Boston-based writer Deb Rao spoke to BLACK LABEL SOCIETY mainman Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE) recently about a number of topics including his latest album, Shot To Hell, and his work with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. A few excerpts from the interview found at Glam-metal.com follow:

Rao: First of all I would like to commend you on your work with St. Jude Hospital.

Wylde: "Black Label is donating a million dollars to the St. Jude Hospital for Cancer research. The kids are the most important thing. We want to keep these little berserkers alive. You just do the right thing. These kids are our future. We are keeping 'Blood Is Thicker Than Water' in the set for the kids. It is just one gigantic family."

Rao: Tell me about your special tribute to Dimebag during the piano set on the current Black Label Society tour.

Wylde: "We got the piano out. Everybody just chants Dime for twenty minutes. We are doing 'In This River' for Dime. The piano songs break up the set. I love doing the unplugged set. Last time, I talked to Dime was when he was up in Boston playing with DAMAGE PLAN on the East Coast. They were making their way to Seattle and the West Coast. The last thing I ever got to say to Dime was I love you beyond forever. We were always trading guitars. Dime said, 'Wait till you see what I got you. Wait till you see it.' I ended up getting the guitar after Dime passed away. He never got the chance to go, 'dude did you dig your guitar?' We would always exchange guitars and stuff like that. Dime was awesome."

Rao: What are your thoughts on metal today? You are really one of the first guitarists to make guitar solos popular back again. Musical trends have come and gone, but you never changed your guitar style. You follow in the Randy Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen guitar shredder style.

Wylde: "Without a doubt, guitar solos are back again. There are a bunch of bands that are doing solos now. It is always one of those things, where eventually what is old is new again. It is usually like a twenty-year cycle. Even with fashion, or what people are wearing, music is the same thing. It is always funny, when you see it. Do yeah know what I mean? I grew up on classic rock like Randy Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen. There are only two types of music, the crap and the good."

Rao: During your career, did the record labels ever tell you what to do?

Wylde: "I never got anything like that. It is just like, with all the bands that I love whether it is ZEPPELIN or SABBATH, NEIL YOUNG, you just let the guys do what they want to do. You are not going to go in there and tell tell an artist what he is going to paint. If me and you were his art exhibitors, we can't go in there and tell them what to start painting. It is just like whatever he gives us, he is going to give us and hopefully it comes out great. Do you know what I mean? But we can't go in there and tell him what to start doing."

Rao: How has Ozzy influenced your career?

Wylde: "Without Ozzy there would be no Black Label. It has always been my dream to play with Ozzy."