Metallica say Ozzy Osbourne “transformed our lives and careers” in heartfelt tribute
Metallica have honoured the late Ozzy Osbourne, who they say “transformed our lives and careers”, in a heartfelt tribute.
Initially, in the immediate aftermath of Osbourne’s passing, the metal titans shared an image of the Black Sabbath singer with them on social media alongside a broken heart emoji before offering an official statement.
The band began their message on Instagram by writing, “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.”
Metallica continued: “Ozzy and Sharon believed in us and transformed our lives and careers. He taught us how to play in the big leagues while at the same time being warm, welcoming, engaging, and all around brilliant.”
Other members of the rock community to have honoured Osbourne include Ghost who dedicated their Madison Square Garden concert to him, and Alice Cooper, who led his crowd through a chant of the Black Sabbath singer’s name in Cardiff.
Osbourne’s death, aged 76, was confirmed by his family on July 22nd. In a joint statement from his wife Sharon and his four children, they wrote: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love.”
No cause of death has been provided.
In the later years of his life, Osbourne suffered from Parkinson’s, which impacted his mobility and caused him to perform from a throne during his recent farewell concert alongside Black Sabbath at Villa Park earlier this month.
The rock extravaganza, titled Back to the Beginning, raised almost $200 million for Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorns Children’s Hospice.
Later this year, his memoir Last Rites will be released posthumously on October 7th, which is said to extensively cover his health issues. In a short excerpt released earlier this month from the forthcoming autobiography, Osbourne honestly reflected on his life, writing, “People say to me, if you could do it all again, knowing what you know now, would you change anything? I’m like, fuck no. If I’d been clean and sober, I wouldn’t be Ozzy. If I’d done normal, sensible things, I wouldn’t be Ozzy… Look, if it ends tomorrow, I can’t complain. I’ve been all around the world. Seen a lot of things. I’ve done good… and I’ve done bad. But right now, I’m not ready to go anywhere.”
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