Rock Legends Honor Ozzy Osbourne in Tribute Performance
Sunday evening saw the return of the MTV Video Music Awards, and the recently deceased rock legend Ozzy Osbourne was the subject of an impressive tribute performance that saw Steven Tyler and Joe Perry from Aerosmith, Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme, as well as Yungblud, all joining forces to perform a medley of Osbourne’s music.
Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne passed away on July 22nd this year at the age of 76, just weeks after he performed at the band’s farewell concert in Birmingham. Last night saw Osbourne’s rock colleagues gather in tribute, with the medley including performances of Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” and “Mamma, I’m Coming Home,” plus Black Sabbath’s “Changes.”
English rocker Yungblud led the medley with his performance of “Crazy Train” and “Changes,” with Tyler then stepping in to lead “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” They were joined onstage by several of Osbourne’s former backing band members, and the performance wrapped with a pyrotechnic display as Yungblud paid his respects: “Ozzy Forever!”
Before Yungblud and co. hit the stage, Ozzy’s son, Jack Osbourne, introduced the tribute, alongside his daughters, with a heartfelt special message, where he paid special tribute to his dearly departed dad.
“I wish we could be there with you all tonight as you celebrate my dad’s amazing musical journey. I know for sure it would make him incredibly happy to see these great musicians carry on his legacy and help inspire the next generation of rockers.”
The video concluded with Ozzy’s granddaughters signing off in unison with the shout, “In the words of our Papa, let’s go crazy!”
The tribute represented a standout moment for a ceremony that was otherwise light on rock music, tilting heavily towards pop in both its performances and awards. The biggest winners of the VMAs were Lady Gaaa, who took home four awards, including ‘Artist of the Year,’ along with Sabrina Carpenter, who won three awards, including ‘Video of the Year.’
Ozzy Osbourne’s Iconic Career Crossed Music And TV
Once called “The Prince of Darkness,” Osbourne’s legacy began when he teamed up with Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward to create Black Sabbath. The band released their first two albums, Black Sabbath and Paranoid, in 1970, and quickly became radio mainstays. Osbourne played with Sabbath until 1979, when his bandmates fired him due to his substance abuse issues.
Osbourne continued to record as a solo artist, and, in time, would rejoin Sabbath for reunion shows over the years, including the recent “Back to the Beginning” concert benefiting charities working to cure Parkinson’s. Sabbath closed out the show, playing to 40,000 spectators at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, as well as nearly 6 million people watching the livestream.
Younger generations likely first heard of Ozzy when he and his family starred on the MTV reality series, The Osbournes. The series, which ran for four seasons, turned the Osbourne clan into stars and showed Ozzy’s fans that the “Prince of Darkness” was actually just a loving father.
For fans of The Godfather of Heavy Metal, Ozzy Osbourne will live on through their speakers, headphones, and garage rock sessions with friends. Above all else, they will remember what Ozzy told us all…
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