Like most things that happen with Sabbath, it happened all of a sudden. I was intending on doing some recording, but out of the blue, Sharon called up and said she wanted us to do these gigs with Ozzy. I said that if everybody else was up to it then I would love to do it.
Being a new band, I just can't think of a better way to get your name out to all of the Hard-Rock crowd than playing with twenty of the biggest Hard-Rock bands in the world.
The life of a singer is you have to pay your bills. You have to take a gig.
Devo and The Cramps didn't get big until they went to New York City. Chrissie Hynde didn't get big until she moved to London. When I was growing up, there wasn't even a place to play - just one little bar. If we wanted to have a gig, then we had to drive 45 minutes up to Cleveland.
Every band I knew or played with had flyers and properly-recorded demos and contacts; I couldn't even get a gig.
Any club has more than enough comics, so if you're not there every night talking to the booker, you're not going to get on. You have to be there more than they are.
Our parents helped us, or we wouldn't be here. Lacy Van Zant and my mother used to sign for amps or loan us money to get to the gig or take us in their car. It's just like little sports guys - Little League and football players - whose parents help them. That's why they get good.
I saw Ronnie Hawkins play near my hometown, Port Dover, Ontario, and I saw him play there on New Year's Eve and the following spring I booked myself to be his opening act on maybe five shows, and he hired me after the first night.
I just want to move forward with what I love to do. I also love to travel and I love my family. If I have a gig and I'm going to do that, great. If not, I'll go visit my family or do a bit of traveling. I try to keep life full, in every way.
