Ozzy Osbourne, the person whose identify turned synonymous with the beginning of heavy steel, is gone. For some, it nonetheless would not really feel actual. Mikael Åkerfeldt, frontman of Opeth, shared a deeply private and poetic tribute, capturing each his personal sorrow and the collective disbelief felt throughout generations of followers.
“In order that dreadful day lastly got here. John Michael Osbourne has left us, and it is so extremely laborious to just accept it. Even when I’ve braced myself for this inevitable truth for the reason that 80’s it simply feels fully unreal. He was like an historical oak tree to me. A listed tree that folks would go to and marvel at.”
That picture of Ozzy as a dwelling monument speaks volumes about his place in music historical past. Åkerfeldt traced his connection to Black Sabbath again to childhood, recalling an expertise that left a everlasting mark on his musical journey: “Ozzy got here into my life within the late 70’s/early 80’s (I can not bear in mind precisely, I admit) after I heard ‘Iron Man’ on a cassette participant in Sörskogen/Huddinge/Stockholm. I used to be only a baby, and ‘that’ voice to start with scared the dwelling daylights out of me.”
“Black Sabbath was my introduction to heavy rock/steel and has remained a lifelong companion since. I’ve learn some posts from different musicians and might solely concur. If it wasn’t for Ozzy and Black Sabbath, my curiosity in music (as an entire) would not have taken off because it did. I turned obsessive about them, and I suppose I nonetheless am,” he added.
Regardless of acting on the identical invoice as Ozzy and Black Sabbath on a number of events, Åkerfeldt by no means had a correct dialog with him — one thing he now displays on with bittersweet humor and reverence: “I’ve by no means talked to Ozzy myself. The closest engagement I had with him was when he shuffled previous me at an award present and kinda ran into me. I bear in mind considering, ‘This would possibly develop into my solely Ozzy story.’ He felt that illuminated and untouchable simply strolling previous.”
“I stored searching for him across the room, however I by no means bought the prospect to talk to him once more. We have now performed with Black Sabbath and Ozzy on a couple of events, however I have been too shy and starstruck to look him up. In addition to his entourage and personal quarters made certain that nobody would be capable of come shut.”
That distance, bodily, emotional, and legendary, was a part of what made Ozzy appear everlasting. However Åkerfeldt, like so many others, is now reckoning with a world that feels dimmer in his absence.
“There’s a lot to be mentioned about his musical wealth, which he showered on the world of music, however I would solely repeat what numerous others have already mentioned. All I do know is that the world is a lesser place with out him round. The beacon that was Ozzy Osbourne has gone darkish and silent. Fortunately, his music stays for our everlasting enjoyment, and for that I’m so grateful.”
And but, figuring out the legacy endures is simply a part of the therapeutic. The loss is contemporary, uncooked, and overwhelming: “Now, all that is still is to truly perceive and settle for that that is actual. It occurred! It will be an emotional marathon of types with the intention to get there, however what else can we do than strive?”
From one visionary to a different, Åkerfeldt‘s phrases strike a steadiness between reverence and rawness. And for a lot of, like him, Ozzy wasn’t only a frontman or a legend. He was the gateway.
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