The Black Sabbath legend, then in his 40s, allegedly revealed the trick to Gillan, now 81, backstage after a Los Angeles show in the 1990s, despite having recently emerged from rehab.
Gillan is preparing to revisit the extraordinary encounter alongside six decades of rock ‘n’ roll stories during his first spoken-word tour in spring 2027.
He said in an interview with the Daily Mirror: “Ozzy had just got out of rehab and he had this pint of water so I said to him, ‘Well done for keeping up with the regime.’ He looked at me and said, ‘F— off, it’s vodka – just don’t tell Sharon, she’ll kill me.'”
A music industry source also claimed to in an exclusive interview: “Ozzy’s deception reflected the severe lengths the singer would sometimes go to conceal his drinking from Sharon during his wildest years.
“Ozzy knew Sharon was watching him closely, particularly after rehab, but that didn’t necessarily mean he was ready to stop. Making a pint of vodka look like water was classic Ozzy – outrageous, risky, and delivered with that wicked sense of humor.”