was left “choked up” while paying tribute to Ozzy Osbourne after the musician’s death, aged 76.

Osbourne’s death has rocked the world of music, with tributes flooding in for the star who bid farewell to fans just three weeks ago at a Black Sabbath reunion show in his hometown of Birmingham.

Kiss frontman Simmons, 75, remembered the “Prince of Darkness”, with whom he had been friends since the 1970s, during an interview on BBC Breakfast.

Stumbling over his words, Simmons grew emotional while recalling their first encounter in Boston, calling Osbourne an “English gentleman” off stage in comparison to his “mad man” stage persona.

Apologising to BBC hosts Sally Nugent and Jon Kay, the rock star said: “Sorry, I got choked up. Sorry about that.”

He said there were “no airs” about Osbourne, adding: “Most of the fans will know Ozzy as the Prince of Darkness, and if you were lucky enough to meet Ozzy as a human being off stage, you’d be shocked because he treated people exactly the same way.

“It’s fair to say that there was never an Ozzy Osbourne before Ozzy, and there never will be another Ozzy. In science, they call it a singularity. He’s just a unique and lovable person.”

Simmons went on to say that his “heart goes out to” Osbourne’s s wife Sharon and his kids Jack, Kelly and Aimee – and grew emotional again when he said Osbourne would ask him about his own family whenever they ran into each other.

Ozzy Osbourne has died. aged 76
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Ozzy Osbourne has died. aged 76 (AP)
“I know that right now millions of fans around the world are crying and shocked and can’t believe it,” Simmons said, adding that he didn’t believe the news himself when he first heard it.

“It’s been such a sad day. It started this morning here in California with my phone ringing and the texts going off, and I thought it was just fake news,” he said. “Ozzy dead? I thought it was just psycho babble on TikTok, and soon enough I learned the tragic news.”

Alice Cooper and his band found out that the world lost Ozzy Osbourne just minutes before they were due to go perform in Cardiff, Wales, which is about two hours from the place where legendary BLACK SABBATH singer was born. Before hitting the stage, Alice recorded the following quote for his radio show "Alice's Attic": "Well, we all know that time is going to take us rockers, but when the giants fall, it's really hard to accept. Even though everybody saw it coming with Ozzy, it just took our breath away when it happened. So, Ozzy and family, your records and your music and your legend and all that you brought — the humor to the rock business — will live on forever and we're gonna miss you, man."

Alice and his band then dedicated Tuesday night's show to Ozzy's memory and they were able to celebrate along with the crowd who had also just learned of this great loss for rock and roll. Following the concert, Alice summed up his thoughts by saying: "The whole world is mourning Ozzy tonight. Over his long career, he earned immense respect among his peers and from fans around the world as an unmatched showman and cultural icon.

"I always saw Ozzy as a cross between the prince of darkness, which is the persona his fans saw, and the court jester. That was the side that his family and friends saw. He was and will continue to be a rock and roll legend.

"Rock and roll is a family and a fraternity. When we lose one of our own, it bleeds. I wish I would have gotten to know my brother Ozzy better.

"Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and the rest of the Ozzy brood — our prayers are with you tonight. A titanic boulder has crashed, but rock will roll on."

In 1991, Ozzy provided backing vocals to Cooper's song "Hey Stoopid", which was the title track of Alice's 12th studio album. The two worked together again on the song "Wake The Dead", which appeared on Cooper's 2008 album "Along Came A Spider".

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.

PANTERA paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne during the band's concert last night (Tuesday, July 22) at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

While performing a cover of BLACK SABBATH's "Planet Caravan" — during which the PANTERA normally shows archival footage of the band's founding members "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott and Vinnie Paul Abbott on the big screens — PANTERA displayed photos and animated images of Ozzy, some of which included PANTERA's current guitarist Zakk Wylde, who had been a member of Osbourne's solo band, on and off, for nearly four decades.

Last night, Zakk shared the following message via social media: " "THANK YOU FOR BLESSING THE WORLD w/YOUR KINDNESS & GREATNESS OZ - YOU BROUGHT LIGHT INTO SO MANY LIVES & MADE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE - YOU LIVED w/THE HEART OF A LION - I THANK THE GOOD LORD EVERY DAY FOR BLESSING MY LIFE w/YOU IN IT - I LOVE YOU OZ. BEYOND FOREVER".

Ozzy and Zakk first teamed up 38 years ago when Zakk (whom Ozzy described as "a fucking absolutely amazing guitar player") joined Ozzy's band in 1987; they last recorded in 2022 on Ozzy's acclaimed album "Patient Number 9".

Back in 1990, Ozzy told Guitar World magazine about why he picked Zakk to be his guitarist: "This is a bizarre story, but it's the God's honest truth. It was a bad period for me because I was sick of auditioning people – drummers, bass players, keyboard players, you name it. Now it was time to audition yet another guitar player. The spark had gone out of it, probably due to my various battles with drugs and alcohol. I had a lot of personal hang-ups about a lot of things, plus I was tired.

"I asked the guys who were in the band at the time to put out the word that I needed somebody and to have people send me résumés. I auditioned about 50 guys. Some of them were hilarious. I asked one guy to play something in a specific key. He said, 'I think it would be better in another key.' I said, 'No it wouldn't. Just play it in the key it was written in.' He protested again and I just thought, What the hell am I doing here? I'm jet-lagged to the max, arguing with some idiot guitar player. Then there were all these Eddie Van Halen clones on steroids. They played like Van Halen while standing on their heads and hopping on one leg. One guy even played like Eddie while eating a fucking sword!

"One morning I was confronted with a mound of tapes and I remember picking one up out of thousands and saying, 'Look here, a Randy Rhoads clone.' It was a picture of some guy with long blonde hair playing a Les Paul Custom. I couldn't even bring myself to listen to his tape. I tossed it back in the pile and forgot about it. Then about six months later, my drummer, Randy Castillo, walks in and says, 'I found this great guitarist from New Jersey, and his name is Zakk.' I walked into the audition and I knew I had seen him before, but I couldn't remember where. He plugs in and plays my whole catalog, note for note. I then asked him to play something of his own and he played some acoustic stuff and some classical stuff. He had a bounce and a spark about him. Then I realized where I saw Zakk before: he was the Randy Rhoads clone in the photo, the one tape I had picked out of thousands. Only it turned out that he wasn't a Randy clone at all. Randy would've looked like an ant next to Zakk.

"There were lots of benefits to choosing Zakk. He had followed my career and he knew my songs better than I knew them myself. We knew it wouldn't be hard to break him in."

In a 2022 interview with Revolver magazine, Wylde reflected on the first time he listened to BLACK SABBATH's music as a kid, saying: "I remember being in art class. My one buddy Tommy — he must have been like 11 years old — he had a sculpture of a jawless skull, which is basically the BLACK LABEL [SOCIETY] skull now: Skully. It was a jawless skull with a lightning bolt going through it that said, 'Black Sabbath 666.' I was, like, 'Wow, what is that?' And he goes, 'Oh, it's just a rock band my older brother listens to.' And I thought it looked so cool. I just wanted to figure out what it was. So, I was at the mall with my mother and my mom was, like, 'You can get a record.' Okay, so obviously, I ended up buying 'We Sold Our Soul For Rock 'N' Roll' — but we know it's a double album. I had never heard a SABBATH song before in my life. So, I put the record on and I was beyond terrified the whole time I listened to the album. I was Catholic when I first put the needle down on it, and halfway through the second LP, I was a full-blown Satanist. And by the end of the album, I converted back to Catholicism just so I could thank God for creating BLACK SABBATH."

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FOREIGNER's founding guitarist Mick Jones has paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, who died on Tuesday (July 22) at the age of 76.

Earlier today (Wednesday, July 23),Jones released the following statement via FOREIGNER's publicist: "I am saddened to hear about Ozzy. We'd been through it all together since way back — good times, writing songs, having a laugh until dawn. He always had a wicked sense of humor and a kind heart. They live and sing amongst us and leave as we met them…a star.

"My deepest heartfelt condolences to Sharon and the family, who were his rock. It meant a lot, that night we both got into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame together — hard to believe, really. Just glad we got to share that."

Jones, renowned for his songwriting prowess, penned FOREIGNER's chart-topping hit "I Want To Know What Love Is", which remains among the top 25 most performed songs in the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP) catalog. Jones's songwriting talents are also evident in his collaborations, co-writing "Dreamer" with Osbourne and Marti Frederiksen for Ozzy's 2001 album "Down To Earth".

In a 2013 interview with Noisecreep, Jones stated about the experience of writing with Osbourne: "I've known Ozzy for a long time, before I was even in FOREIGNER, I toured with him when he was in BLACK SABBATH and I was in SPOOKY TOOTH. I can't truly describe how he really is, but he's a lunatic, and a wonderful, funny guy, who is truly happy to be alive. Ozzy's intense, but I love being around him. He's managed to reinvent himself so many times. He's such an important part of rock music. Above all, he's a natural. We both were heavily influenced by THE BEATLES, and 'Dreamer' definitely has that kind of feel to it. I was really happy with the way that turned out."

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.

Ten years ago, Jones was also diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Despite the challenges, he continued to tour with FOREIGNER, finding joy in performing for fans around the world. Two years ago, the progression of the disease made it impossible for him to take the stage — a profound loss for someone whose life has been dedicated to music.

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.

Photo credit: Karsten Staiger

Bob Daisley has paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, saying that "nothing can change the true friendship" that he and the legendary heavy metal singer "once had".

Earlier today, the 75-year-old veteran rock/metal bassist and songwriter, who performed on — and wrote/co-wrote the lyrics/music for — a good portion of Ozzy's early solo catalog, took to his social media to write: "This is a sad day and it has brought me to tears. When I reminisce about Ozzy's and my times together, I think about the fun, the laughs and of course what we created together musically, which will live much longer than these mortal bodies that we inhabit.

"My condolences to everyone who you've left behind, Ozzy. Nothing can change the true friendship that we once had; I'll see you 'on the other side'."

This past February, Daisley commented on the fact that he hadn't been invited to take part in Ozzy's final concert, which took place in Birmingham, United Kingdom on July 5. He told Indie Power TV at the time: "To be honest with you, I don't think I'd wanna be a part of that that day. It'll be awkward, but it could turn out as an embarrassment as well, but we'll see. We'll see."

Bob also talked about the fact that he didn't get a mention during Osbourne's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction last October. He said: "I didn't expect [to get a mention]. I knew that was coming, because there's been some dirty water gone under the bridge between us — there's been lawsuits and legal issues and that — so I was not surprised when I didn't get a mention. Many people thought that it was wrong and that I should have got a mention. But I really didn't expect it, so I wasn't surprised."

Speaking about the chemistry between the original members of Ozzy's band, including guitarist Randy Rhoads and drummer Lee Kerslake, Bob said: "It was a chemistry and a formula that worked, and it worked very well. I don't think any one of us could have been replaced with anyone else and have it work like it did. Ozzy's voice tone and melodies were integral to the sound and deliverance of everything that we did. And Randy and me working together musically first, and then me writing the lyrics to Ozzy's vocal melodies, it all just jelled. And Lee was definitely the last piece of the puzzle that helped the chemistry and the big picture."

Bob previously discussed not getting a mention during Ozzy's Rock Hall induction speech last November in an interview with Tone-Talk. He said at the time: "Well, to be honest with you, I didn't expect to be mentioned, only because of the dirty water that's gone under the bridge between us. And how Lee and I have been taken out of photographs, been taken out of films, had credits removed, had photographs removed, all that stuff. So, it was no surprise to me that I didn't get mentioned. But somebody used a good analogy about my situation with that, and that was in comparison with Elton John and Bernie Taupin, that all those songs were written, lyrically, by Bernie Taupin and Elton John wrote the music. And it was a similar situation with [me and Ozzy] — I wrote all the lyrics for those albums and songs."

Asked what he thought of Ozzy's speech at the Rock Hall, Bob said: "He looked unwell. He looked unhappy. And I don't get off on seeing people, regardless of who they are or what they've done, looking unwell or looking unhappy or whatever. He probably just went through the motions. But it's kind of what I expected. I didn't expect to be mentioned or anything. Regardless of how important my role was or what I created or helped to create or whatever, I really didn't expect to even get a mention… I mean, it would have been nice."

Daisley, who has sued the Osbournes several times over unpaid royalties, added: "Amanda Peters is a female guitarist in Los Angeles that I will be working with next year. And she's a lovely person, very supportive and all of that. But she started up a petition saying that I should be inducted with Ozzy — if he's going in, then I should be, because Randy's already in there. Then Ozzy was being inducted, and all the stuff that we did together. If anybody should be in there, Lee and I should be in there as well. And a lot of people did sign the petition, but it didn't get anywhere or do anything. It was a nice gesture on her part and all the people that that signed it. I felt nice. It was nice to see supportive people thinking that way."

More than three years ago, Bob spoke to Rolling Stone magazine about the controversial 2002 re-recordings of the drum and bass parts on OZZY OSBOURNE's classic first two solo albums, 1980's "Blizzard Of Ozz" and 1981's "Diary Of A Madman".

The tracks originally played by bassist Daisley and Kerslake on both albums were replaced on the reissue by Robert Trujillo (now in METALLICA) and Mike Bordin, respectively, after Daisley and Kerslake sued Ozzy and his wife/manager Sharon Osbourne over royalties. They were restored for the 30th-anniversary editions.

Asked how he felt when he learned that his parts on the first two Ozzy records had been re-recorded, Bob said: "To be honest with you, I thought it was pathetic. Someone sent me a copy of one of them, and I laughed. I thought, 'Is this a joke?' I just didn’t think it was done right. The thing is, you can't reheat a soufflé. You can't take the ingredients out of a cake and then try and bake it again. It happened once. We did various takes of each song and we used the parts where each of us shined the best. There might be five takes of 'Crazy Train' or four takes of something else, or eight takes of something else, and we picked the one that had the best vibe. And it was four people being recorded in a room together. You can't change that.

"And the fans hated them for it. It was, like, 'God, you've got no respect for the fans and everyone that spends money on this music.' They were hated for it. I'm just quoting what fans said, not me."

Ozzy told The Pulse Of Radio he was against the idea of replacing the original tracks when he found out about it. "Believe me, it wasn't my doing," he said. "I mean, I didn't know that was being done, 'cause Sharon was fighting all the legal things that were going down at the time. I said, 'What did you do that for?' And she said, 'The only way I could stop everything was if it went to that level.' And I said, 'You know what, whatever the circumstances were, I want the original thing back.' I mean, I wouldn't have done that."

Daisley told Rock Cellar in a 2012 interview that the 30th-anniversary reissues of both albums could have featured the material as bonus content. He explained, "I offered to supply tapes of our rehearsals and writing sessions, to go as proper bonus material. And I just said that I wanted a royalty out of it, because it's my stuff. But they wouldn't do it because they didn't want to give me a royalty — they just wanted to buy it."

Daisley said that he and Kerslake were fired because of disagreements with Sharon over a number of things, including refusing to do two shows in one day out of worry that Ozzy would blow out his voice.

According to the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA),1980's "Blizzard Of Ozz" has been certified quintuple platinum for shipments in excess of five million copies, while 1981's "Diary Of A Madman" has been certified triple platinum for more three million units sold.

"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.

This is a sad day and it has brought me to tears. When I reminisce about Ozzy’s and my times together, I think about the...

Posted by Bob Daisley on Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Former OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Jake E. Lee, who performed at the "Back To The Beginning" event earlier in the month, has shared the final text he received from the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer.

Earlier today (Wednesday, July 23),the 68-year-old Jake took to his social media earlier today to write: "Still processing [the news of Ozzy's death]. The finality of it hits me in waves. This was a text I got from him as I was sitting in an airport headed back home two weeks ago."

Ozzy's text to Jake reads as follows (as shared by Lee): "Hi jake im so sorry i couldnt spend more time with you on the weekend but it was really caotic ,i would really like to see you when i eventually get back TO LA just to shoot the shit its been so long since we saw each other , where have are you living these days , because the last thing i herd was you were living in Las Vegas . How did the gig go for you on Saturday i really hope you had fun anyway i will text you when i eventually get back to LA and we must hook up much love and respect OZZY".

Lee, who was tapped by Ozzy Osbourne to replace the late Randy Rhoads in the singer's solo band, played on two Ozzy records: 1983's "Bark At The Moon" and 1986's "The Ultimate Sin".

Jake's appearance at "Back To The Beginning" consisted of covers of "The Ultimate Sin" and "Shot In The Dark". The concert marked Ozzy's final performance as a solo artist and as a member of BLACK SABBATH.

Prior to "Back To The Beginning", Lee said that he was excited about the show both as a participant and as an audience member even if he hadn't been in contact with Ozzy for many years.

"It's a thrill to be a part of it," he told Guitar World in the days leading up to the event. "And even more so for me to watch it. I hope Ozzy can get through it. I haven't spoken with him or seen him in decades. I really don't know what condition he’s in, but he deserves a final farewell performance. No matter how he is, or how well his singing is, he deserves to have that final farewell. I'm happy to be a part of it."

After performing with Ozzy, Lee formed the hard rock band BADLANDS. He released the solo albums "Retraced" and "Guitar Warrior" in 2005 and 2007, respectively. After a self-imposed exile from the music industry and the public eye, Lee returned with a new band called RED DRAGON CARTEL, releasing a self-titled album in 2013 followed by "Patina" in 2018.

Last October, Jake was shot while walking his dog near his home in Las Vegas.

In June, Jake revealed in an online post that the two individuals who allegedly shot him had been arrested and were due to be sentenced this month.

In a statement to TMZ shortly after the shooting, Ozzy said: "It's been 37 years since I've seen Jake E. Lee, but that still doesn't take away from the shock of hearing what happened to him today. It's just another senseless act of gun violence. I send my thoughts to him and his beautiful daughter, Jade. I just hope he'll be OK."

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 final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom was seen by 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.

Still processing it. The finality of it hits me in waves. This was a text I got from him as I was sitting in an airport...

Posted by Jake E Lee's Red Dragon Cartel on Wednesday, July 23, 2025

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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