Loudwire has spent the past year talking to rock and metal artists along with family members to get their perspective on Ozzy Osbourne following his 2025 death.
Here is how he has been remembered during the first 365 days following his death and his epic final performance during the Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham, England.
Zakk Wylde
“Every night when we’d play Randy’s (Rhoads) stuff with Ozzy, Randy’s alive and well and his life force is there. And the same thing with Dime (Dimebag Darrell) and Vinnie (Paul). Every night we’re up there playing Pantera songs, and every time a 14-year-old kid gets behind the drums and plays Pantera, plays guitar, Vinne and Dime are alive and well. Their light force and their energy are still here… Playing Black Sabbath songs, Ozzy is alive and well.”
READ MORE: The Absolute Best Ozzy Quotes From Every Season of ‘The Osbournes’
Henry Rollins
“The world was a great place with Ozzy in it. And it’s still great, but it’s not as great without him. He’s just one of those great people who is loved by a lot of people who never had the chance to meet him, but who knew him because of the records and the shows and the things he would say from the stage over and over again. ‘I love you. We love you.’ And I will bet either of my arms he meant that.”
Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) on Ozzy’s Final Performance
“You know what they say in sports sometimes, ‘You want to leave it all out on the field.’ Or the gladiator thing, you ‘go out on your shield.’ He went out on his shield. He left it all on the field… You got his last, ‘Here’s what I have to offer. I’ve walked this crazy crooked road, and here I am before you physically diminished, not even able to stand through a 30-minute set. I’m willing to bear myself wide open.'”
Jack Osbourne
“To see that kind of outpouring was very affirming and also unexpected. None of us, none of the family ever thought it would be like that. No one ever sat around and said ‘You know when Dad dies, it’s going to be this big spectacle.’ You don’t go there when it’s your own father. You just think ‘Fuck, that day’s gonna suck.’ Yes, he was Ozzy Osbourne to the entire world, but he was a father to my sisters and brother and me.”
Gary Holt (Exodus, Slayer)
“We never saw that coming. We didn’t think he was that close. We knew the end was there. He was struggling live, but that was part of the beauty of what we were witnessing (at Back to the Beginning) because you could see that he wanted so bad to get out of that throne. He wanted to get a bucket of water and throw it on someone.”
Johannes Eckerström (Avatar)
“Ozzy conveys lyrics like it’s nobody’s business in a way that I feel is an old school skill. Because he’s so full of intangibles, you can’t teach those qualities to do what Ozzy does.”
Additional interviews with rock and metal artists remembering Ozzy are available on Loudwire’s YouTube channel.
Several rockers have also been vocal about their first time meeting Osbourne face-to-face. Keep reading for a look back at what they’ve said about their first in-person Ozzy encounters.
What 17 Rockers Have Said About Meeting Ozzy Osbourne for the First Time
Some of the biggest rock and metal musicians share their experiences meeting Ozzy Osbourne for the first time, what he was like and more.
Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner
