44 years after the release of his first studio album, Ozzy Osbourne was finally inducted into the prestigious Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this month. The godfather of heavy metal had already been inducted once before, in 2006, as a member of Black Sabbath, but given the legend’s incomprehensible impact on the rock scene and pretty much every metal musician that’s followed in his wake, this solo induction has been a very long time coming.
Ozzy’s 1.7M-times-viewed induction video came star-studded with an introductory speech by Jack Black of Tenacious D and star of School of Rock, who rightly named Ozzy “the greatest frontman in the history of rock and roll” before sharing some hilarious anecdotes of how Ozzy’s debut record “Blizzard of Ozz” changed his life as a teen, while tributing Ozzy’s late guitarist Randy Rhoads, and the legacy of heavy metal pioneers, Black Sabbath.
In listing Ozzy’s lifetime of achievements and innovation in music, Jack Black even called out Ozzy’s turn-of-the-century TV show, The Osbournes, raging: “Ozzy teamed up with his family to create another genre, reality TV – maybe the most evil thing he ever did.”
Rick Rubin, Sir Paul McCartney, Rob Halford, Kirk Hammett, Post Malone, and Zakk Wylde were amongst the music stars tributing Ozzy in the B-roll before the mic was handed to the Prince of Darkness himself, seated on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stage upon a black leather bat-shaped throne.
His TV-famous children, Jack and Kelly Osbourne (now aged 38 and 40 respectively), can be seen applauding their father from the audience, while Kelly holds her one-year-old son Sidney in a rare public appearance, and Jack stands beside his daughters, Pearl and Andy (now aged 12 and 9).
A fragile-looking Ozzy, aged 75, who revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis to the public in 2020, admitted, “I can’t believe I’m here myself,” while Jack Black stands by in awe. Amongst his team, fans, and collaborators, Ozzy also paid special tribute to his wife Sharon Osbourne, 72, who “saved my life,” as she watched on through tears, handing back the mic to Jack Black who represented the entire metal scene when he told Oz, “Thank you for existing. You legend. We love you.”
Amid his cluster of debilitating health issues, the rock cockroach Ozzy, who’s stared death in the face countless times and lived to tell the tale, sadly appears like he’s nearing his last legs; but this didn’t stop him welcoming the star-studded tribute band about to play his greatest solo hit and The Osbournes theme tune, “Crazy Train,” – yelling the song’s iconic “All aboard” intro in primal, deathless tones, like pulling the devil from the depths of his soul. Music Man metalheads will be gutted to see the tears in Ozzy’s eyes, as it becomes clear this could well be one of the last times the legend screams those career-defining words.
Chad Smith, Robert Trujillo, Adam Wakeman, Andrew Watt, Billy Idol, Steve Stevens, Zakk Wylde, Jelly Roll, Maynard James Keenan, and Wolfgang Van Halen took to the stage for an epic live collab of “Crazy Train,” “Mama I’m Coming Home,” and “No More Tears.” Despite such a stellar lineup of vocalists included, not one of them could compete with Ozzy’s studio originals, proving how naturally iconic Ozzy’s ultra-unique voice is; how unreplicable his legacy will remain.
