When I learned that Ozzy Osbourne had died I surprised myself by not feeling sad about it and smiling a wry smile. Embattled by myriad health issues he had made it through to his last gig* and then took his final curtain. Good on him.
Ozzy was the first metal voice that ever really made an impression on me, aged about 11 I was exploring a compilation tape my dad had made and there, devoid of any context, explanation or excuses was ‘Symptom Of The Universe’. It knocked me for six, it was stupidly heavy, scary and then oddly light and groovy, that resounding doom trumpet of a voice was unlike anything else I had ever encountered**.
When I was at school I gradually encountered some classic Black Sabbath and OO was a staple of Kerrang! mostly for a lot of the wrong reasons, my mate Andrew told me tales of Randy Rhoads, bats, the Alamo and we dug ‘Mr Crowley’ but he was in the minority. Most of us just weren’t interested, Sabbath were in the doldrums, Ozzy was an oddly-hued tubby man, without anything at all of a voice left, who was increasingly famous for his various habits, bouncing up and down on stage and throwing buckets of water at his audiences.
Save for reasons of historical or comedic interest it really wasn’t until the Seattle scene hit really big that I saw Sabbath getting anything like positive coverage. All these hip, loud, rainswept, unhealthy looking chaps praised Black Sabbath to the rafters, covered them, borrowed their dynamics. It made all of us metallers and non-metallers take more note of them and their singer. It was all whirlwind heat and flash, I stole my dad’s Vertigo swirl copy of Black Sabbath hit the road and never looked back.
That perfect doom trumpet voice, famously, menacingly flat at times just made everything even bleaker and better. I fell very much in love with him and his bleak morality songs. I still adore seeing film and pics of young Ozzy, you can watch the life flicker all around him, so much better than his chubby barmaid period in the late 80’s. He looks so vital, sharp.
My NWOBHM uncle left me a couple of OO autographs on We Sold Our Souls For Rock And Roll, but never told me about meeting him which is a shame; Bristol gig I suspect. My mate Andy (different one) met him at a signing in Liverpool for Blizzard Of Oz and said he and his band were quiet and nervous, a bit shy even.
I like the way that OO has died with national treasure status, all manner of the great and good paying tribute to him and not just the usual metal suspects either. You take out all the music he has influenced off my shelves and I’d pretty much be left with two calypso LPs and something by the Wurzels.
I haven’t listened to any Sabbath yet, I never really want to throw myself into the work of someone I love straight after they’ve gone and I will leave it a bit longer for Ozzy.
Take my hand, my child of love, come step inside my tears
Swim the magic ocean I've been crying all these years
With our love we'll ride away into eternal skies
A symptom of the universe, a love that never dies
1286 Down (still).
*which I tried to get tickets for, but by the time I got through only the £450 ones were left. Having watched bits of it, sentiment aside, I’m very glad I didn’t do it, plus for that price I’d have wanted to sing one myself.
**it took me about a decade to work out what the tune was, not helped by fuzzy recording. The only other track I remember was Alice Cooper ‘Pain’.
I was a reporter, and thanks to my work I also met some important musicians; just for example, I once ended up in Athens, Georgia. My friend April was hosting me, and after dinner she called Michael Stipe, and he left the house and spent the night at a pub chatting with me and my colleague. So I’m disillusioned: I’ve seen too many times in my job where I get caught up in emotions. But you know, this time is different; I confess without any shame that I cried a little when Ozzy died.
You know. For that Price. I’d have wanted Rio to sing one too. Just so I can go “I know that bloke, well, off the internet anyway.”
Excellent piece. Very well written. Very very Ozzy.
Even though I think we all expected it, I’m sad he’s gone but I totally respect how he went. His Terms. His way.
He really did love us all.
Thank you so much Steve, that’s kind.
I think you’re bang on, Ozzy became a fuzzy, gentle peace and lovenik with age, and was so much better for it. You have to give love out to receive it on that scale, I think.
I’d have belted out ‘the Wizard’ segueing into a daring medley of ‘Sign of the Southern Cross’ and ‘Digital Bitch’, just to stir the pot a little.
I was talking to a non-metalhead colleague just before the farewell gig, she’d been exploring Sabbath because some family members were really into them and she wanted to get what all the hoo-ha was about with the final show. I tried to push the post-Ozzy stuff but knew I was on a losing streak when she said she really liked ‘Planet Caravan’ and ‘Solitude.’ None of Sabs’ other front men could sing that stuff, post-Ozzy anything mellow and drifty went out. That was something he brought to the band, the Doom Trumpet could also turn to floating and gentle melancholy.
Sad he’s gone, I too never saw him live but he did indeed go out his way. He will be missed.
My segue would be ‘Wheels of Confusion’ into ‘Children of the Sea’ into ‘Disturbing the Priest’ into ‘Headless Cross’….
Ooh, controversial segue that, bringing the cat into proceedings!
I think that is a really good point about Ozzy’s mellow qualities in early Sabbath. My daughter recently discovering them is utterly hooked on ‘Planet Caravan’.
I was totally shell shocked. We lost an icon which will never be duplicated.
I had similar feelings when I heard he passed. Not really sad, but it’s always a bummer to have one of those old flames snuffed out for good. It’s awesome that he got to do the Back to the Beginning show. Not many people get to have such a celebration of their life’s work.
Your first paragraph sums it up perfectly Joe. Great read and to bad you didn’t get the back story from your uncle but to have that vinyl now is priceless.
Thanks Deke, I really wish I’d heard the tale. I think he just always used to wait around by the stage door and stars were a lot more accessible back then too.
You ever see OO live?
Last time I saw Ozzy was on the No More Tours Tour back in July 92. Great show and set list.
It hurt when I got the news, but it didn’t make me sad. He got to do one final show to say goodbye. He was having a rough time, so he is in a better place. Plus, we have so much music left by him to enjoy! Nice tribute!
Thank you John, my thoughts too. You ever see him live? I didn’t.
No, I never had the pleasure of seeing him live.
Enjoyed this so much, Joe. You found just the right balance between wistfulness and acceptance.
Ozzy was the Winnie-the-Pooh of metal. Silly old bear.
Silly old bear indeed! That’s a wonderful comparison Bruce, I am totally going to steal it and pass it off as my own!
The shocking thing is that he was 2 years younger than my dad, who has looked after himself a touch better overall.
I did cry. One single tear. Then had to suck it up and put on a brave face. I had plans last night that I could not break. When I got home I cracked the seal on a Paranoid Deluxe vinyl boxset. I listened to about half of it, and may do the other half tonight. I’ve been in a funk for posting for a long time and was thinking the Back to the Beginning show (I actually contemplated air flight, hotel and tickets to the show, but felt seeing them for the 13 and The End tours was enough) might get me back to writing, but now with Ozzy gone I think I need to try. Black Sabbath is my favourite band, and even though Ozzy wasn’t my favourite singer, I loved him immensely. I’ll miss you Ozzy (peace symbol to the sky….also to the ground to be safe). Thank you for writing about him and for always being funny and inspiring. Lastly chubby barmaid…now I’m imagining 80’s Ozzy in a dirndl. Thanks for that visual. Hahaha. I would prefer to call his 80s phase as dad bod. The guy was way ahead of his time. Peace.
So lovely to hear from you Bop, it really is, even if the context is sad.
Just want to echo Joe’s comment, Bop.
Doom trumpet voice. I like that. Using it on Friday.
Cheers Mike. I’m stealing your clown prince of metal too!!