Rocker Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness, died this week. No cause was given, although he’d been treated for a variant of Parkinson’s disease that what exacerbated by his decades of drug abuse. He was 76.
As front man for Black Sabbath, Osbourne defined Heavy
Metal rock; every band that came after them used the template he created. When
Black Sabbath finally broke up, he moved into a solo career, managed by his
wife Sharon, and then popularity in reality TV.
He brought together his bandmates for one last concert this
month near his home in Birmingham, England. He performed from a black throne
because he was too weak to stand, but he wowed the crowd.
He left quite the library of hits, making it hard for me to
choose one for today’s earworm. “Mama, I’m Coming Home” —a lyrical ballad—seems
right, but I’m also drawn to “War Pigs”, because of its driving power.
But, in the end, I’m giving you “Crazy Train”, from his first solo album, because it pretty much describes where we are today. (The amazing guitar work is by Randy Rhoads, who died far too soon in a plane crash at 24.)
©2025 Bas Bleu
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