Ozzy Osbourne was demonized as the “Prince of Darkness” for his drug addiction and stage antics and praised for his reality TV show. The truth is complicated.
Throughout his wild, unpredictable career, Ozzy Osbourne was paradoxically demonized as the “Prince of Darkness” for his outrageous antics and celebrated as a loving, goofball dad on his reality TV show, “The Osbournes.” Both are caricatures of the Ozzy that play well in the mass media, but neither do justice to the man’s 55-plus-year musical legacy.
Osbourne, who died Tuesday at the age of 76, sang with Black Sabbath on what are widely considered to be the first two metal albums ever made: 1970’s “Black Sabbath” and 1971’s “Paranoid.” Ultimately he would front the legendary band through nine studio albums, the first six of which are essential listening for any serious metal fan. Osbourne later achieved multiplatinum success as a solo artist, releasing groundbreaking albums, including 1980’s “Blizzard of Ozz,” 1981’s “Diary of a Madman,” 1983’s “Bark at the Moon,” 1991’s “No More Tears” and 1995’s “Ozzmosis.”As a vocalist, Osbourne had one of the most identifiable voices in metal.
As a vocalist, Osbourne had one of the most identifiable voices in metal. When he opened his mouth to sing in his powerful yet unconventional, nasal yowl, he did so with authority. And the sound he created became as integral to his genre as Bob Dylan’s iconoclastic voice is to classic rock.
Nothing illustrated the metal community’s love for Osbourne more than the July 5 “Back to the Beginning” tribute concert in his hometown of Birmingham, England. The triumphant event featured performances by a who’s who of metal legends spanning the history of the genre, capped with the final performances by both Black Sabbath and the Ozzy Osbourne band. The day was filled with communal reverence, love and tears. The other bands playing sets — Metallica, Tool, Guns N’ Roses, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, Pantera, Gojira, Slayer, Anthrax, Lamb of God and Mastodon — also paid their respects by playing a cover song by Sabbath or Ozzy. Other performers, including Tom Morello, Steven Tyler, Billy Corgan, K.
