Ozzy Osbourne (1948-2025): the Prince of Darkness retires, the resonance remains
My phone was flooded with calls and texts when the devastating news broke: Ozzy Osbourne had, he declared, departed from this world, just 17 days after his farewell concert, “surrounded by the love of his own.” Videos began to fill my inbox; a friend on vacation with his family, abandoning all responsibilities to join an impromptu band, raising a glass in memory of the Black Sabbath frontman. For those of us who cherished his music, Ozzy’s death has left a void, casting a shadow of finality over the entire heavy metal genre and rendering it somewhat “museum-like.”
These are the ramblings of a man in shock. The news is still raw. While today’s stadiums continue to be filled with his music, it’s not just the fans who are in mourning. Musicians across the spectrum are grieving too: from Robert Plant and Alice Cooper to Duran Duran and Gary Numan. Even the remaining members of Black Sabbath are posting heartfelt tributes to the Prince of Darkness. “Goodbye, my dear friend – we achieved something extraordinary, especially considering we were just four kids from Ashton,” their bassist, Geezer Butler, posted on Facebook.
I wish there would be a backlash from rabid religionists at his funeral, as there was at the funeral of the singer who replaced him in Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio. That would have been the perfect tribute to a man who never took himself seriously.
For a hard rock researcher seeking to truly understand the essence of heavy metal, and particularly why it sounds the way it does, a good starting point would be Ashton, the birthplace of Black Sabbath. This poor, working-class neighborhood was one of many created to house the offspring of factory workers. It was here, amidst the smog and extreme poverty, that the iconic guitar wails of Black Sabbath were born, a name “borrowed” from Mario Bava’s film of the same title.
It was in this setting that John Michael Osbourne came into the world, long before he was known as “Ozzy”. He was a dyslexic child, despised at school and completely alienated from his surroundings.
At the tender age of 11, he suffered sexual abuse at the hands of two school bullies, causing him to retreat further into his shell. That is, until he heard the Beatles’ “She Loves You” for the first time – a moment he would later describe as a transformative one, saying, “Suddenly my world changed”.
However, it would still be some time before he would find his true calling. As he grew older, he took on a myriad of jobs, from plumbing to working in a slaughterhouse, before a stint in jail for robbery. It wasn’t until later that he realized: when the world around you is full of noise, you need to create your own sound to be heard.
If we aim to understand heavy metal from a fan’s perspective, we should view it not merely as a music genre, but as a stance. Its perceived “Satanism” was never about religion (as later bands like Merciful Fate and Venom would demonstrate), but was deeply rooted in social commentary. The inverted crosses and mystical symbols were merely decorative.
Black Sabbath – Planet Caravan
Black Sabbath chose to present the world as it truly was, rather than sugarcoating it with “make love, not war” anthems. Their music was not so much born from “inspiration” as it was a social necessity. Their early records played out like a collective psychodrama of four kids who, in lieu of the psychological support they desperately needed, found solace in guitars, drums, and a singer whose voice echoed the blues of Death itself.
Undeniably, this all sounds grandiose and profound. Yet, Ozzy, perhaps unknowingly, was crafting something far more significant than he could have possibly comprehended, as is often the case with popular artists. He never professed to be an intellectual, often referring to himself as ‘the village idiot’. This is evident in one of his most famous photographs where he is seen smiling, sitting unclothed on a toilet seat – a ludicrous image that many rock stars would have gone to great lengths to erase. Yet, Ozzy embraced it, even revealing himself in this manner to Sabbath’s Greek audience during their original line-up performance in Malakasa, twenty years ago.
There was a notable interlude in the ’80s when Ozzy, with the assistance of guitarist Randy Rhoads and his wife Sharon, morphed into an ominous MTV jester. Yet, he did so backed by a band of exceptional musicians. The tracks “Crazy Train” and “Mr. Crowley” became ubiquitous, resonating with listeners everywhere. The tragic plane crash that claimed the life of 25-year-old Rhoads plunged Ozzy into a deeper darkness than he’d experienced in the ’70s. In truth, it was Sharon who kept him afloat. Without her, it’s doubtful that Ozzy would have reached his 40th birthday, likely succumbing to an overdose or meeting his end in some other tragic manner.
In 1982, he narrowly escaped execution in Texas. After moving to San Antonio, he started his day with a bottle of cognac and donned nothing but Sharon’s pink nightgown. In this peculiar attire, which could have easily provoked a fight in that region, Ozzy decided to urinate on the Alamo Memorial. He was promptly arrested, oblivious to the gravity of his actions. This was reminiscent of Elvis at that age; Ozzy had become a caricature of himself. This image was solidified decades later with the launch of the reality show “The Osbournes,” masterminded by his wife. But how much could his image be tarnished in the eyes of an audience to whom he had never concealed anything? What could possibly topple him from his throne?
From that very throne, he gave his final concert just 17 days before his death. Battling Parkinson’s disease and the aftermath of a series of spinal surgeries that had further deteriorated his health, he performed in his hometown of Ashton, Birmingham. Heavy metal had evolved into a global genre, but his heart seemed to still reside in this industrial district. The event, titled “Back to the Beginning,” featured the cream of the heavy metal crop, including Pantera, Guns’n’Roses, Metallica, and Slayer. Ozzy performed ten songs with the original Black Sabbath line-up. The concert raised and distributed 190 million euros to hospitals and medical centers in the city.
“You have no idea how I feel,” he told his audience, performing “Mama, I’m coming home” for the last time. It’s now clear that Ozzy knew his days were numbered, but he wanted to assure us that he was leaving this world fulfilled. It would be fitting if his funeral provoked outrage from fervent religious groups, as was the case at the funeral of Ronnie James Dio, the singer who replaced him in Sabbath. Such a reaction would be a fitting tribute to a man who never took himself too seriously. We extend our deepest condolences to all music lovers: the passing of Ozzy Osbourne marks not just the termination of an illustrious career, but also a significant shift in the music landscape.
Black Sabbath – Children of the Grave
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