Latest news with #Mr.Crowley
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Randy Rhoads played a defining role in turning Ozzy Osbourne into a superstar, check the American guitarist's profile
Ozzy Osbourne passed away at 76. Tributes acknowledge Randy Rhoads' impact on his solo career. Rhoads' talent revitalized Osbourne's music after Black Sabbath. Their collaboration produced iconic albums like Blizzard of Ozz. Rhoads died tragically young but his influence on metal guitar is immense. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads With the passing away of Ozzy Osbourne at the age of 76, tributes continue to pour in for the legendary "Prince of Darkness," not only for his iconic years with Black Sabbath but for the astonishing reinvention of his career as a solo artist. At the heart of that transformation was a pivotal figure whose own life was cut tragically short - guitar virtuoso Randy Rhoads Osbourne's resurgence as a solo force in the early 1980s, after being dismissed from Black Sabbath in 1979, is inextricably tied to his collaboration with Rhoads. The meeting of the two marked a watershed moment in heavy metal history. When a then-unknown Rhoads auditioned for Osbourne in Los Angeles, Ozzy later recalled he was so stunned by Rhoads' playing that he hired him on the spot. "This kid played like an angel and a maniac at the same time," Osbourne famously resulting partnership gave birth to Blizzard of Ozz (1980), an album that not only revitalized Osbourne's faltering career but also redefined modern metal. Rhoads' classically inspired techniques and innovative use of scales, tapping, and harmonic layering propelled tracks like ' Crazy Train ,' 'Mr. Crowley,' and 'Revelation (Mother Earth)' into heavy metal canon. "Crazy Train," in particular, remains one of the most iconic riffs in rock history and is widely cited by guitarists as a benchmark of musical Rhoads was an American guitarist born on December 6, 1956, in Santa Monica, California, known for co-founding the heavy metal band Quiet Riot . Before joining Ozzy Osbourne in 1979, he rapidly gained attention on the Los Angeles club circuit with Quiet Riot, distinguished by his signature polka-dot guitar and intense playing style. Despite his tragically short career, Rhoads remains celebrated for his technical innovation and lasting impact on metal than just a guitarist, Rhoads was a co-writer and creative force in the studio. According to longtime Osbourne collaborator and bassist Bob Daisley, Randy's enthusiasm and vision gave Ozzy a renewed purpose. 'He gave Ozzy confidence again. He brought brilliance and discipline to the music,' Daisley said in a 2020 interview with Guitar energy carried into their second album, Diary of a Madman (1981), which further showcased Rhoads' neoclassical influences on tracks like 'Flying High Again' and 'Over the Mountain.' Both albums were certified multi-platinum and contributed to what would later be termed the neoclassical metal subgenre, allowing Osbourne to transcend his Sabbath roots and build a solo brand that has lasted more than four Rhoads' shining career was cut devastatingly March 19, 1982, while on tour with Osbourne in Florida, Rhoads was killed in a plane crash at just 25 years old. The loss not only shattered the band, but it also deeply impacted Osbourne personally and professionally. 'When Randy died, a part of me died too,' Ozzy later said in his 2010 memoir I Am recording just two studio albums with Osbourne, Rhoads has remained a towering figure in rock and metal history. In 2021, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the Musical Excellence Award — a long-awaited recognition of his artistic his induction speech, Osbourne reiterated just how crucial Randy had been to his life: 'Without Randy, there would be no Ozzy solo career. Full stop.'Rhoads' influence extended well beyond Ozzy's music. His style inspired generations of guitarists, from Zakk Wylde to Synyster Gates (Avenged Sevenfold), many of whom list Rhoads as a foundational influence. His blend of classical precision and metal aggression helped birth the neoclassical metal genre and changed the technical standards for heavy metal guitar permanently.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Ozzy Osbourne health issues: The heavy metal icon battled Parkinson's disease, addiction
Ozzy Osbourne may have been a fierce rock 'n' roller, but he was far from invincible. The Grammy-winning singer and Black Sabbath frontman died on Tuesday, July 22, at the age of 76, according to a family statement shared with USA TODAY. Osbourne's death came just weeks after he reunited with Black Sabbath for the heavy metal band's final show in Birmingham, England. Taking the stage at Villa Park in front of 40,000 fans, the July 5 concert was a reprieve from the English singer's harrowing battle with Parkinson's disease, which had rendered him unable to stand or walk without assistance. But for nine songs that included Black Sabbath classics "Paranoid" and "Iron Man," as well as Osbourne standards "Mr. Crowley" and "Crazy Train," the guitars cranked, and the Prince of Darkness reveled in his return to the spotlight. Aside from his struggles with Parkinson's disease, Osbourne also dealt with substance abuse. The outlandish rocker, who later embarked on a solo career, was booted from Black Sabbath in 1979 due to his rampant drug and alcohol addiction. Ozzy Osbourne on 'self-medicating' with yearslong substance abuse Osbourne's battles with addiction have led to infamous moments in music history. He bit the head off a dove during a 1981 meeting with record executives in Los Angeles and the following year chomped the head off a live bat during a show in Des Moines, Iowa. The singer got candid on his tumultuous relationship with addiction in a February 2021 interview with Variety. "I've always been self-medicating because I've never liked the way I felt," Osbourne told the outlet. "I've had great success in my life, but I've never felt great about myself. And so, from a very early age, I used to sniff fumes, all kinds of things, anything to get me out of my head." Osbourne later got serious about his sobriety around 2014 after numerous attempts at recovery dating back to 1984. "I thought I'd be drinking to the day I die," he reflected. "Most of the people that I drank with are dead. And the ones that aren't, that still continue to drink, are going to be dead soon," Osbourne added. "It's not a happy ending. If you want to carry on drinking, my hat goes off to you." Ozzy Osbourne undergoes neck surgery after 2019 fall In April 2019, a representative for Osbourne revealed on social media that he was postponing all tour dates on his farewell No More Tours II concert tour after the singer sustained injuries during a fall at his Los Angeles home. In a January 2020 interview with "Good Morning America," Osbourne detailed the "terribly challenging" year he went through due to his extensive recovery. "I had to have surgery on my neck, which screwed all my nerves in," Osbourne said at the time. "I've got numbness down this arm from the surgery. My legs feel going cold. I don't know if that's Parkinson's or what. … It's a weird feeling." Ozzy Osbourne breaks silence on Parkinson's disease diagnosis In a revealing sit-down interview with "Good Morning America" in January 2020, Osbourne, alongside wife Sharon Osbourne, shared that he'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's is a degenerative syndrome that results in the slow loss of brain circuitry involved in movement, thinking, and behavior. It can cause tremors, stiffness, slowness, and falls, in addition to anxiety, depression, and sleep dysfunction. Though fans knew the singer had suffered from tremors, Osbourne said he didn't find out about his diagnosis until 2019. "I'm not good at secrets. I cannot walk around with it anymore," Osbourne said on the ABC talk show. "I feel better now of owning up to the fact that I have a case of Parkinson's." A month after his "GMA" interview, Osbourne canceled the North American leg of his No More Tours II tour to focus on his recovery, as the singer prepared to travel to Switzerland for treatment. Ozzy Osbourne reveals emphysema battle amid 'worst year of my life' In a November 2020 interview with GQ, Osbourne revealed he had emphysema, a chronic lung condition — often attributed to smoking — that causes shortness of breath, according to Mayo Clinic. "This year has been the worst year of my life!" said Osbourne, who'd revealed his Parkinson's disease diagnosis in January. The singer also voiced his health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic: "I've got emphysema, so if I get this virus, I'm f-----." Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri, Sara M Moniuszko, Karen Weintraub, and Charles Trepany, USA TODAY If you or someone you know needs help battling a substance abuse addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Calgary Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Looking back on the times Ozzy Osbourne rocked Calgary
Article content Black Sabbath frontman and solo artist, Ozzy Osbourne has entertained his legions of fans across the world for decades. Article content Calgary was a stop for Osbourne and Black Sabbath numerous times over the years, from the Saddledome to the Max Bell, Osbourne has rocked with Calgary's rock fans. Article content Article content Osbourne passed away with family around him on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. Article content Article content 2016 Article content Article content But fans were not disappointed because the show did go on March 4, 2016 at the Saddledome. Article content But that was the beginning. Cheesy. Tame. Silly. Expected. Article content But what followed was spectacular. Article content It was, quite honestly, the best arena metal show I've seen in the past two decades — Metallica, Priest, Kiss, even solo Ozzy included — and one of the best arena shows, period. Article content They sounded amazing. They played phenomenally. The songs were fantastic. It was, as a whole and as an evening, quite awesome. Article content Article content Article content Article content Backed up by a heavyweight band, including shredding guitarist/barbarian Zakk Wylde, Ozzy ran through a set that included the latter day hit I Don't Wanna Stop, monster-sized power ballad Road To Nowhere and the devilish Mr. Crowley. Of course, the wicked riff on Crazy Train is still a highlight of any Ozzy gig as are doomy Black Sabbath slabs like War Pigs and Iron Man. Article content Truthfully, Ozzy's voice was pretty shaky at points, though strong enough to fill fans with glee. As for that kooky Ozzy charisma of his, that was right on the money. Article content The insane mugging, those weird amphibious hops, the hose he takes to the front row, the barked 'God bless you alls!' to the crowd. Sure, it's all pretty predictable, but after all these years it's still bloody fun too.
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
10 songs to memorialize Ozzy Osbourne, the great Black Sabbath frontman
NEW YORK (AP) — There are pioneering music figures, and then there is Ozzy Osbourne, the larger-than-life frontman of Black Sabbath, whose personal mythology is eclipsed only by the strength and immortality of his songs. A godfather and force of heavy metal, Osbourne died Tuesday at 76, just months after his last performance. The English icon's idiosyncratic, throaty voice launched generations of metalheads, both through his work at the reins of Black Sabbath and in his solo career. Across his repertoire, there are songs with total global ubiquity and lesser-known innovations with his unique, spooky aesthetic quality. To celebrate Osbourne's life and legacy, we've selected just a few songs that made the man, from timeless tunes to a few left-of-center selections. It would be a challenge to name a more immediately recognizable guitar riff than the one that launches Black Sabbath's 1970 megahit 'Iron Man.' It transcends the metal genre — an all-timer heard around the world and in guitar stores everywhere. One of the great Vietnam War protest songs, Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs' is a rare moment where hippies and metalheads can agree: 'Politicians hide themselves away / They only started the war / Why should they go out to fight?' Osbourne sings in the bridge. 1971: 'Children of the Grave,' Black Sabbath Osbourne's heaviest performances are at least partially indebted to Black Sabbath's bassist and lyricist Terry 'Geezer' Butler, and there is perhaps no better example than 'Children of the Grave,' the single from the band's 1971 album, 'Master of Reality.' 'Must the world live in the shadow of atomic fear?' Osbourne embodies Butler's words, a sonic fist lifted in the air. 'Can they win the fight for peace or will they disappear?' 1973: 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,' Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were in a creative rut in the time period leading up to 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,' the opening track from their 1973 album of the same name. It's almost hard to believe now — the song features one of their best-known riffs, and its chorus features some truly ascendant vocals. Would the world know what a vibraslap sounds like without the immediately recognizable introduction to Osbourne's first solo single, 'Crazy Train?' To call it a classic is almost a disservice — it is an addicting tune, complete with chugging guitars and Cold War-era fears. 1980: 'Mr. Crowley, ' Ozzy Osbourne Another classic cut from Osbourne's debut solo album, 'Blizzard Of Ozz' — released one year after Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath for his legendary excesses, — the arena rock anthem 'Mr. Crowley' pays tribute to the famed English occultist Aleister Crowley and features Deep Purple's Don Airey on keyboard. 1981: 'Diary of a Madman,' Ozzy Osbourne The title track and coda of Osbourne's second solo studio album, 'Diary of a Madman,' runs over six minutes long, features big strings and a choir so theatrical it sounds like they're scoring a medieval war film. He wanted big, he wanted dramatic, and he nailed it. 1991: 'Mama, I'm Coming Home,' Ozzy Osbourne It wouldn't be inaccurate to call 'Mama, I'm Coming Home' a beautiful-sounding song. It's unlike anything on this list, a power ballad featuring lyrics written by the late Motörhead frontman Lemmy and a welcomed deviation. 1992: 'I,' Black Sabbath When Black Sabbath comes to mind, most fans jump to an unimpeachable run of albums released in the '70s and early '80s. But 'I,' a cut from Black Sabbath's too often overlooked 16th studio album, 'Dehumanizer,' is worth your ear. And not only because it is the first Sabbath album to feature singer Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice since 1981's 'Mob Rules,' though that's an obvious plus. Late in life Ozzy Osbourne was generous with his time and talent, often collaborating with younger performers who idolized the metal legend. One such example is Post Malone's 'Take What You Want,' which also features the rapper Travis Scott. Osbourne gives the song a necessary gothic edge — validating the otherwise balladic song's use of a sprightly guitar solo.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Ozzy Osbourne's final Black Sabbath show – and his last post before his death
A few weeks ago, Ozzy Osbourne sat on his rock 'n' roll throne topped by, appropriately, a bat. Feeling the tsunami of affection from 40,000 fans filling Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Osbourne basked in the spotlight July 5 as he sat on stage with his Black Sabbath bandmates Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, the pioneering metal quartet taking a final bow in their hometown. Osbourne, who died Tuesday, July 22, at the age of 76, had suffered from Parkinson's disease since 2020, rendering him unable to stand or walk without assistance. But for nine songs that included Black Sabbath classics "Paranoid" and "Iron Man" with his original band and Osbourne standards "Mr. Crowley" and "Crazy Train" with his longtime solo team, the guitars cranked and Osbourne reveled being on stage a final time during this "Back to the Beginning" sendoff. Rock star Ozzy Osbourne dies at 76, weeks after final Black Sabbath show "Thank you from the bottom of my heart," he told the crowd in his recognizable accented mumble. "You're the best, each and every one of you." The performance was the culmination of an 11-hour day of music that featured other hard rock heavyweights including Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Tool and Pantera bending the knee to the Prince of Darkness. His bat-biting antics, numerous career reincarnations and, with the assistance of wife Sharon, ability to thrust heavy metal into the mainstream, made him a legend. Artists ranging from Elton John to Def Leppard to Dolly Parton also appeared via video to remind Osbourne of his influence and thank him for his contributions to music. In what has since become Osbourne's last performance, the show was filmed for a 100-minute concert film and documentary, "Back to the Beginning: Ozzy's Final Bow," that will be released in theaters in early 2026. Osbourne had also recently announced a sequel to his 2010 memoir, "I'm Dr. Ozzy." His upcoming book, "Last Rites," due Oct. 7, spotlights his life since his Parkinson's diagnosis and the near-paralysis he faced since. Osbourne retained his sweet-yet-brazen humor in an excerpt from the book: "Look, if it ends tomorrow, I can't complain. I've been all around the world. Seen a lot of things. I've done good … and I've done bad. But right now, I'm not ready to go anywhere." Ozzy Osbourne's final Instagram post Osbourne also shared one final post to social media before his death. A post shared by Ozzy Osbourne (@ozzyosbourne) The simple post, sans caption, honored his rock roots with a promotional poster for the final Black Sabbath show. Young versions of the rockers graced the poster, hung in the doorway of a red hallway.
