A tribute to the prince of darkness
"Times have changed and times are strange
Here I come but I ain't the same
Mama, I'm coming home."
And just like that, the 'Prince of Darkness' is back in his kingdom. While the world mourns, afterlife welcomes him home, with open arms. Ozzy is finally reunited with his beloved mama and his dearest friend, Randy Rhoads.
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When I heard that he was gone, I felt a part of me was gone. I kept listening to "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "Paranoid", and "Mama, I'm Coming Home", perpetually breaking down into tears. I was more of a Backstreet Boys girl when I came across "War Pigs", but it rocked me to my core. That shrill, unapologetic opening cry of "Oh, Lord, Yeah" was immediately imprinted on my mind.
Just a few days ago, I had the privilege of witnessing the Black Sabbath reunion concert online – the one that took place on July 5 at Birmingham, London. The legend sitting in his leather throne, paralysed, yes, unable to stand, sure. But he was unbroken. Unapologetic. Unfiltered. He was undeniably Ozzy Osbourne.
He wore his signature black suit, long straight hair, heavy black eyeliner, and those round, iconic glasses. In front of 45,000 fans, with mascara running down his face, he shouted, "You have got no idea how I feel!" and "Thank you from the bottom of my heart." That wasn't just a performance — it was a farewell carved into the soul of music history. He was a legend in leather, a haunted soul who transformed chaos into something powerful, raw, and unforgettable.
Such was my fondness for him that I wanted to sing this song on our wedding day. Sadly, that never happened. I still remember that I ordered a customised Black Sabbath cake dedicated to my husband for our birthday.
This was the man who looked death in the eye for decades, and said, "Survival is my legacy. Never give up. If you've got a passion for something, you've got to find a way to carry it on."
He lived through the darkest corners of addiction, stumbled through the worst phase of relentless fame, and yet came out the other side. Reinvented, scarred but unbroken, he even welcomed the world into his home as a reality TV star, where we got to witness a softer and funnier side of Ozzy, which was truly a surprise.
"The Osbournes", which aired from 2002 to 2005, was viral at that time. When it aired on MTV, we saw the real man behind the myth. A loving dad. A funny, confused human being who drank Diet Coke, struggled to find the History Channel, and reminded his kids not to drink or smoke.
In the early '70s, Black Sabbath's obsession with horror and the occult earned them a reputation for being "satanic." And Ozzy's bizarre antics only made it more obvious. One of his most talked about incidents was when he bit the head off a live bat thrown onstage during a 1981 concert. (In his defense, he thought it was fake.)
In 1987, he was sued by the parents of a 19-year-old who died by suicide while listening to "Suicide Solution". The lawsuit was later dismissed. Ozzy explained that the song was actually a warning about alcohol abuse, and that it was a tribute to his friend Bon Scott, the late AC/DC frontman, who died from alcohol poisoning.
In 1990, Cardinal John J O'Connor of New York accused Ozzy's music of causing demonic possession and suicide. Ozzy responded to that by saying, "You are ignorant about the true meaning of my songs. You have also insulted the intelligence of rock fans all over the world."
Born John Michael Osbourne in working-class Birmingham, Ozzy never set out to be a rock icon. His early years were marked by hardship: dyslexia, poverty, odd jobs in factories and slaughterhouses, and even a short stint in prison. Music wasn't part of some master plan. It was survival. He began simply singing in local clubs, searching for purpose.
Then in 1968, he joined a band called the Polka Tulk Blues Band with guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward. They eventually renamed themselves Earth, and then after drawing inspiration from a Boris Karloff horror film, Black Sabbath was born. With ominous, sludgy riffs and lyrics that explored war, fear, and the supernatural, they arguably created the entire genre of heavy metal.
With the help of his wife Sharon and the brilliance of guitarist Randy Rhoads, he rose from the ashes. In 1980, Blizzard of Ozz launched his solo career, bringing us "Crazy Train", "Mr Crowley", and a whole new chapter in metal history. Tragically, Rhoads was killed in a plane crash in 1982, but Ozzy pressed on.
Ozzy Osbourne was first inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 as a member of Black Sabbath. Almost 20 years later, in 2024, he was honoured once again for his solo career, placing him among the rare group of artistes who have been inducted more than once.
There had never been a singer like him — he wasn't smooth or seductive like other frontmen. Ozzy was there to haunt you, whether by telling the apocalyptic tale of "Iron Man" or spinning the mental torment of "Paranoid".
And though the Prince of Darkness has left this world, his voice, his pain, his truth, it all lives on in the echoes of Sabbath's songs and in the hearts of those who listened. Rest in power, Ozzy.
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