Marshall Of Rock

The first-ever Rock & Roll Roast with Guitar World Magazine honoring Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society) took place last Thurday noght (Jan. 19) at The Grove in Anaheim, California. It was presented by Epiphone Guitars and sponsored by Monster Energy Drink, EMG Pickups, Revolver Magazine, Marshall Amplification, Dunlop, Eagle Rock Entertainment and Samson, with a portion of all proceeds going to the MusiCares charity.

Roastmaster Sharon Osbourne told Rolling Stone exactly what she had in mind for the roast. "I’ve got to be step on his balls tonight," she said of Wylde. "I’ve known him since he was 18. He calls me 'mum,' and I feel like his mom. So I can be disrespectful, horrible, mean to him for two hours and get away with it."

For Osbourne though, it was all done with a great deal of love. "My kids grew up with Zakk. Jack was about eight months old when Zakk first came to the band. My son is now 26 and having a child, so that’s how long he’s been with us," she said. She also spoke on behalf of her husband, Ozzy, who was scheduled to be there, but is now in England working on the Black Sabbath album. "Ozzy is very proud of Zakk – very, very proud. He’s proud of the man he’s become – he's sober and fabulous."

Others there to pay tribute and trash Zakk included: Fozzy's Chris Jericho, Anthrax's Scott Ian, Slipknot and Stone Sour's Corey Taylor, as well as comedy and roasting vets Jim Norton, Brian Posehn, Jim Florentine and more. A video bit featured Wylde's wife emerging from under a table and a very pleased William Shatner teasing Wylde. Also speaking via video were Judas Priest's Rob Halford, American Idol judge Randy Jackson and contestant James Durbin, with whom Wylde performed on the show last season, as well as Steel Panther, the Ultimate Warrior, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Gus G.

Some of the best one-liners included:
Comedian Brian Posehn to Chris Jericho: "Comedy is hard, isn't it? Stick to sucking at everything else."

Comedian Jim Norton to Scott Ian: "You look like Ben Kingsley eating a raccoon." [referencing the Anthrax guitarist's trademark beard.]

Current Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Gus G. to Zakk Wylde (via video): "Zakk, I grew up learning all of your riffs and solos. Then I learned how to play real music."

Scott Ian on Zakk Wylde: "Zakk's guitar playing is way less diatonic and way more gin and tonic."

Zakk Wylde on Sharon Osbourne: "There's a lot of faces up here, and Sharon's is probably the newest. I'm kidding, Mom. You don't look a day over artificial."

Zakk Wylde on Scott Ian: "Scott's been playing lots of poker lately, and like Anthrax, they can both barely pull a full house."

Zakk Wylde on Corey Taylor: "Corey Taylor was in a Tenacious D cover band called Pugnacious P. Now he's in a Nickelback cover band called Stone Sour."

Brian Posehn to Scott Ian: “So you're responsible for Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit (thanks to Anthrax's early collaboration with Public Enemy on a remake of 'Bring The Noise'). On behalf of everybody, (screw) you."

Posehn offered a detailed breakdown of potential future honorees. "I think Ozzy would be a good one, I think Lemmy (Kilmister, Motorhead) would be good. There’s a lot to make fun of and he seems like he has a sense of humor," he said. "Lars (Ulrich, Metallica) would be good, James (Hetfield, Metallica) would be horrible. You could not go after James Hetfield. (Megadeth's Dave) Mustaine might be good. I’d be a little afraid of him, depends on what day you catch him."

Ulrich and Osbourne were popular choices. But Sharon Osbourne had a different metal icon in mind for next year, one that we would pay to see. Asked who she'd like to see roasted in 2013, she replied, "I think Axl Rose, and I’m the woman to fuck him."