Lars Ulrich reflects on final meeting with Ozzy Osbourne
During a recent interview with Howard Stern on Sirius XM, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich reflects on his final meeting with Ozzy Osbourne at the Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham last month.
Osbourne passed away, aged 76, at their family home in Buckinghamshire. He was later buried by a lake on the sprawling property, as requested, at a private service, attended by friends and family, on July 31st.
His daughter Aimée Osbourne recently submitted Ozzy’s death certificate in London, which confirmed he passed away following a cardiac arrest. She also listed her father’s occupation as “songwriter, performer and rock legend.”
A flood of tributes poured in for Osbourne, as the heavy metal community came together to mourn the loss of one of the genre’s biggest pioneers. Metallica shared a heartfelt tribute on social media, emphasising how much of an inspiration Osbourne was to them.
Osbourne’s passing came only a couple of weeks after Black Sabbath’s final show. Back to the Beginning was a massive celebration of metal music and his legacy. One of those bands was Metallica, and following a recent appearance on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM, Ulrich has shared what that show and his final meeting with Osbourne were like.
“We hung, we said hello, we hugged,” recalled Ulrich. “He was there and the Sabbath guys were there and we all positioned ourselves around [Ozzy] and Ross was directing traffic and he asked me to sit on the armrest of Ozzy’s throne next to Ozzy.”
Ulrich said that despite Osbourne’s physical limitations, the frontman seemed fine mentally. “He was very eloquent and very sharp,” he said, “We were just sitting doing small talk, but it was so warm and he was very present, coherent. It was just his body that was not in good shape, but his mind… he was eloquent and talking and in the moment.”
Earlier this week, Osbourne’s daughter, Kelly Osbourne who got engaged to Slipknot’s Sid Wilson at Back to the Beginning, reflected on the outpouring of love she has received since Ozzy died in a social media post on August 4th: “The love, support, and beautiful messages I’ve received from so many of you have truly helped carry me through the hardest moment of my life. Every kind word, every shared memory, every bit of compassion has meant more than I can ever explain.”
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.