Ozzy Osbourne is “open” to making new music with late guitarist and co-writer Randy Rhoads using AI.
Although the former Black Sabbath star, 75, has nothing left of Randy’s to work with, his son Jack Osbourne, 38, explained how they could put material he already worked on through AI software to produce something new.
Speaking on ‘The Osbournes’ podcast, Ozzy said of The Beatles’ ‘Now And Then’, which utilised AI to make late frontman John Lennon’s vocals clearer: “I haven’t considered it yet, but as far as me doing something like what the remaining Beatles did with the John Lennon thing… that was a partial song and they cleaned the track up.”
When his son explained another way it can be used, Ozzy replied: “Well, you know what? I’m open for anything, if it was good quality.”
However, the ‘Dreamer’ hitmaker insisted AI can never replace what he contributes to his music.
He warned: “The cat’s out of the bag. You can’t undo it. The danger is people will misuse it. Because I’ll get like a formula for a song and I’ll put that formula in and I’ll keep on doing that.”
Legendary Randy – who contributed to Ozzy’s first two solo albums, 1980’s ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ and the following year’s ‘Diary of a Madman’ – sadly lost his life in a horrific plane crash in 1982 aged just 25.
And the ‘War Pigs’ singer has never gotten over the “shock” of losing Randy.
In 2018, Ozzy told Rolling Stone: “To this day, as I’m talking to you now, I’m back in that field looking at this plane wreck and a house on fire.
“You never get over something like that. You’re in shock.”