Since the July 22 death of heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne, tributes have ranged from the sentimental to the profane. While the Prince of Darkness no doubt appreciated gallows humor during his life, the comedy rock band Green Jellÿ felt that one now-former member took it entirely too far.
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Formed in 1981, Green Jellÿ scored a Top 20 hit with 1993’s “Three Little Pigs.” Initially billing themselves as “The World’s Worst Band,” the quartet (which once included Tool frontman Maynard Keenan) has gained a reputation for crude humor and deliberately shoddy craftsmanship. Still, lead singer Bill Manspeaker says that Michael “Fr33to F33t” Snyder crossed a line when he apparently posted a meme mocking Ozzy Osbourne’s substance use issues to the band’s official Facebook page.
According to Lambgoat, the meme, shared on the same day as Osbourne’s death, featured a photoshopped image of the Black Sabbath co-founder holding a sign that read “One Day Sober.” In a now-deleted post, Manspeaker claimed he immediately deleted the “highly offensive” image—which he blamed on Snyder—as soon as he became aware of it.
In an Aug. 3 post to his own Facebook page, the 61-year-old vocalist further accused his former bandmate of hacking into Green Jellÿ’s Facebook page. “All because i fired him for posting that discusting [sic] meme about Ozzy death on thd [sic] Green Jello page that i removed,” Manspeaker wrote.
Fired Band Member Speaks Out Following Ozzy Osbourne Meme Controversy
Ex-Green Jellÿ member Michael “Fr33to F33t” Snyder penned a July 26 letter to fans addressing his departure.
In the Facebook post, Snyder made no mention of the Ozzy Osbourne meme. Instead, he claimed his dismissal came after he “dared to question William Manspeaker.”
“It’s a shame that some asshat on TikTok caused so much crap, but I’ll always defend my decisions to push the limits of being a punk rocker,” the musician wrote.
In subsequent posts, Snyder denied Manspeaker’s accusations of hacking into his social media accounts and harassing his family. Responding to a fan’s comment about the nature of the post in question, he wrote, ” But, dark humor is what we’ve done there for years. I would apologize to anyone who was seriously offended.”
[RELATED: Bret Michaels Shares Touching Message to Sharon Osbourne After Ozzy Osbourne’s Funeral]
Green Jellÿ is set to kick off their headlining tour with 96 Bitter Beings, The Convalescence, The Bunny The Bear and Ignominious on Sept. 10 in Tuscumbia, Alabama.
Featured image by Leon Neal/Getty Images
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