San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne by opening their concert last night (July 22) at Posthof in Linz, Austria with covers of two BLACK SABBATH classics.

Commented MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn: "We found out that Ozzy had passed away from Sky News 20 minutes before we walked on stage to the opening night of our European tour. In a state of sadness and shock we made the decision to forgo our usual opening setlist.

"Following our intro of Ozzy's 'Diary Of A Madman' (that we've opened every MACHINE HEAD show with for the last 30+ years) we started the show with two BLACK SABBATH songs: 'War Pigs' and 'Children Of The Grave'. Everyone sang, everyone knew tonight meant something, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

"There's so much more to say about the power of Ozzy's songs, but for now, we'll let his music do the talking.

"Our deepest condolences to BLACK SABBATH, Ozzy's band, and the Osbournes."

Back in 2015, Flynn told Metal Talk that he was 13 years old when he was first introduced to SABBATH's music.

"My family moved around a lot so it was kind of hard to make friends," he recalled. "As a kid, I was pretty introverted. The one thing I did get really into was Bruce Lee; I was obsessed with him. My dad signed me up to take judo and jiu-jitsu lessons with this guy who took me under his wing and brought out a lot of confidence in me. I got to be an orange belt, about halfway towards black belt."

After another move, Flynn found himself away from his mentor and in a new environment where he was sparring with older kids. "I'm going up against dudes who were turning into men," he remembered. "They just kicked my ass — they beat the crap out of me.

"My new sensei demoted me from orange belt back down to a yellow belt, and I was furious. I was, like, 'Fuck this.' A week later, my friend Elvis said, 'Let's go smoke weed.' We raided his dad's stash and got high."

According to Flynn, a turning point came when his friend put on SABBATH's "We Sold Our Souls For Rock'N'Roll". "It had this creepy picture of this dead girl in a coffin and she's got this huge chrome cross laying on her chest," he said. "I just remember being high as fuck and terrified of the music that was coming out of the speakers. I had never heard anything so terrifying and dark and evil. It was a revelation. I wanted to make the sound that was coming out of the speakers. I didn't know what it was, or how to do it. But they were the band that made me want to smoke weed, fuck girls, get snowblind and get drunk. And play the darkest, heaviest, most extreme stuff that I could get my hands on."

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"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. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Ozzy's death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

The legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman was diagnosed in 2003 with Parkin 2 — a very rare genetic form of Parkinson's. During a TV appearance in January 2020, the singer disclosed that he was 'stricken" with the disease which occurs when the nerve cells of the body degenerate and levels of dopamine are reduced. Dopamine is an essential chemical that is produced by these nerve cells which send signals to different parts of the brain to control movements of the body.

Ozzy's health issues, including suffering a nasty fall and dislodging metal rods placed in his spine following a quad-bike accident in 2003, as well as catching COVID-19 three years ago, forced him to cancel some of his previously announced tours.

Despite his health problems, Osbourne had performed a couple of times in the last three years, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August 2022 and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game in September 2022.

Pop icon Cyndi Lauper paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne by singing along to his classic song "Crazy Train" during last night's concert in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Prior to launching into "Time After Time", from her debut studio album, "She's So Unusual" (1983),at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, Lauper pulled out her iPhone and cued up "Crazy Train", holding her microphone up to the phone's speaker so that the crowd could hear the music. She then began singing along to the song's chorus, helped along by the audience. After switching off the track, she lifted the phone in her left hand and said simply: "For Ozzy."

The 72-year-old Lauper is on the final leg of her "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" farewell tour, ending a road career that started more than four decades ago.

Lauper was named "Best New Artist" at the 1985 Grammy Awards and has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, with several Top 10 hits.

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"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. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Ozzy's death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

The legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman was diagnosed in 2003 with Parkin 2 — a very rare genetic form of Parkinson's. During a TV appearance in January 2020, the singer disclosed that he was 'stricken" with the disease which occurs when the nerve cells of the body degenerate and levels of dopamine are reduced. Dopamine is an essential chemical that is produced by these nerve cells which send signals to different parts of the brain to control movements of the body.

Ozzy's health issues, including suffering a nasty fall and dislodging metal rods placed in his spine following a quad-bike accident in 2003, as well as catching COVID-19 three years ago, forced him to cancel some of his previously announced tours.

Despite his health problems, Osbourne had performed a couple of times in the last three years, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August 2022 and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game in September 2022.

COLDPLAY paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne by performing a cover of BLACK SABBATH's "Changes" during last night's concert in Nashville, Tennessee.

"We'd like to dedicate this whole show to the incredible genius, talent, and character-full gift to the world who was Ozzy Osbourne," COLDPLAY frontman Chris Martin said during the band's show at the Nissan Stadium. "We send our love to his family."

After finishing his cover, Martin said: "Ozzy, we love you, wherever you're going."

"Changes" originally appeared on SABBATH's 1972 album "Vol. 4", and was re-recorded by Ozzy in 2003 as a duet with his daughter Kelly, featuring revised lyrics.

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"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. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Ozzy's death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

The legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman was diagnosed in 2003 with Parkin 2 — a very rare genetic form of Parkinson's. During a TV appearance in January 2020, the singer disclosed that he was 'stricken" with the disease which occurs when the nerve cells of the body degenerate and levels of dopamine are reduced. Dopamine is an essential chemical that is produced by these nerve cells which send signals to different parts of the brain to control movements of the body.

Ozzy's health issues, including suffering a nasty fall and dislodging metal rods placed in his spine following a quad-bike accident in 2003, as well as catching COVID-19 three years ago, forced him to cancel some of his previously announced tours.

Despite his health problems, Osbourne had performed a couple of times in the last three years, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August 2022 and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game in September 2022.

Pop superstar Lady Gaga paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne at the end of her concert Tuesday night (July 22) in San Francisco, California. As Ozzy's classic song "Crazy Train" blasted through the Chase Center speakers at her "Mayhem Ball" show, the singer ripped open her black leather jacket to reveal a black Ozzy t-shirt as she and her band danced down the catwalk to the main stage. At that point, they all lined up and jumped in place, banging their heads to the song's signature opening riff.

A lifelong metal fan, Lady Gaga previously spoke about her love for IRON MAIDEN and BLACK SABBATH, calling the experience of seeing MAIDEN for the first time a "life-changing" event. The singer also appeared in photos with Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Alice Cooper and ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante.

During a 2014 Reddit AMA, Gaga referred to herself as "a metal dudette" and said that she had "worked at a metal bar for years, and was a go-go dancer at rock 'n' roll clubs. Last night when I got my tattoo of the monster paw, I was listening to IRON MAIDEN, BLACK SABBATH, METALLICA, AC/DC, JUDAS PRIEST."

Asked what her favorite metal song was, she said: "'Black Sabbath' by BLACK SABBATH. I need to write a song called 'Lady Gaga'. It's the most metal thing you can do!"

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"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. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Ozzy's death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

The legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman was diagnosed in 2003 with Parkin 2 — a very rare genetic form of Parkinson's. During a TV appearance in January 2020, the singer disclosed that he was 'stricken" with the disease which occurs when the nerve cells of the body degenerate and levels of dopamine are reduced. Dopamine is an essential chemical that is produced by these nerve cells which send signals to different parts of the brain to control movements of the body.

Ozzy's health issues, including suffering a nasty fall and dislodging metal rods placed in his spine following a quad-bike accident in 2003, as well as catching COVID-19 three years ago, forced him to cancel some of his previously announced tours.

Despite his health problems, Osbourne had performed a couple of times in the last three years, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August 2022 and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game in September 2022.

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Wolfgang Van Halen's MAMMOTH (formerly known as MAMMOTH WVH) performed a cover of Ozzy Osbourne's classic ballad "Mama, I'm Coming Home" during MAMMOTH's concert last night (Tuesday, July 22) in Hartford, Connecticut as a tribute to the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer, who died earlier in the day at the age of 76.

Prior to launching into the song, Wolfgang addressed the crowd at XFINITY Theatre — where MAMMOTH was performing as the support act for CREED and DAUGHTRY —  saying: "That fucking sucks that we are in a world that doesn't have Ozzy Osbourne anymore. And it was right before we went on soundcheck that we found out. And I thought, 'Well, we have to do something. Just mentioning it isn't enough.' We've played through this maybe three times, so please bear with us and sing the fuck along with us."

Wolfgang — son of legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen — was originally supposed to take part in BLACK SABBATH's special "Back To The Beginning" final concert on July 5 at Birmingham, United Kingdom's Villa Park but had to back out of the event weeks earlier because of his preparations for MAMMOTH's tour with CREED.

Last month, Wolfgang was asked by Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station to name his favorite guitar player who played with Ozzy — a list that includes SABBATH legend Tony Iommi and Randy Rhoads. Wolfgang said: "I'm really bad at picking, 'cause that almost implies you don't like another one in comparison. And I feel like Randy was amazing, but you can't not give cred to Tony being the legend and groundbreaking genre creator he was — and is. [Laughs] So I love 'em all. That's not the answer you wanna hear."

Less than two months earlier, Wolfgang told "Loudwire Nights" that he was looking forward to performing at Ozzy's final concert.

"My family lineage has is intertwined and has gone way back with the likes of Ozzy," Van Halen said at the time. "And I know my dad was very, very close with Tony, probably the closest of any other guitar players out there. So it was a crazy honor to be there for [Ozzy's] Hall Of Fame induction [in October 2024], as well as this. It's a crazy thing."

Asked what SABBATH meant to him personally as a music fan, Wolfgang said: "There are some legends out there where it's just, like, they can't be replicated. They're just so original and they started a movement. You can't mess with that.

"My dad was very much a — he kind of focused on his stuff, but any time my dad gave cred to something else, that meant it was legit," Wolfgang continued. "And he always told me one of his favorite guitar riffs was 'Into The Void' by BLACK SABBATH. And there's nothing better, man. It's just the best."

Wolfgang joined super-producer Andrew Watt and TOOL singer Maynard James Keenan at last year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony, which saw the induction of Ozzy as a solo artist. They performed one of Osbourne's most popular songs, "Crazy Train", backed by RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' Chad Smith and METALLICA's Robert Trujillo.

Asked in a November 2024 interview with WRIF how he got involved in Osbourne's Rock Hall induction, Wolfgang said: "I got the request from Ozzy. So you don't say, 'Yeah, no.' You're, like, 'I'll do what I can, sir.' [Laughs] That's all I could do."

Wolfgang went on to say that he and the other musicians "had two rehearsals in Los Angeles before we came out [to Cleveland], and then a rehearsal the day before in Cleveland. So it was nice," he added. "So the band got to jell, got to jam with Rob and Chad. And it was nice to just kind of establish that baseline, so it wasn't just thrown together."

Wolfgang added that he "felt so out of place" because he was surrounded by "a crazy supergroup of people." But, he noted, "It was nice to have Zakk [Wylde, longtime Ozzy guitarist] there, so I could be, like, 'Hey, am I doing this right?' And he's, like, 'Yeah, you're doing fine.' It's, like, 'Okay, thank you.' [Laughs]"

Wolfgang also talked about playing the guitar solo originally written and recorded by Ozzy's late guitarist Randy Rhoads, who has influenced many musicians and is considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Asked where he places Rhoads on his scale of guitarists, Wolfgang said: "You know what? I really don't make lists like that anymore. I think it's an unfair thing to do when there's just so much good out there than the stack of things against each other. Sure [I have my favorites], ones that I've been more influenced by others, but, yeah, Randy was an incredible guitar player and it's a shame we never got to see where he was gonna go. To make that much of a mark that early, it's a real shame [that he died]."

According to Wolfgang, he was "certainly incredibly nervous" to perform at Ozzy's Rock Hall induction. "But everybody, they made it really easy and it was really comfortable," he said. "And personally, it was really cool to be able to hang out with Maynard. I've been a huge TOOL fan my whole life and he's one of my favorite singers."

Osbourne was inducted into the Rock Hall by actor and TENACIOUS D frontman Jack Black, who called Ozzy "the greatest frontman in the history of rock 'n' roll. He went on to say that the cover of Ozzy's debut solo album, "Blizzard Of Ozz" "was the most metal thing I had ever seen, and I didn't even know what metal was. Then I went back to Ozzy's earlier albums, to BLACK SABBATH. And I was, like, unholy shit, this motherfucker invented heavy metal ... the darkest, heaviest shit the world had ever heard."

After Black's induction speech, Osbourne accepted the award while seated on a throne. He told the crowd: "Well, here we are. You know what? I can't believe I'm here myself. Let me get the thank yous out of the way, because I'm not going to bore you with a long, drawn-out fucking monologue. I'd like to thank whoever voted me into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for my solo work. A great thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

"My fans have been so loyal to me over the years, I cannot thank them enough. I've been fortunate over the years to play with some of the world's greatest guitar players, drummers, bass players, and a few of them are here tonight. But I've got to say one thing for a guy by the name of Randy Rhoads. If I'd hadn't have met Randy Rhoads, I don't think I'd be sitting here now. And moreso more than that, my wife Sharon. Saved my life. And my grandbabies and my babies. I love them all."

Osbourne earned a solo Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction for his nearly six-decade career in music. This honor made Ozzy one of a handful of artists with multiple inductions into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"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. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

"Back To The Beginning" sold out in less than 10 minutes in February. The concert marked the first time that the original lineup of BLACK SABBATH — Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — had played together in 20 years. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

Prior to "Back To The Beginning", the original lineup of BLACK SABBATH last performed in 2005. Since then, SABBATH has played in partial reunions but never in its original lineup.

The legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman was diagnosed in 2003 with Parkin 2 — a very rare genetic form of Parkinson's. During a TV appearance in January 2020, the singer disclosed that he was 'stricken" with the disease which occurs when the nerve cells of the body degenerate and levels of dopamine are reduced. Dopamine is an essential chemical that is produced by these nerve cells which send signals to different parts of the brain to control movements of the body.

Ozzy's health issues, including suffering a nasty fall and dislodging metal rods placed in his spine following a quad-bike accident in 2003, as well as catching COVID-19 three years ago, forced him to cancel some of his previously announced tours.

Despite his health problems, Osbourne had performed a couple of times in the last three years, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August 2022 and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game in September 2022.

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx has paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne after the BLACK SABBATH singer died earlier today at the age of 76.

Sixx took to his social media to write: "So many amazing tributes rolling in about Ozzy. What a loss to music all around. But I wanted to share a little something private about how kind and sweet he was.

"My daughter Frankie set up a stand to sell duck tape wallets (I know) in and area both Ozzy and I used to live in called Hidden Hills California. I was standing there with my daughter and all of sudden, I hear Ozzy yelling my name. He wasn't driving so he jumped out of the car and it was still slowly rolling and came running over to our little stand and asked what was going on. I told him and he laughed and said 'Well then I'll take them all'. That was Ozzy.

"I will forever be grateful he gave our little ratty band from Hollywood our first big break…

"Thank you for the music, your kindness and wicked wicked sense of humor. Journey well our friend."

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"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. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Earlier in the month, MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee told The New York Times about Ozzy's career and impact: "Ozzy is a real big reason why we're still here. I can't emphasize enough how generous he was when we toured together in the early '80s. Usually headliners reserve a bunch of lights and give openers a fraction of the PA system, so the opening band isn't as loud as the headlining act. Ozzy was, like, 'You can have all the lights, have all the sound, have a [expletive] blast.' And that really moved me. I never really experienced that sort of generosity and equality that he wanted for everybody.

"He has this sort of signature move," Tommy continued. "He kind of jumps in one place and claps. There's an evil smirk on his face as he's doing it, but I think the evil smirk is happiness because the place is going bananas. It's letting the audience know that you are enjoying it just as much or more than they are. That's connecting with people. That connection's important, man. Otherwise, you're just kind of doing it for yourself.

"I remember when [Ozzy's family reality TV show] 'The Osbournes' first came out, I was, like, 'Holy [expletive], this is cool. This is letting people into his crazy train!'" Lee added. "That's when reality television was blowing up, and I think a lot of people, and especially young people that were watching that show, probably had no clue he was in BLACK SABBATH by then. The guy just keeps coming back and — not reinventing himself, but finding other ways to get to people and have fun on and off the stage."

Last August, during an appearance on an episode of the This Past Weekend With Theo Von podcast, Lee addressed a story in the MÖTLEY CRÜE biopic "The Dirt" about Ozzy allegedly drinking his own pee and snorting a line of ants.

In "The Dirt", which premiered in 2019 on Netflix, a young Ozzy (played by Tony Cavalero) holds an impromptu gross-out contest of sorts with Sixx at a Lakeland, Florida hotel swimming pool in 1984 during the two acts' joint U.S. tour. After exposing himself to some hotel guests, Ozzy asks CRÜE for cocaine. Sixx (played by Douglas Booth) hands over a straw, and Ozzy kneels on the ground and snorts a crawling line of ants. Then he urinates on the ground and licks it up, challenging Sixx to do the same. Pressured, Sixx urinates on the ground as well — but before he can get to it, Osbourne kneels down and laps it up first.

Asked by Theo if it's true that Ozzy drank his own pee, Tommy said: "Full-on true. I know people ask that all the time. They're, like, 'Dude, really?' I'm, like, abso-fucking-lutely. You can't make that shit up."

The MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer continued: "Dude, he was so high. All of us [were]. We had just been on an overnight bus ride, and Ozzy rode with us. So we're doing rails the whole way. No one slept; everyone [was] just drink[ing]. So we're at the hotel, and no one wanted to go to their room. Everyone wanted to still keep partying. So we go, 'Let's go to the fucking pool.' We go to the pool.

"At that time, it was just kind of a thing — everybody was into [trying to] out-rock star and out-gross somebody out, like out-partying," Lee explained. "So Ozzy's wasted. He sees there's a little trail of ants going all the way to this kid's popsicle that he left on the ground. And Ozzy looks down and fucking just snorts the line of ants going to the popsicle. And Nikki's, like, 'Okay. Well, fuck that.' So Nikki pulls his dick out at the pool. This is a hotel. This was, like, the Four Seasons [hotel], I think, in Dallas. And [there were] people, kids, everything. Nikki goes, 'Fuck that. Watch this.' Nikki goes to pee on the ground and Nikki's gonna lick up his own piss to outdo Ozzy. And before Nikki could do it, Ozzy fucking beats him to it and licks up his piss. And we're, like, 'All right, Ozzy. You win. You win, dude.'"

According to Tommy, what happened after the pool incident was potentially even more gross. He said: "What they don't show in the movie there is Ozzy's tour manager goes, 'Dude, Ozzy's fucking on one. You're responsible for him. Here's his hotel room key. Fuck. I'm done. I can't deal with this anymore.' I'm, like, 'I got him. Cool, I'll take him to his room.' So anyway, after we get kicked out of the pool area for all that bullshit, they don't really go into it in the movie. I'm, like, 'Come on, Ozz. We're getting kicked out. I'm gonna take you up to your room.' He goes, 'All right.' We get in the elevator. We're going up, and there's people in the fucking elevator. And he pulls his pants down and he just starts fucking [pushing hard]. He's shitting. I'm, like, 'Ozzy, dude. No! Fuck! Dude, no.' And we get to the floor. I'm just trying to get him to his fucking room, close the door and let him — he just needs to go to bed. So I take his room key, fucking open it up, push the door open. I'm, like, 'Okay, buddy. See you later.' And he goes, 'Come here.' I'm, like, 'I'm gonna go.' He's, like, 'No, you come here.' I go in, and now he's gonna finish. He just starts shitting in the middle of the room. He bends down, picks it up and starts painting the walls with his shit. I'm, like, 'I've gotta go, dude.' And I fucking bailed. And I don't know what happened after that. But they don't show that part in the movie."

In October 2023, Ozzy's son Jack asked Sharon Osbourne during their "The Osbournes" podcast if it's true that Ozzy snorted a line of ants. Sharon said: "I was not there, thank God. I used to try and stay away from MÖTLEY when they were with Ozzy. And I don't know. I honestly don't know. All I know is that I think it made their movie. And I wanna know why, now we're on the subject, of why, when they advertise their movie on Netflix, it's a picture of a guy imitating Ozzy. Why isn't the ad campaign a picture of MÖTLEY CRÜE? Why is it a picture of your father?" Jack said: "Well, I know, I know the answer to that. 'Cause Ozzy Osbourne's bigger than MÖTLEY CRÜE", to which Ozzy replied: "No. No. No. Stop. Stop. Stop. Let's move on." Sharon continued: " The thing is I just think it's an invasion." She then went on to call Sixx an "asshole." After Ozzy said, "No, he's not," Sharon countered with, "Yes, he fucking is."

Pressed by Jack if Ozzy did in fact snort the line of ants, Sharon said, "I say no." But Ozzy claimed otherwise. "Yes. Yes, I did," he said. "I was there. I did it. [In] my nostril… I was drunk and I did it."

Back in April 2019, guitarist Jake E. Lee, who played guitar for Osbourne on the 1984 tour, disputed the Ozzy ant-snorting story, telling Tone-Talk: "I was there, and I never saw ants. I was right there. He snorted a little spider. There was a not a trail of fucking ants there. Tommy [Lee, CRÜE drummer] says it, Nikki says it, Ozzy says it — they were fucked up. I was not. I was just trying to get a fucking sun tan. That's all I was doing. They were getting fucked up. Ozzy snorted a little tiny stupid spider that was crawling across. There was no ants — there was no fucking ants. I don't care what the other guys say — there was no ants."

As for the "urine" portion of the story, Jake said: "Oh, that was true. It started with a contest. It was Nikki and it was Ozzy. I think it started in the pool. They were in the swimming pool, and they kind of raced, and, of course, Ozzy lost. And [they had] a push-up contest, and, of course, Ozzy lost. Ozzy was getting tired of losing, and he stepped it up. I do remember at one point, Ozzy was sitting there. He got this weird look on his face. He was sitting on the concrete, and piss started flowing out underneath him. And he was obviously doing a lot of vitamins, 'cause [the urine] was, like, lime green. So Nikk Sixx, I remember, pissed on the girl he was with. She was lounging. She was not happy about it. Ozzy pissed on the ground. [Nikki] saw that and he went over and pissed on the girl that he was with in the lounge chair. And that's when Ozzy bent over and started licking his own green piss up. That's where I said, 'Okay, I'm outta here.' Not only is that happening, there's families on the other side of the pool — children and mothers and fathers looking horrified, like, 'What the fuck is going on over there?'"

Jake added: "That is my recollection. And Ozzy snorted this little spider that was crawling across. There was no ants. It's a minor detail."

In MÖTLEY CRÜE's 2001 autobiography, "The Dirt: Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band", Sixx recounted the episode in detail, writing: "I handed [Ozzy] the straw, and he walked over to a crack in the sidewalk and bent over it. I saw a long column of ants, marching to a little dugout built where the pavement met the dirt. And as I thought, 'No, he wouldn't,' he did. He put the straw to his nose and, with his bare white ass peeking out from under the dress like a sliced honeydew, sent the entire line of ants tickling up his nose with a single, monstrous snort.

"He stood up, reared back his head, and concluded with a powerful rightnostriled sniff that probably sent a stray ant or two dripping down his throat. Then he hiked up the sundress, grabbed his dick, and pissed on the pavement. Without even looking at his growing audience — everyone on the tour was watching him while the old women and families on the pool deck were pretending not to — he knelt down and, getting the dress soggy in the puddle, lapped it up. He didn't just flick it with his tongue, he took a half-dozen long, lingering, and thorough strokes, like a cat. Then he stood up and, eyes blazing and mouth wet with urine, looked straight at me. 'Do that, Sixx!'"

Ozzy told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that what little he remembers of the '84 tour with the CRÜE was pretty wild. "The 1984 tour was the most craziest tour I think I've ever done in my life," he said. "I don't remember it, but I remember I used to wake up every morning or come around thinking, 'What the fuck went on last night?' I mean, everybody keeps asking me, 'Hey, Ozzy, did you really snort a line of ants?' You know what, the answer to that is: I don't know, but it's very possible."

When asked by Page Six if the story was true, Sixx reconfirmed it. "Of course," he said. "We were a wild young band and he kind of took us under his wing. We thought we could compete with that, but you can't with Ozzy. He won."

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LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe has paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne after the BLACK SABBATH singer died earlier today at the age of 76.

Blythe took to his social media to share a photo of him with Ozzy and he wrote: "Like most of you reading this, I am immensely sad right now.

"This picture was taken 10 days ago, at @comicconmidlands- I was with my pals @scottianthrax & @thefrankbello. Our friend @malfuncsean took us back into Ozzy's green room— we hung out for a good half hour & had some laughs with the Prince of Darkness.

"Know this: Ozzy was in a GREAT mood, & still buzzing over the 'Back To The Beginning' concert. I thanked him for having @lambofgod on the show, & told him 'We just went by 14 Lodge Road two days ago' (his childhood home in Birmingham.) Ozzy looked up & gave me an huge grin & said 'Boy, I'll bet that fucking guy who lives there now is sick of hearing about me!' & started laughing really hard. It was great to see!

"I do not claim to have been close to him, but I’ve had several interactions with Ozzy over the years. Yes, Ozzy was a TRUE ROCK N' ROLL MADMAN- they don't build 'em like him anymore. But I also knew him as a kind & gentle man who, alongside his family, did so much for my band, & more personally, spoke out publicly on my behalf when I was facing serious legal issues.

"When you are in a foreign prison & inmates you don't know come up to you suddenly acting impressed & saying 'Ozzy Osbourne says good things for you!' in broken English… trust me, it makes a difference.

"Thank you for that, mate.

"So yes, I'm very sad right now— but my heart is also full. Ozzy got to say goodbye, & he got to do it on HIS terms, with HIS band. One last time the mighty SABBATH roared… & we all watched in awe.

"While in the green room, I had Ozzy sign my shoes, the ones I am holding in this photo- there were only 121 pairs of these Adidas made, strictly as thank you gifts to performers at the 'Back To The Beginning' show. I told Ozzy I was going to auction them off to further benefit the charities that the concert raised money for, & he was well pleased by this.

"And so I shall.

"This is how I would like to thank & honor him for all he did for music, my band, & myself. The shoes will be part of a larger auction that is being organized right now. Details soon.

"Thank you Ozzy. We love you.

"'Show the world that love is still alive, you must be brave…'"

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"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. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

The day after LAMB OF GOD took the stage at "Back To The Beginning" — where the Richmond, Virginia metallers covered BLACK SABBATH's "Children Of The Grave" — Blythe took to his social media to write: "I do not have the words to explain what merely being at, much less performing at, BLACK SABBATH's final show yesterday felt like. I'm still trying to process it- it's crazy.

"I have been in my band for 30 years now, and I have played many, many shows in that time. But the overwhelming energy at this show— in the audience, in the backstage area, and onstage (because I was in all 3 areas at different times)— was something I have never felt before, and I know I never will again. It was something DIFFERENT, something very, very special.

"If you play in a heavy metal band, or are a fan of any heavy metal music, then know that your roots lay in Birmingham, starting way back in 1968 with four working class Englishmen named Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, & Bill Ward. They created this. PERIOD. For those of us who make this music, there will never be another chance to play with the original creators again. That was IT… & it was amazing.

"If you were there in the audience, you should know that every single band member I talked to- from MASTODON who opened the show up all the way to METALLICA who played right before Ozzy- was nervous to go onstage… & I do mean EVERYONE (God knows I was.) It a sign of our respect for the dudes who created this music that we all felt this way. We all wanted to honor them, to show respect, to thank them for this wild-ass life that they have given us, and to do justice to their tunes— all of us get to travel the world & play this music because of what these four guys started. Then to see those four guys give it one last glorious whirl, four songs… it was earth shattering.

"So thank you BLACK SABBATH, thank you Birmingham, & thank you to all the fans who came out yesterday to help us give SABBATH a proper send off. We also raised A LOT of money yesterday for 3 different charities- Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital, & Acorn Children's Hospice. None of the bands took a single penny for this gig- hell, none of us even got a guestlist! I am so happy to have witnessed it & beyond grateful to have been asked to be a part of it. A simply unbelievable day…"

"Back To The Beginning" took place on Saturday, July 5 in BLACK SABBATH's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. The nine-hour event, hosted by actor Jason Momoa at Villa Park, saw over a dozen bands play at least one BLACK SABBATH or Ozzy Osbourne cover as they paid homage to the SABBATH singer, who has Parkinson's disease.

Hours after LAMB OF GOD's performance at "Back To The Beginning", the band released a studio version of "Children Of The Grave" on streaming music services.

"LAMB OF GOD being invited to perform with BLACK SABBATH at their final show is one of the greatest honors of our career," LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton said in a statement. "As an offering to the celebration, we've recorded our take on their classic 'Children Of The Grave', a protest song with lyrics that are as relevant today as they were in 1971 when the original was released.”

"BLACK SABBATH invented heavy metal and in doing so, they changed the world," Morton continued. "This genre that they created brings immeasurable joy to fans all over the world. We are so grateful to have the heavy metal community to call our home, and so grateful to BLACK SABBATH for the gift of their music that they've given to all of us."

Curated by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, "Back To The Beginning" featured arguably the greatest lineup of rock and metal bands ever assembled on one day.

The concert for Ozzy Osbourne, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease several years ago and billed the event as his final onstage performance, marked the first time original BLACK SABBATH bandmembers — Ozzy, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — performed together in 20 years.

More than 40,000 fans attended "Back To The Beginning", which also saw performances from Ozzy's solo band, GUNS N' ROSES, METALLICA, SLAYER, PANTERA, GOJIRA and ANTHRAX, among others. Profits from the show will be shared equally between the charities Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice.

There was also an online auction benefiting those charities. Items up for bid included two Gibson guitars signed by performers, a GUNS N' ROSES pinball machine, several gold record and CD displays including BLACK SABBATH's "Paranoid", LED ZEPPELIN's "Physical Graffiti" and METALLICA's "Master Of Puppets", plus more than a dozen travel packages.

In the final segment, Osbourne, Iommi, Butler and Ward performed a set of classic SABBATH songs "War Pigs", "N.I.B.", "Iron Man" and "Paranoid". Osbourne, who had performed from a black-winged throne, was then presented with a cake, while fireworks lit up the stadium from overhead.

At the end of the set, Ozzy said: "It's the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts."

A message on screen then read, "Thank you for everything, you guys are fucking amazing. Birmingham Forever," before the sky lit up with fireworks.

A livestream of the daylong event was announced in June. While it was called a livestream, the video was delayed two hours from the in-arena start time.

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