In a heartfelt Facebook post earlier today (March 18th), Ozzy Osbourne paid his respects to his former guitarist Bernie Tormé, who passed away at age 66. "What a sad day," stated the former Black Sabbath frontman and prolific solo artist. "We've lost another great musician. Bernie was a gentle soul with a heart of gold. He will be dearly missed. I send my sincere condolences to his family, friends and fans. Rest in Peace Bernie."
Tormé's stint in Ozzy's band lasted just 10 days in 1982 following the tragic death of Randy Rhoads in a plane crash, but it helped get the singer back onstage during this mourning period before Jake E. Lee came on full time later that year.
Confirmation of Tormé's death came earlier in the day with a simple post on his official Facebook stating of his name and the dates of his birth and death alongside a picture of him relaxing outdoors, flashing the peace sign with a smile on his face.
The Dublin, Ireland–born musician was best known for his tenure in Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan's solo project, playing on four records with the classic-rock icon starting in 1979. A slew of solo and collaborative records would follow, including work with Dee Snider of Twisted Sister and L.A. Guns singer Phil Lewis; Tormé's most recent and final album was 2014's Flowers & Dirt. You can read more about the lifelong player's contributions to music on his official site.
