crushing it. It's crazy.

Dustin: Yes, he's amazing.

Zakk: What [inaudible 00:02:23]does that say? He's just timeless, man. But the whole thing is ... it was then, and when I got to be about 11 or so, then I remember, my buddy, we had Arts class, and we were doing some sculpture thing or whatever, and he had a skull with ... which is basically like the logo that we use for Black Label now with Skully.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: Draw a skull. The whole thing is that is was that a kind of lightning bolt going through and it said Black Sabbath, 666, right? And I said, "Well, what is that?" And he goes, "My brother listens to this band. My older brother." I said, "Oh. How do you even know it was a band or anything like that?" I remember we were at the record store at the mall or something like that, and my mom was like, "If you want to get a record, you can get a record." So I said, "Ah, great."
I go in there and I could only get one album. Being the tool that I was, I made sure I got one. Soul by Soul for Rock and Roll, which was a double album but looked like one record.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: Anyways, got that album and then put it on. Crapped my pants when I heard it. Between the rain and the lightning and the turrets growling and the first whipple box on it.

Jeff: Oh, yes.

Zakk: Because I didn't ... anything before that. It's just like I'm hooked on Sabbath after that. It was ... I started playing guitar when I was probably about 8. But you know, I always wanted ... I never, I never practiced and I never [inaudible 00:03:52]. I remember my guitar DJ at the time, he told my parents. He goes, "You're just wasting your time. Maybe he'll come back to it later on." But, you know, it's the truth. It's like anything in life. If you really want to do something, it's not a chore and it's not a job to do it. You just do it.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: You know what I mean? Like vinyl and the genitalia. That's not a chore. You just do it.

Dustin: You just do it.

Jeff: You do it because you have to.

Zakk: And you do it a lot. That's right. You have to put it down in order to get around to other things around that you need to do, like bring the garbage out or clean the back yard.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: Or whatever it is you got to do.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: I mean, that didn't happen until I was about ... then I quit guitar. I wasn't really, you know, I wasn't interested in it at all until I was ... then I was playing football and everything around that circled around baseball and football. I was playing sports. Then when I got to high school, and I couldn't ... obviously, Pop Warner, there was a weight limit and everything like that. When you get to high school, obviously per freshman year and everything like that, I was just like ... what I wanted to do, I loved Randy White and I loved Jack Lambert and everything like that. For me, I was a linebacker when I played Pop Warner. That was my goal was ... I had everything mapped out. I was going to go to Maryland University where Randy White went.

Jeff: Oh wow.

Zakk: And then become a professional football player. Then eventually become a broadcaster and the whole nine yards. Once I couldn't make the weight limit then, I was just like ... I mean, I was a bummer because I was like if I wasn't going to be a linebacker because of my weight, maybe they're going to put me at cornerback or safety or anything like that. But I had been going over the coaches house and he was talking to me into continuing to play at football. He was ... he had a Les Paul sitting in the living room at the time, and my mother had asked him, "Hey, Mr Wright." Just because he was my football coach. She said, "Do you play the guitar?" And he was like, "Well, I kind of noodle around. I play country songs on there. My son, Leroy, is the one that plays."
Leroy comes out and this is the first time I ever saw a dude with long hair.

Jeff: Ohhh.

Zakk: Looked like a rock star. He came out and he started shredding on the guitar playing all types like Hendrix. He was playing Van Halen and everything. Then at the time, Sabbath he was playing, some Zeppelin, all right. Then after that, he started playing like Crazy Train because it had just come out.

Jeff: Oh, okay.

Dustin: Sounds like the coolest dude in the world.

Zakk: Without a doubt. So that's why I was ... and when I'm just watching, physically seeing somebody do it in front of you, I was like, "This is the coolest thing on the planet." It just looked so interesting to me. I was right there in that. I was like that's what I want to do with my life. The whole thing is I started taking lessons from Leroy. And he was awesome.
He would teach me everything from all my favorite bands or all the guys I want to learn from. But he would also teach you the theory and everything like that and how it works. You're looking a car engine and it's just like, "Well, what`s this part? Well, the reason why this is on here is it's for this." You know what I mean? You would just break it down for you so that you could understand it.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: Yeah, no. He was a great teacher and everything like that. It was just I was truly blessed to have him. From there ... and like I said, like with your genitals, you just can't put it down at that point, you know what I mean?

Jeff: Right. Right.

Zakk: You can't stop.

Jeff: And from there, I mean, you go from someone who's now learning the craft and you got to the point where you're like, "I want to do this. I want to pursue this as maybe even a career." And you're a fan of Sabbath and you're a fan of that kind of thing. Then a few years later, you're still a kid and you're playing with Ozzie. What was ... what was that journey like? Was there an audition process? Did you have to jump through fiery hoops to get there? What was that like?

Zakk: Well, no. You had to make a pact with the devil and you sell your soul.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: But being ... then you become ... but then, it's a huge process like the [inaudible 00:08:07]. Because of the ... you shave your legs. The anal bleaching. The commitment to selling your soul. And then you convert back to Catholicism after the shell for a balancing and it's quite the balancing act. It's quite the production.

Jeff: I see.

Zakk: But if you're committed to the project, like I said, it's like fondling the genitalia. You prime it. You just do it.

Jeff: That's incredible. Was it a culture shock for you? Someone who was originally going out and looking to be, you know, you wanted to pursue sports. Then you changed your track and, "I want to pursue guitar." Then you find yourself playing with one of the biggest musicians in the world and touring the world, I mean, as ... you're nineteen years old, twenty years old at the time. Was that a culture shock for you?

Zakk: Well, without a doubt. I'm just saying because I'm a huge Ozzie fan. It's not like I'm getting the gig just because. And some of the guys that were down there auditioning, I remember me and some of the guys, for them it was just like a stepping block because it's, "Oh, I hear the gig pays well," or whatever.

Jeff: Right.

Zakk: They're not really fans of Sabbath. They're not a fan of Ozzie. They're not a fan of Randy. They're not a fan of Jake. They're not a fan, you know what I mean?

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: For me, it was like being a New York Yankee fan and I love Thurmon Munson and now I'm catching for the New York Yankees.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: You know, I'm in the same position where my hero, you know what I mean. For me, it was mind blowing. It still is to this day.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: I did some shows in Chicago and everything like that. We were just out on doing some shows at the Boston Chicago open air and everything. It's still awesome, without a doubt.

Jeff: Yes. And for all of our listeners out there, some of that footage ... there's some footage from people in the crowd of you guys just playing. You can go check that out on YouTube. I mean, you all ... you and Ozzie especially. You still have that spark. You still have that thing. I got to ask. You guys are getting back into it now. You're going back out on tour. Is there any chance you guys are going to write anything or maybe some new material?

Zakk: Like you said, if Oz ever says any of that, "You got any whips lying around? You got anything? Let's do something." It's like, "Yeah, of course." I wouldn't ... you know what I mean?

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: But that's all ... like I said, it's always up to Oz. If he wants to do something, we'll knock it out.

Jeff: Yes. He seems like he's never going to stop.

Zakk: Yes. Without a doubt.

Dustin: It's like playing with your genitalia. You just never stop.

Zakk: You never stop. You never stop.

Dustin: Doesn't matter how old you are. You still got to yank it around every now and then.

Jeff: Yes, exactly.

Zakk: But you'd just be responsible. You pick your stops and you just be responsible.

Dustin: Yes. You just can't yank it willy nilly.

Zakk: No. With great power comes great responsibility.

Jeff: Spider Man knew what he was talking about. Obviously, you know, playing with Ozzie is one thing, but you've had this extensive solo career as well as Black Label as well as Zakk Sabbath as well as helping out countless musicians on different tracks and stuff like that. Was playing double duty and being a front man, singing and guitar, was that something in the back of your mind when you first started playing or did that come later?

Zakk: When we always played keg parties and played at Ketchum's Kitchen. Whatever we did these gigs, between kitchens, basements and keg parties in back yards during high school and others like that. I was singing then. I mean, we were doing Sabbath tunes. I'd be singing them and stuff like that. With the Zakk Sabbath thing, it's no different than ... except instead of me being 15 or 17 years old, I'm 50 years old now and we're doing Black Sabbath songs as Zakk Sabbath. And when I'm doing the Experience Hendrix thing -

Jeff: Right.

Zakk: We used to do Hendrix tunes as well.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: But now, we're doing it off stage and there's more people. Of all things, I'm just truly blessed. To me ... you know, I always tell kids, I go, "Make the band or music, just make that your job. Make that your job, if that's what you want to do the rest of your life anyways." You don't want to have some crummy job that you can't stand. The way that I always had it, whenever I worked during the summers or when I worked at the gas station or worked at the super market, whatever. That was at a good time because it was just a means to an end because we were working there just to save up for what we want. Whether it was guitar, amp peddles, you know, the things that we want to do music. It was ...I said just be all in. Just make it so the music is how you support yourself.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: You know what I mean? Like Haiti, everybody was asking if I was blessed to have Ozzie in my life and then have Black Label and then our Black Label family and between Zakk Sabbath and Experience Hendrix family and, you know, now that we're doing the Generation Ax thing in front of [inaudible 00:13:28] and everything like that, it's just ... I mean if none of that existed ... like me and JD, he's our bass player in Black Label. I've known JD since we were 17, 18 years old. I mean the whole thing is we either be teaching. We'd have our wedding band. We'd have our cover band. We'd either own a music store. Everything would revolve around music -

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: -and playing. You know what I mean? If that's what you truly want to do, then you make it happen.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: That's all.

Jeff: No, that's very inspiring, actually. With your career, you've written a lot ... a body of work. A huge body of work. I'm always curious talking to creative types, you know, what's it like with that creative process because music can come from all these different aspects in your life, whether it's good or bad, ups or downs, that kind of thing. I want to say personally, one of my favorite tracks that you ever, that you've done is your song 'In this River', which you dedicated to Dime. I wanted to talk a little about the creative process of actually writing music and I wanted to ask you is doing something like that, does that come from a place that you can use as therapy? And can help -

Zakk: Yes. I think with all musicians, when you're writing about stuff, it's whether lyrically you writing about stuff that happened to you -

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: Stuff you heard happened to my buddy Frank and I just go, "Man. I can't believe that happened." Then you just write a story using metaphors or whatever about that specific incident or whatever. I think that's where ... I think if you ask anyone lyrically where it comes from. It's situations like that. Music, it's always been music, for me anyways. Usually, always the music comes first. Then I need to have a melody that goes over it and then the lyrics are always the last thing. While I'm sitting there, I'm just like, "Guys. Go out and get a couple of [inaudible 00:15:49]or some other ... get some more Death Wish or whatever and then come back. I'll have the lyrics done."
But as far as 'In this River', I wrote that song before Dime passed away.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: But after we had done the record and everything went down, it was just like you have memories of singing the song and looking around like this is Dime's song, man. It's sad. That's where I came from. I think if you ask anyone, lyrically, you know, it could be all situations that had happened. If you ever got screwed over and anything like that, then you'd go, "Yeah. I can remember that time with what happened with Tommy and this and that and that business deal, or whatever. It's like yeah, yeah, yeah. That's what I wrote those lyrics about." I was like, "Ah. I would have never known that. You didn't tell me." But it's just because I really dug the song or whatever. And you go, "Yeah. That's about when Tommy turned into a tool bag." And I was just like, "Oh, wow. I would have never known that."

Jeff: Gotcha.

Zakk: But that's the fun of it -

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: It's creating.

Jeff: It's very interesting for me to hear that you say that you do your lyrics last because, especially from your solo career. A lot of the songs that you write, like the music that you write, and the lyrics that you write work all so well in tandem with each other that for me, as a listener and as a fan, it feels like you did them at the same time but it really has opened something else in my mind now that you say that you actually come to the lyrics as the last part of your creative process.

Zakk: Yeah, yeah. But that's usually how it always goes.

Jeff: That's really-

Zakk: Because the music always, music usually always inspires a melody.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: You know what I mean? Then, obviously, with the syllables, you're singing them and you've got to come up with the lyrics that will fit what you're ... the melody you're singing.

Jeff: Very, very cool.

Dustin: That makes me feel more comfortable about, like, that's how I've always written music before because it was like you just kind of write a tune and then you make up words as you ... then you make the words fit the made up words and then you end up getting something really cool. I don't know. Do you ever feel like you start writing a song and you don't realize what it's about until you're done writing it?

Zakk: No, no. Usually, I need to usually get going, I mean, for me. For the lyrics. It's like, ah. I'll be looking at a blank piece of paper and lyrically, and then, it's just like, "You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to draw a building, the Empire State Building with a taxi in front of it and then two people standing around having coffee." Then I'll just start drawing it. But I've got to think about what I want-

Dustin: Right.

Zakk: -to write the song about.

Dustin: Yes. That makes sense.

Jeff: Interesting.

Zakk: Some of them are bona fide biographical. I'm just trying to be like darkest days and when [inaudible 00:18:48]Black Label, I wrote that about ... I don't know. I'm trying to think. Actually, when we did Crazy Horse, because somebody was like what is Crazy Horse about? I go, "It's about a horse that's crazy." [laughing]

Jeff: You jerk.

Dustin: That's awesome.

Zakk: It was hysterical. Because me and my buddies always talk about ... one of my buddies is Native American Indian so we're always talking about, you know, whether we're talking about the greatest quarterback, greatest running back, you know, give us your top five running backs, top five quarterbacks of all time or whatever. Whenever we're talking, I just go, "All right, give me the three toughest baddest asses Indian Chiefs, or whatever. Whether it's Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, you know, stuff like that." So he just goes, "Or Geronimo, or whatever."
All I remember, we were looking up on Wikipedia one day, and I was reading about Crazy Horse. After I read the Wikipedia thing, I was looking at it and I just wrote the song about ... I wrote the lyrics about Crazy Horse. That was just from reading, being inspired, just reading about ... reading off of Wikipedia-

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: -things about him. Then like another thing that I was reading off of Wikipedia is ... looking up Marvin Gaye's date of Birth, or something like that. Me and my friends were talking about how old Marvin was, or whatever, when he passed away. The whole thing is I was reading his autobiography on Wikipedia and then I wrote that song about Marvin Gaye.

Jeff: Okay.

Zakk: Like you said, as far as inspiration writing songs, it can come from different things, whether you read something or anything like that, or you watch the news and you see something, you write about that.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: Or like you said or it's things that have happened to you or any of your friends or anything you see going on around you.

Dustin: Yes. That's really cool.

Jeff: Everybody knows we make Valhalla java in the honor of you but I have got to wonder what made you such a coffee freak?

Zakk: I was a booze-o freak before that, which is always a good thing.

Jeff: Oh, yeah.

Zakk: The best was that I then ended up getting blood clots-

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: -and I'm on blood thinners. But I remember going to the doctors and I said, "Doc. How did I get these?" And he just goes, "Well, you know. Let me ask you a question, Zakk. Did you have this genetically? Did your parents have this?" I said, "Well, they're both up in God's tavern, so I wouldn't know."

Jeff: Right.

Zakk: He goes, "Well, let me just tell you. I don't know how to say this but all your years of drinking may, by thinning your blood, may have saved your life." I hope that would be immortal beloved but I said, "See? Drinking is good for something."

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: Needless to say, there were no chuckles in the peanut gallery over that one. He's much happier that Valhalla java is in my life now. We'd always drink coffee anyways. Father Blasco, who's my manager and business partners with Peter Glenn and robbed Black Label there, he was the one that said, "Hey, Zakk. My buddies over at Death Wish make amazing coffee. Want to do something with that?" I said, "Yes. That would be killer." That's how I ended up getting hooked up with the Death Wish guys.

Jeff: That's awesome. Well, we're always happy that we get to sling Valhalla java right next to Death Wish.

Dustin: I'm curious. How much coffee do you actually drink in a day?

Zakk: I'm trying to think. Probably, let's see ... Actually throughout the day, I love it when I get up in the morning but I'm getting up before the sun comes up or anything like that.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: It's nice and quiet. Have some Valhalla java and then the running of the morning scales and then I probably have two cups then. And then after that, I'll make one more cup. They're pretty decent size cups and then it's like ... I'm trying to think. I fill up my Axle, my [inaudible 00:23:15] course thermos. I actually fill that thing up. I'll probably have about three of them.

Jeff: Oh, okay.

Zakk: Then later in the day, I'll just blast through another one. I just sip them, man. You know, I don't get jittery or nothing like that. I never have any problems sleeping either.

Dustin: You're one of those-

Zakk: That's what's great about the coffee.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: I don't get jittery and I don't get ... and it's just going to taste good because I always tell my friends. I go, "You know, it tastes really full and rich." But at the same time, you don't ... mind you, I've cleaned the dog run about eight times and then I'll just vacuum the house six times when you only need it, didn't actually need it to be vacuumed at all. I'll clean the showers and everything like that, which would probably all get done within about 14 minutes.

Jeff: Right.

Zakk: Then I'll be done with that so I can get on the with the rest of the day and find your virginity or some more about 42 times throughout the day-

Jeff: Definitely.

Zakk: And then the running of the scales and get ready for the Ozzie set list and everything like that. But I never have any problems sleeping and I don't get jittery. That's what's great about the coffee.

Jeff: That's awesome.

Dustin: Valhalla java in one hand. Genitalia in the other. Got it.

Jeff: That's how you do it.

Zakk: And then, obviously, you've got to put the running of the scales in there somewhere and then, maybe, folding some laundry.

Jeff: Yes.

Dustin: Of course.

Jeff: It sounds like a good day to me.

Dustin: After you wash your hands.

Zakk: Once again, with great power comes great responsibility.

Dustin: Right.

Jeff: That is true.

Dustin: Right.

Jeff: I wanted to ask. We ask everybody when they come on the show the same question and it's been one that I've always wanted to ask you, actually. You've had this incredible career where you have written and played a ton of amazing music and venues all over the world. We just want to know what fuels you to keep going out there? What keeps Zakk Wylde being Zakk Wylde?

Zakk: Father Jeff and Black Label are the drummer supreme over there. Jeff, he just says it every night that we have the greatest job in the world, man. I've got to be married before we get up on stage. It's the truth.

Jeff: Yes,

Zakk: How can anyone complain about it? You're around all your brothers and you're up and you're doing what you love and you're playing music. I never get the whole thing when these guys would go, "Man, you're married. You got kids. You got four kids. You got ... How do you go out on the road?" And I go, "It's no different than if we wanted to play major league baseball or be in the NFL." "Well, then you've got to go on the road. You've got to commmit so much time." Then I go, "But that's the reason why we have posters of Thurman Munson up on the wall and the New York Yankees and Roger Stalbach and Randy White and Jack Lambert." I go, "This is ... you're living the dream. You're playing your music and you're doing what you love."
It's the same thing with my kids. You know, I go, "Whatever it is you guys have passion for and whatever it is you love doing is what you need to be doing." At the end of the day, that's it. That's it.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: Like Cal Primers says, "There's got to be more to life than this." It's like, "No, there isn't."

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: It's really the truth. And it's amazing because I always just say it's amazing how many people are friends that are miserable and it's like, "Why be miserable either at some job you can't stand or whatever." When I had jobs, they were always a means to an end, whereas I knew that I wasn't going to be doing this the rest of my life. But this is awesome. While you're doing this, by the end of this, we'll save up enough money for an amp or whatever and then I'm out of here.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: But it was cool I was here. The goal is whatever it is you love and whatever you have passion for is what you've got to be doing. I tell my kids. They go, "How many of your kids play music?" I go,"None of them." I mean, my one son noodles around on the piano and stuff like that. None of them have passion to be practicing ten hours a day and want to be a musician.

Jeff: Right.

Zakk: They want to be in other realms of the business whereas instead of being an actor, they're like I want to direct movies. I want to write them or whatever. I don't want to be in front of the camera. I would rather be behind it. You know what I mean? Or in some other form of it, or whatever. It's just ... I'm sure if you ask Arnold Schwarzenegger's kids, it's like, "Oh, you're into body building?" It's like, "No. Never have."

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: It's just like I'm into doing this or I won my own business. I own a coffee house. I'm way into that. We have music and this and that. So it's like oh, cool. That's my dad's thing. That's not what I do.

Jeff: Right.

Zakk: It's what I always tell my kids. I'm not going to beat it into them to have to play music because if they wanted to play music, they would do it.

Jeff: All right.

Zakk: Like any of your friends that had passion for anything that they want to do, True. You don't have to force somebody to do it. My parents never told me that I had to go practice. For me, it wasn't even practicing. It was that i was just playing. I always tell kids that when they're playing video games, I go ... you know, when they're learning to play any instrument, like when it's piano, guitar, accordian, saxophone, anything, clarinet. You've got to, whether you're learning your scales or you're learning how to play bar cords, because you're just like I just want to learn how to write songs. You've got to write cords. But he's learning it because he has passion for it because he wants to learn songs.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: He's like, "I want to write my own tunes." No one ever had to knock him into learning or playing or writing. It's like," Dude, I love doing it." That's life in a nutshell.

Jeff: And it's totally the truth and it shows with you when you're on stage, no matter when you're playing. You are absolutely passionate about it and you always look like you are always loving being there and that's inspiring.

Dustin: I think you can look at any great person, any field, who's been the best in that field, and 100% of those times, that person is obsessed and passionate about what they do. As far as becoming the best, you have to be passionate about it. That's just altruistic rule.

Zakk: Like Mike Ditka would always say. He'd go, "Champions don't need to be motivated." Like Walter Payton, he never needed a pep talk.

Jeff: Right, right.

Zakk: Anybody on that 85 Bears team. If we need to give ... if our coach had needed to give us a pep talk at half time during the Super Bowl, then we don't belong there anyway.

Jeff: Right.

Zakk: It's just ... and that's the same thing. You line us up with Lions, hang out with Lions. That's just the truth.

Jeff: Yes.

Zakk: It is what it is.

Jeff: Yes. That's awesome. Finally, I wanted to bring up for you and for all of our listeners and fans out there, you have been lucky enough to not only be a musician and play with a bunch of other different musicians, you've dabbled in movies. You've been a video game character. Very soon, we at Death Wish coffee, are coming out with Issue number two of Death Wish coffee presents Odin Force: the comic book. You are going to be a character in that comic book. And I'm pretty excited about it.

Zakk: Well, I'm looking very forward to this. I can't wait to see my shaved legs.

Jeff: We made sure that the artist got your shaved legs perfect. No, but we did get to see a rough draft. The writer, Ron Mars, is writing the comic again and it's going to be epic. I cannot wait for this to hit. You're going to be very excited.

Zakk: I'm looking forward to it.

Jeff: You have a lot to do with our rowdy band of Vikings that are going on adventures and they meet up with you and you help them out pretty good. It's going to be a good time. That's going to be coming out pretty soon. I just want to finally finish up by telling everybody where they can find you. You and Ozzie and the rest of the band, you guys are going on your actual tour and I believe that starts in a couple of weeks, right?

Zakk: Actually, we've got another date. I think we're going to Sturgis, I think, on the 9th.

Jeff: Oh, cool.

Zakk: That's coming right around the corner.

Jeff: Right around.

Zakk: We've got a ... Yes, without a doubt. We've got that coming up and then we're going to be ... I think we've got a couple more dates throughout this year. Then we're talking about going to ... there were some other shows. Mom, Mrs. O, and then the boss ... I'm sure they'll be blasting all that info out as it comes along.

Jeff: Oh, totally. Then also too, I think I just saw this. Zakk Sabbath is actually going on tour as well, right?

Zakk: Yes. We're getting ready to go down to South America-

Jeff: South America.

Zakk: -so I'm really looking forward to that.

Jeff: That's cool.

Zakk: Another run of America and I think we're doing, we might go up with the Canadian chapter as well.

Jeff: That is excellent and for all of our listeners out there, it is incredibly easy to find Zakk Wylde everywhere you are. Zakk Wylde on most social media or Zakk Sabbath or Black Label Society or your countless bands including Ozzie. It's very, very easy to find all that information and man, I can't thank you enough for coming on our show and talking with us. We've been wanting to get you on as a guest since Episode one-

Dustin: Yes.

Jeff: -And we knew it was going to happen eventually. You know, I just ... it was such a treat to talk with you.

Zakk: Right back at you. And guys, make sure that Big Dave steps up his game with Father John because he's just terrible. He's hideous. He's just mocking Bob and Dave and he's just saying he'll never be as good as me and he'll never be as good as me as a human being either.

Jeff: That is definitely the truth.

Zakk: I'm nice. Just make Big Dave pound back some Odin Force blend and just get it together.

Jeff: We will-

Dustin: We will let him know.

Jeff: We will definitely let him know. The next time you roll through the headquarters here at Death Wish coffee, you can-

Dustin: You can show us all how it's done.

Jeff: -Yes, you can lay it down.

Zakk: I'd like to see Big Dave come over with the Death Wish ping pong championship trophy and just say, "Zakk, I won this in the name of Odin Force blend."

Jeff: Yes, I love it. Yes, I love this. I love this. We're going to make this happen.

Dustin: That's so cool.

Zakk: I saw Father John out there so he just said it's never going to happen. I said, "Well, we'll have to see next time I visit the headquarters."

Jeff: Yes.

Dustin: John talks big but Dave kicks his ass regularly.

Jeff: Yes, yes. It's on right now. We got this all marked down. I can't wait. I can't wait.

Zakk: That's not the word on the Death Wish streets. [laughing]

Dustin: Well, you know what they say. Those two don't know talking. Those who talk, don't know. [laughing]

Zakk: Oh, the brutality.

Jeff: It's so brutal.

Dustin: Well, thank you very much for joining us, Zakk, and we'll let you get back to your Pilates and genitalia fondling and whatever it is Zakk Wylde wants.

Zakk: Thank you very much, my brother.

Dustin: All right. Thank you-

Zakk: Great talking to you and I'll see you guys in a bit.

Dustin: See you soon, man. Peace. Bye.

Zakk: Bye, my brothers.