How Ozzy Osbourne Made Rudy Sarzo Finally Feel Accepted After Joining His Band

Even after he got the gig, Rudy Sarzo still wanted assurance that he would be accepted as the new bass player in Ozzy Osbourne‘s band.

Sarzo recently revealed what Ozzy did to help him feel more comfortable at the time during an appearance on The Magnificent Others podcast hosted by Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins.

What Ozzy Said About Rudy During a Magazine Interview

With the assistance of former Quiet Riot bandmate Randy Rhoads, Sarzo found himself auditioning to join Osbourne’s band in early 1981.

The first step was playing two songs with the band while Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne watched from the front of the stage. The group was then asked Rudy to play the two songs again, but with Ozzy behind the mic.

“Ozzy turns to me and he says, ‘Hey, man, do you want the gig?’ And I said, yes,” Sarzo said during a recent episode of The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan. “And my life went into Panavision color at that moment. It was like, ‘Wow, I’m in this world now.'”

Even after nailing the audition, Sarzo still wondered if he would fit in with the band. Acceptance was something that he always questioned since his family escaped Cuba and traveled to Florida in 1961 when he was just 10 years old.

But it was an interview that Ozzy did with Circus magazine that would finally make Sarzo feel at ease.

The 74-year-old bass player said that Ozzy was asked in the 1981 interview who all was in his band at the time. He referred to Sarzo as “Rudy from Cuba.”

“I open (the magazine) and I see ‘Rudy from Cuba,’ and I went ‘Wow, he doesn’t mind that I am from Cuba.’ That is what confirmed it.”

Ozzy and Sharon Kept Rudy From Sleeping on the Floor

Sarzo told Corgan that he was still sleeping on the floor after joining Osbourne’s band. But that would all change once Ozzy and Sharon stepped in.

The couple invited Sarzo to move in with them so he would have a comfortable place to sleep. Ozzy also offered his new bass player some of his own stage clothing.

READ MORE: The Most Collected Albums by 11 Big ’80s Metal Bands

“We were playing pool. He takes a look at me and he goes, ‘Man, you look like you need some rock and roll clothes,'” Sarzo said.

Ozzy left the room only to return with a suitcase full of clothing he dumped out in the middle of the pool table.

“He says, ‘Grab whatever you want.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh my god, that’s the jacket from that album cover of this magazine.”

Sarzo told Ozzy that he couldn’t take the clothing, but the Prince of Darkness insisted.

“Nobody did that for me before,” Sarzo said about Ozzy and Sharon’s hospitality.

WATCH: Rudy Sarzo on ‘The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan’

Today, Sarzo continues to play with Quiet Riot. The band is set to play a handful of shows throughout the remainder of 2025. A full list of concert dates and ticket information is available on their official website.