A true showman and rock god, Ozzy Osbourne lived life his way. That rings true even for his death, which came just weeks after his grandiose farewell show with Black Sabbath in his home city of Birmingham. The ‘Back To The Beginning’ concert served as a thank you to fans old and new, and backed by an elite list of rock and metal musicians, paid homage to the Prince of Darkness’ legacy and his band – a pioneering force behind heavy music.
Without Ozzy, metal as we know it wouldn’t exist. He was the first to introduce feral, doom-inducing screams, as perfectly executed in 1970’s ‘Black Sabbath’. You can hear his enduring influence in the work of many of the bands and musicians dominating music today, from Metallica and Slayer to Yungblud and Ghost. A three-time Grammy Award winner with over 100million records sold, Ozzy quickly became the blueprint for all things metal, and over the years, artists working in heavier genres have commended him for turning the wheel with Sabbath.
“In Priest, we all checked out Sabbath by really listening closely,” Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford told Loudwire in 2017. “We learned a lot in the exciting ways that heavy music could be written, recorded and produced. Sabbath mean the start of true heavy metal to me.” Since his death, Metallica shared on X: “It’s impossible to put into words what Ozzy Osbourne has meant to Metallica. Hero, icon, pioneer, inspiration, mentor, and, most of all, friend are a few that come to mind.”
Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948, Ozzy grew up with five siblings in a two-bedroom house around Aston, Birmingham. Despite the odds – his struggle with dyslexia and a stutter throughout his life, as well as the disadvantages faced by the working class – he would go on to create a lasting legacy spanning nearly 60 years.
In 1968, Ozzy and some friends – Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drummer) – formed the very first metal band. For a short period, they called themselves Earth, but after an error with booking a show, the band stumbled on Black Sabbath, a name they gleaned from Mario Bava’s 1963 horror film of the same name. In 1970, they released their debut single, ‘War Pigs’, an unapologetic testimony to anti-war that not only catapulted them into the public eye, but saw people of all walks unite for this message.
Black Sabbath would release their notorious self-titled debut album later that year, showing up as a voice for the underdogs of the world. From the soaring guitars to the ominousness in each drumbeat, ‘Black Sabbath’ embraced a darkness never heard before, while addressing politics, war and suicide within their lyrics. The band created a black hole in the music industry, inventing and forever changing the trajectory of heavy music.
Throughout his career, Ozzy remained wildly charismatic and unpredictable – and the stories he told backed this, whether it’s the time he took multiple tabs of acid and conversed with a horse for an hour, or when he pissed on the Alamo memorial statue. Between his music and the famed incident where he bit the head off a live bat, the pipeline from strange rock star to perceived satanic worshipper became pretty narrow. The public rushed to call Ozzy devilish, which partially influenced his nickname, the Prince of Darkness.
As one of the biggest rock stars of his time, Ozzy was always clear on just how much he loved the party lifestyle, with drink and hard drugs regular fixtures in his life. The drug abuse left Ozzy incoherent, and it all quickly caught up with him in 1979, when he was officially kicked out of Sabbath. But instead of that dismissal being the start of a decline for Ozzy, he instead shifted focus to what would become a hugely successful solo career.
He dropped his first solo album, ‘Blizzard of Ozz’, in 1980, and would go on to release 13 more studio albums. In the same way that Sabbath shaped a long-lasting legacy, Ozzy’s solo material only heightened the public’s love for him. He experimented with niche sounds and collaborated with an eclectic crop of acts, including Busta Rhymes and Elton John, among others, and nurtured the artists following in his footsteps, giving many now-established acts invaluable opportunities when they were first breaking out.
In the late ’90s, Ozzy invited Korn to support him alongside Deftones for their debut major arena tour. Slipknot embarked on their first tour at the 1999 Ozzfest, the festival organised by Sharon Osbourne, his wife and then-manager. It quickly became a space for heavy metal bands and fans to unite, and the annual event would shape up to be a who’s who of soon-to-be trailblazers in the metal scene, including Linkin Park, System of A Down and more.
One of the earlier Ozzfests in 1997 also saw Ozzy reunite with Sabbath, and from there onwards, he miraculously became an even bigger star. In the early 2000s, Ozzy was a household name, not just because of Sabbath or his solo work, but for the reality TV show, The Osbournes. The programme delivered plenty of iconic moments for the musician, from the time he accused someone of stealing his beers (no one did), or when he threatened their kitten while making dinner: “Now fuck off, Guy, Gus, Jim, Bill. Whatever your fucking name is, because your name is going to be dead if you touch this chicken.”
Whether you know Ozzy as a reality TV star or the creator of metal, he always had a star presence – albeit sometimes problematic, but always lovable to the general public. Not only was he a rock star, but he was a pop culture icon who worked on brand collaborations with World of Warcraft and Liquid Death, appeared in adverts, and starred in an episode of South Park with Flavor Flav.
Dying just weeks after his farewell show, Ozzy’s final gig was a testament to the singer’s resilience and deep love for his fans and the art of performing. Following the gig, Ozzy shared a heartfelt note on Instagram: “This was my final performance. I have to say goodbye to the stage I’ve loved all my life.”
“I didn’t keep a dime from this show. Every dollar went to Parkinson’s research to help others like me. I owe everything to my wife. When I was lost in the dark, she never left my side. She held my hand until I found my way back to the spotlight. To my fans, thank you. Your cheers and your love gave me the strength to keep coming back even when it hurt more each time. Rock and roll will never die.” He was right – Ozzy may no longer be with us, but his legacy and impact on music and pop culture will last forever.
