Former BLACK FLAG frontman Henry Rollins spoke to CNN‘s John Berman about his good friend Ozzy Osbourne, who died Tuesday (July 22) on the age of 76. Requested what he’ll bear in mind most in regards to the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer, Henry stated (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I will bear in mind his honesty and the truth that… I am a form of a pal of his and likewise a good friend of his, and the person you noticed on stage was the man that you simply obtained; he was the identical particular person. He was real. And that, to me, moreover the immense expertise, is his enduring high quality.”
Recalling his first interplay with Ozzy, Henry stated: “We have been in a type of extreme athletic backstage environments while you play the large stadiums — slender benches, lockers, and we’re all simply sitting there. ‘Trigger that is actually not our scene; we’re a a lot smaller band. And Ozzy comes barreling into the dressing room space. He says, ‘Which considered one of you guys is Henry?’ And he is, like, ‘My title is Ozzy Osbourne, man. Welcome to the tour. Play the PA as loud as you need. Blow it up if you wish to. Have a good time.’ And he simply form of leaves in a path of cigar smoke. I used to be, like, ‘Wow, that was cool. I will do not forget that for the remainder of my life.’ And we did two nights with Ozzy. And we simply had a good time. He was nice to us, nice to me. I ended up speaking with him fairly a bit over the 2 reveals. And I flew on the household jet, which was not my life, and he was only a nice man. And as I stated, what you noticed is what you bought with that man.”
Requested about Ozzy‘s status as a wildman and the way it match with the person he knew, Henry stated: “I feel the truth that Ozzy might need discovered himself with out his garments wandering into the pool in a resort in Tokyo at three within the morning — I will by no means do this, and so he did that for me. I like that form of habits. It is not what I do, however when he did it, I simply assume it was extremely cool. And so I feel he is only a wild man who meant no hurt.”
Rollins additionally touched upon the truth that Ozzy performed his ultimate live performance lower than three weeks earlier than his demise at Villa Park in BLACK SABBATH‘s authentic hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. He stated: “I feel it is immense. First off, the present was performed in Birmingham the place BLACK SABBATH comes from, so all of the fortunate individuals on the venue had that second. After which the remainder of us, we get to see it on-line, however you continue to get it. And the truth that he handed away so quickly afterwards — this was not a type of issues, ‘Effectively, we’ll do two nights in Could.’ There’s not gonna be that chance, like subsequent summer time the place you may’t do it this fall. They did it, after which the person slipped away. And so the timing finally ends up being loopy.
“The 4 members of BLACK SABBATH — Geezer Butler, Invoice Ward, Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne — have been mates since earlier than you and I’ve been alive, just about,” Henry added. “They usually obtained to be collectively, the 4 guys, one extra time in entrance of followers who actually love them, and it is a love letter from the viewers to the band and the band to the viewers. And I do not assume that might have gone higher. It looks like two weeks later the person is gone. And to do it in your hometown, I simply assume it is — it is simply good.”
Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his household introduced in an announcement.
“It’s with extra disappointment than mere phrases can convey that we have now to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has handed away this morning. He was along with his household and surrounded by love. We ask everybody to respect our household privateness right now,” the household stated.
No explanation for demise was given, however Osbourne had battled plenty of well being points over the previous a number of years, together with Parkinson’s illness and accidents he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.
On the “Again To The Starting” live performance, Ozzy and the remainder of BLACK SABBATH carried out 4 songs for greater than 40,000 individuals within the stadium and 5.8 million extra on a livestream. Ozzy additionally performed a five-song solo set whereas seated in a bat-adorned throne.