\n<\/p>\n
\n\tMetallica<\/a> bassist Robert Trujillo<\/a> celebrated Ozzy Osbourne<\/a> and Black Sabbath as \u201cthe soundtrack to our lives\u201d in a new tribute to the late metal great<\/a>.\u00a0 <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOzzy was a humble man and sometimes so honest it hurt but his sense of humor made everything absolutely amazing,\u201d Trujillo wrote on Instagram<\/a>, adding: \u201cWe\u2019re all so thankful for his heart and soul. Ozzy and Black Sabbath were and still are the soundtrack to our lives. The inspiration they gave us is beyond words. The first real alternative rock band, in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tTrujillo spent several years playing in Osbourne\u2019s band, starting in the late Nineties, though their relationship dates back to the beginning of the decade. As Trujillo noted in his post, it was Osbourne who encouraged Infectious Grooves \u2014 the supergroup Trujillo started with his Suicidal Tendencies bandmate Mike Muir and others \u2014 to tour just as they were starting out.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201c[I]t wasn\u2019t even really a band, just some fun songs we had recorded,\u201d Trujillo said. \u201cWe weren\u2019t ready to hit the road, but he made us step up and make it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tOsbourne also \u201cloved\u201d Infectious Grooves\u2019 song \u201cTherapy,\u201d Trujillo wrote, and later contributed vocals to the version recorded for the band\u2019s 1991 debut album. \u201c[T]hat really kicked it all off for Infectious in the \u201990s,\u201d Trujillo said. \u201cHe actually demanded we open for him on the \u2018Theater of Madness\u2019 tour. He\u2019d say,\u2019 \u2018I\u2019m your best friend Rob, I fucking love the bass and the funkier and heavier the better!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tTrujillo called Osbourne \u201cthe gateway,\u201d as well as \u201cthe conduit for so many new relationships both creative collaborations and real, lasting friendships.\u201d Those included his friendships with fellow Osbourne bandmembers Joe Holmes and Mike Bordin, who later became the godfathers to Trujillo\u2019s two children.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAs for the time he spent playing with Osbourne, Trujillo wrote, \u201cTouring with Ozzy and Zakk [Wylde]<\/a> was always a wild adventure. Those two together\u2026 it was a crazy, awesome rollercoaster.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tTrujillo ended his note by saying, \u201cNow it\u2019s time to pay our respects, share our love, and offer our support to Sharon and the family. It\u2019s heartbreaking but we know Ozzy gave us everything he had in his final days.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n