Ozzy Osbourne has paid tribute to his late former guitarist Bernie Torme.
The 66-year-old musician – who additionally carried out with Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan’s band Gillan – sadly misplaced his battle with double pneumonia on Sunday (17.03.19), and Ozzy, 70, has paid his respects to his pal, who he stated was a ”mild soul with a coronary heart of gold”.
The Black Sabbath star wrote on Facebook: ”What a tragic day. We’ve misplaced one other nice musician. Bernie was a mild soul with a coronary heart of gold. He will probably be dearly missed. I ship my honest condolences to his household, buddies and followers. Rest in Peace Bernie.”
The Irish musician was positioned on a ventilator earlier this yr, as he battled the doubtless life-threatening an infection.
Fans of Bernie had setup a Pledge Music marketing campaign to assist together with his medical payments.
Before he began enjoying with Ozzy, the guitarist shaped the Bernie Torme Band in 1976, who supported the likes of Billy Idol’s Generation X and Bob Geldof’s Boomtown Rats.
He was employed by the ‘Paranoid’ hitmaker as a reside session musician for his backing band Atomic Rooster in March 1982 by Jet Records, to switch Randy Rhoads – who tragically handed away in an aviation accident whereas on tour with Ozzy in Florida that yr.
Although Bernie solely ended up enjoying a number of exhibits with the ‘Crazy Train’ singer, the pair remained buddies and had been reunited eventually yr’s Sweden Rock Festival.
Bernie’s loss of life got here a day after the 30th anniversary of Randy’s final present with Ozzy on March 18, 1982, in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Ozzy and his spouse Sharon Osbourne had despatched their help to the Dublin-born musician when it was first reported that he was combating pneumonia.
They wrote: ”Dearest @Bernie_Torme, sending you optimistic vibes and love, and all our prayers.”
