Ozzy Osbourne Startled His Producer with His Pandemic Target Practice
Ozzy Osbourne found a creative way to let off steam during the pandemic, even if it may be slightly dangerous. That's what the legendary metal singer's producer learned when Osbourne pulled out a couple of BB guns for practice with his own hand-painted targets.
The producer in question is Andrew Watt, the popular collaborator and musician known mononymously as Watt who's Osbourne's go-to when it comes to recording as of late. He produced Ozzy's 2020 album Ordinary Man and already started work on a follow-up with the "Madman" that was 15 songs deep in April.
The BB gun story, one of the few Watt said he could "tell on the air" of his times with Osbourne, came up during a chat with 95.5 KLOS host Marci Wilder last month.
Watt recalls, "During the pandemic, we were making this [new Ozzy] album. I went over to his house. And he draws. He's actually a great painter and drawer. So I came over and I came and sat down. He was in the middle of drawing something, and he was using a lot of reds and stuff. So I was just talking to him as he was doing it. And he was drawing a bunch of circles and stuff like that." [via Blabbermouth]
How artsy. The former Black Sabbath vocalist and influential solo artist wasn't just drawing for fun, however. No, he was crafting a target at which to shoot not just one gun, but two.
Watt continues, "He takes this big sheet of paper and walks outside with it, in his Ozzy walk, and puts it down in front of a tree. And then he goes, 'Okay, sit right here.' And he walks out with two BB guns. Ozzy holding two guns — I mean, anyone holding two guns — but Ozzy holding two BB guns is a scary thing. … And he was shooting targets during the pandemic."
That's one way to startle your producer.
"He did not miss a single target," Watt adds. "You think what you think — he just goes down to do it and, boom, perfect shot. Every single circle he hit — he hit 'em all."
Hear the full interview below.
Legendary producer Andrew Watt chatted with Marci about all of his musical endeavors. Not only does Watt produce, but he also plays guitar, sings and writes songs. Watt has worked with an impressive list of superstars including Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Post Malone, but has most recently collaborated with Elton John and Eddie Vedder.