On Saturday (October 19), Ozzy Osbourne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist, marking his second recognition by the institution, following his 2006 induction as a member of BLACK SABBATH.
Osbourne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by actor and Tenacious D frontman, Jack Black.
“The greatest frontman in the history of rock ‘n’ roll — Ozzy Osbourne,” said Black. The cover of 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 s**t, this motherf**ker invented heavy metal… the darkest, heaviest s**t the world had ever heard.”
Following Jack Black‘s induction speech, Osbourne accepted the award while seated on a throne. Ozzy 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 f**king 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 more so more than that, my wife Sharon. Saved my life. And my grandbabies and my babies. I love them all.
“So with all that, I’m gonna get on with the show and hand it back to Jack.”
An all-star performance followed, featuring a backing band with RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith, METALLICA (and former Ozzy) bassist Robert Trujillo, producer and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Watt, and keyboardist Adam Wakeman.
TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan and Wolfgang Van Halen joined for the first song, “Crazy Train,” followed by Zakk Wylde and country star Jelly Roll for “Mama I’m Coming Home.” Billy Idol took over vocals for the final song, “No More Tears,” with his longtime guitarist Steve Stevens joining in.
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.