Insider Sets the Record Straight on Supposed Ozzy Osbourne Feud Audio Ink Radio

Insider Sets the Record Straight on Supposed Ozzy Osbourne Feud

2025-07-28

Ozzy Osbourne in a black and white photo.

Did Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio really have tensions? One metal insider is telling the real story following Ozzy’s death. – Author: Charles Ken, Publicity photo

It’s so hard to believe that Ozzy Osbourne has passed away. It was just a few weeks ago that he was rocking out in front of thousands of adoring fans at his final show with Black Sabbath and his solo band.

Osbourne passed away on Tuesday, July 22, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. May the Prince of Darkness rest in peace.

Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio

During Ozzy’s life, there was a lot of speculation about whether he disliked metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio because Dio replaced him in Black Sabbath in 1979. But, in a new interview, drummer Vinny Appice, who has performed with both Dio and Black Sabbath, puts that rumor to rest and says that instead, Osbourne “really liked” Dio, even though he was first upset about being replaced by him in Black Sabbath.

During an interview on Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, which was shared on YouTube on July 24, 2025, Appice talked about how Ozzy Osbourne really felt about Dio. He actually said that he “loved” Dio.

“Ozzy would always tell me how he loved Ronnie,” he recalled. “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 added that it was “interesting” to hear Appice talk about how Ozzy felt about Dio since it was often “presented that there was a thing [between Dio and Ozzy].”

Appice added, “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.”

Ozzy Osbourne Says Dio ‘Did a Good Job’ in Black Sabbath

It’s wonderful to hear that Osbourne actually really liked Dio and respected him as an artist. It would be understandable if he did hold a grudge, though, because it surely didn’t feel good to be replaced by Dio in Black Sabbath.

Speaking with SiriusXM in 2022, in an interview shared by Ultimate Classic Rock, Ozzy said, “Ronnie did a good job [in Black Sabbath]. At the time, I was … sad because … they were the only thing that ever happened to me.” He also said kind things about his former bandmates at the time for hiring someone very different from him instead of “Ozzy sound-alikes.”

Ozzy also said that he hadn’t even really listened to Dio-era Black Sabbath, which is so wild. “It’s like my ex-wife . . . [when] you leave a band like that, it’s just like getting divorced,” he said. “You don’t go, ‘How’s your new bloke? Is he better than me?'” He added, “Looking back, [hiring Dio] was the best thing that ever happened because [Black Sabbath] had a good start again.”

Listen to Appice’s new inerview with Eddie Trunk below.

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Charles Ken

Meet the expert - Charles Ken is a trending news writer for Audio Ink Radio. He is a graduate of Michigan State University, where he studied writing and history. He's a longtime music buff and covers classic rock for Audio Ink Radio. Contact him at ken@audioinkradio.com.