Following Sharon Osbourne's revelation that her husband Ozzy Osbourne was collaborating with Elton John, it turns out that the two legendary artists appear together on the title track of Ozzy's upcoming solo album, Ordinary Man, which will arrive on February 21st.
Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, who plays on the LP, confirmed the news to SiriusXM, saying, "We decided, 'Well, (the song) has a piano. Who is a really good piano player? I don't know — let's get the Rocket Man.' And so Andrew (Watt, producer) and I went down to Atlanta, where Elton John lives when he's on the East Coast . . . And he played the piano on the song, and he plays it beautifully, of course. And then we're, like, 'Why don't we have him sing a verse?'"
Smith added that Elton and Ozzy both sound "f**king awesome" on the song, explaining, "These two iconic legendary English f**king rockers that have been through it all are singing about the end of their lives. 'I don't wanna die an ordinary man.' And it's f**king great."
In addition to Elton, the song also features a solo from Slash, who also plays on the new single, "Straight To Hell." Smith is joined by Watt on guitar and Duff McKagan on bass as the backing band for the rest of the record.
Ordinary Man is Ozzy's first solo album in a decade, following 2010's Scream. He spent the last few years touring with Black Sabbath in support of that band's 13 LP, as well as playing a number of solo shows. More recently, Osbourne has been recuperating at home after sustaining a bad neck injury resulting in the postponement of what is being billed as his final world solo tour.