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Ozzy Osbourne is dead: Long live the Prince of Darkness - A tribute

Hi and welcome,

It is an unpleasant occasion, one that we would have preferred never to write about. And even now I find it difficult to find the right words. But what kind of magazine would we be, what kind of fans of the most brilliant genre of music ever, if we didn't talk openly about it with you?

Our prince has gone. And we have to accept that the throne is now empty.

For this reason, we - as devoted subjects of the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne - want to write a tribute in his honor. An article that deliberately sets itself apart from our usual columns and is more emotional than ever. So get out your handkerchiefs, turn up Ozzy and read on.

I was standing at the edge, looking down at myself as a child, and he looked back at me, crying tears of defeat from his eyes. He said, I know all the lies that you hide behind every fake smile. Am I gonna be lonely like you for... All my life I've been living in yesterday. All my life, a dollar short and a day too late. -  All My Life, Ozzy Osbourne.

In his autobiography, Osbourne wrote that his father once told him that he would either achieve something special or end up in prison. Both statements turned out to be true: Shortly before his 18th birthday, John Michael Osbourne, as Ozzy is known by his real name, was imprisoned for grand theft. He spent three months in prison in his hometown of Birmingham.

The later world-famous musician, artist and heavy metal icon grew up in the Aston district, a place that still bore the scars of the Second World War and offered few prospects for young people. It was in precisely this environment that he founded the band Black Sabbath towards the end of the 1960s, which is still considered a pioneer of heavy metal today.

After several successful albums and worldwide tours, the pressure within the band grew. Tensions between the members and Osbourne's increasing consumption of alcohol and drugs ultimately led to his dismissal from his own band. However, with the support of his new manager - and later wife - Sharon Osbourne, he ventured into a solo career in the early 1980s.

In this decade, his image as a chaotic, indestructible rock star finally manifested itself. As the Madman, as the Prince of Darkness. Based on his music, which made him particularly famous in this era, numerous new bands and artists emerged. Ozzy changed the genre, shaped it. He also changed the way we perceived music.

On his first tour with Blizzard of Ozz, a previously unknown band called Mötley Crüe appeared as the support act. They would soon become world-famous themselves. Also artists like Kiss, Guns N' Roses and Metallica found additional attention through Osbourne's music. In his solo career, Osbourne sold over 100 million albums by 2013 and won four Grammy Awards.

Pray for me Father, for I know not what I do. I am the monster, yeah you must have read the news. Don't know how it started, but I know just how it ends. Pray for me Father, 'cause I'm running out of friends. - Holy Tonight, Ozzy Osbourne

His unconventional lifestyle and his penchant for alcohol and drugs meant that Osbourne often attracted negative public attention. In numerous television appearances and interviews, he was asked about his eccentric behavior - it became a trademark. His image as a madman, as someone who seeks chaos and knows no rules, was gratefully adopted by the public.

But Ozzy Osbourne did not always play this role voluntarily. The image the world had of him did not always match the image he had of himself, even if this self-image was only allowed to shine through in rare moments. This ambivalence shaped his public image, but never became part of the wider perception. As a result, Osbourne's public image during this time was always accompanied by controversy.

A particularly formative event was his appearance on January 20, 1982 in Des Moines, Iowa. Osbourne was on tour with his band Blizzard of Ozz to promote the current album "Diary of a Madman". During the concert, an audience member threw a live bat onto the stage. Ozzy grabbed the animal and bit its head off, thinking it was a toy. The scene went around the world.

He was immediately taken to hospital and vaccinated against rabies. The following concerts were canceled - Osbourne was still suffering from bouts of weakness weeks later. The incident made international headlines. In an interview, Ozzy later emphasized that he had not been aware that it had been a real bat. The controversy initially damaged his image, but he made the most of it. In the following shows, he and his audience threw offal at each other. Ozzy did what he always did: he turned scandal into show, defeat into myth.

In 1982, Osbourne gave an interview on the program Night Flight that showed a different side of the artist. He was asked about his image as Wild Man, a label he rejected. He spoke of having two personalities inside him: John Osbourne, the calmer, normal side, and Ozzy, the unpredictable creature that everyone wanted to see. It was difficult for him to play this role every day, but he did it because society expected it.

Two souls, one body. He said he only played Ozzy because the world demanded it of him. But how long can you play a role without losing yourself?

Dark memories, they keep me up all night. You left me half-empty. Why are you always right? Can't change me, no matter how you try. You break me, forsake me. Right now, I wanna die. Goodbye, Ozzy Osbourne

In his songs, Osbourne repeatedly dealt with topics that moved and burdened him, such as life, fears, drugs, loneliness and identity. This combination of dark music, unsparing lyrics and a polarizing public figure was revolutionary at the time. Metal became a symbol of resistance, the mouthpiece of a generation that wanted to be different.

Ozzy put his physical and mental health on the back burner. He was no longer John but what the world wanted to see in him. A look at his workload at the time confirms this: he sometimes played several shows a day. He lived a life that consumed him, but he persevered, partly because he never had the chance to simply be himself.

In his songs, he wrote about escaping reality, about the longing for something real. And although his music gave hope to many, he himself often remained trapped in the shadows of expectations.

The power of the media was a constant companion. They shaped the image of the musician as well as that of his genre. They made him a cult figure, but also a projection surface. Perhaps John Osbourne created the alter ego Ozzy Osbourne out of self-protection. Perhaps it was his way of coping with the world. Or perhaps it was a silent cry for freedom.

A John Osbourne would have been hurt if someone rejected his music. An Ozzy Osbourne doesn't care.

I was unprepared for fame. Then everybody knew my name. No more lonely nights, it's all for you. I have traveled many miles, I've seen tears and I've seen smiles. Just remember that it's all for you. Don't forget me as the colors fade. When the lights go down, it's just an empty stage. - Ordinary Man, Ozzy Osbourne

For many, Ozzy Osbourne was more than just a musician. He was the madman who called the Crazy Train his home. The Prince of Darkness, the idol who made metal what it is today. To his family, he was probably just John: a man with rough edges, loved like everyone else.

But what was Ozzy to himself? Was he really this Ozzy Osbourne, the name he tattooed on his finger when he was in prison? Or was he just John, the boy from Aston who wanted to be seen?

We don't know. Maybe he didn't always know it himself. But one thing is certain: Ozzy was someone who lived beyond his music. Someone who was more than any stage, any album, any scandal. An idol. A father. A lover. A force of nature without whom many of us would have given up long ago.

So thank you. Thank you from us too. Thank you from me. Thank you for being there when I needed you the most.

Lila is out, be the beat with you!