Ozzy Osbourne Had Plans for New Album Before Death in July

Ozzy Osbourne wanted to make another album before he died at 76 this past July. His longtime guitarist, Zakk Wylde, shared this news. The Black Sabbath singer had texted Wylde months before passing from Parkinson's complications.

"He was texting me: 'Zakk, let's do another record. Because I really loved it when you were going through your Allman Brothers, Skynyrd phase when we did No More Tears — it's heavy but it's more melodic, it's not pummeling heavy,'" Wylde told NJ.com. Wylde told him that he'd work on whatever the rock star had in mind.

But the album never happened. Osbourne chose to finish his autobiography, Last Rites, instead, and then took part in a BBC documentary about his life and struggles with illness.

"We did the show, he ended up finishing his book, they did the documentary, and then he was like: 'All right, I'm out of here,'" Wylde said. "He finished everything he had to do and then he was like: 'All right, I'm done.'"

The Prince of Darkness died weeks after his Black Sabbath bandmates joined him for one last concert in Birmingham, England. Tens of thousands showed up. This hometown show became his final performance. The Birmingham reunion happened after years of battling health problems, including failed back surgeries and Parkinson's.

Wylde didn't know Birmingham would be their last time together. He remembers playing "Mama, I'm Coming Home" and "Crazy Train" without understanding what those moments would mean later.

"Just the fact that he willed himself to do that thing," Wylde said about the reunion show. "Whatever things that we've run into, any obstacles or whatever, it's always just a speed bump and we'll get through it."

Fans can buy any of Ozzy's solo albums and his Last Rites memoir from his official website.