“He’s more than a friend, he’s family,” Ozzy Osbourne once said about Elton John. Both first met during their harder partying years at a London bash during the 1970s and immediately bonded. Reflecting on their decades-long friendship, Osbourne said they never partied much together because they likely would have never made it out of the next decade alive.
“I don’t think we would have both f–king made the ’90s if we had,” Osbourne told NME in 2020. “I remember Sharon [wife and manager Sharon Osbourne] taking me to a gig of his years ago, and his f–king dressing room was like a f–king bar with every known f–king spirit. Then he’d do seven gigs on the bounce. I’ve said to him, ‘How the f–k did you keep singing?’ If I even thought about cocaine, my singing would go out the f–king window.”
Throughout the decades, both supported one another, with John even appearing on the season four episode of The Osbournes in 2005, gifting Osbourne a gold necklace. Osbourne also supported John’s AIDS Foundation benefits throughout the years, and both, along with Sharon, partnered on several other charitable projects.
Elton also supported Osbourne during his recovery following a quad bike crash in 2003, and other health issues in the years that followed. “Elton told me to get off the couch and start walking, which was what I needed, as I couldn’t move off it for months,” shared Osbourne. “He was right. Elton is a sweetheart.”
Osbourne added, “You would be surprised. When you are feeling miserable, you find out who is a friend and who doesn’t give a s–t.”
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“Ordinary Man”
Their decades-long friendship closed on a final collaboartions in 2020 on Osbourne’s twelfth solo album, Ordinary Man, which went to No. 3. The album features collaborations with Post Malone and Travis Scott, along with a piano power ballad with John, co-written with Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith, producer Andrew Watt, Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan, and Billy Walsh.
On the track, featuring Slash on guitar, McKagan on bass, and Smith on drums, John also plays piano and shares vocals with Osbourne through the nostalgic ballad, full of reflections on his life, addictions, and career, and his dedication to his wife—I’ve made mama cry, don’t know why I’m still alive.
I was unprepared for fame
Then everybody knew my name
No more lonely nights, it’s all for you
I have travelled 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 colours fade
When the lights go down, it’s just an empty stage
Okay
Yes, I’ve been a bad guy
Been higher than the blue sky
And the truth is, I don’t wanna die an ordinary man
I’ve made grown men cry
Don’t know why I’m still alive
Yes, the truth is I don’t wanna die an ordinary man
“When I first did that song, it reminded me of Elton John because one part in it—it’s like ’70s Elton John vibe,” said Osbourne. “I asked Sharon, ‘Do you know if Elton would play?’ She goes, ‘Ask him.’ He said, ‘When? Where?’”
The single peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Rock chart but wasn’t the first collaboration between the friends. Both sang on the 2005 all-star cover of Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven,” organized by Sharon Osbourne to aid victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Part of the Hurricane Relief: Come Together Now, the single also features Kelly Osbourne, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, Scott Weiland, Mary J. Blige, Andrea Bocelli, Phil Collins, Steven Tyler, Slash, Gwen Stefani, Robert Downey Jr., Josh Groban, Katie Melua, P!nk, and Gavin Rossdale.
He [Osbourne] was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods—a true legend.
Elton John
Years later, the two also worked on the 2011 animated film Gnomeo & Juliet, produced by John’s Rocket Films. The movie featured John’s music, and Osbourne voiced the role of Fawn, a miniature deer statue, in the film.
In July of 2025, John recorded a message for his friend during Osbourne’s final concert with Black Sabbath at Villa Park in the band’s hometown of Birmingham, England.
“You are one of the most remarkable singles of our time,” said John. “You are the king, you are the legend. You’ve been through so much crap in the last few years. I hope this is the best day of your life so far.”
When Osbourne died 17 days after the concert, John shared his condolences on social media. “He was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods—a true legend,” wrote John. “He was also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. I will miss him dearly. To Sharon and the family, I send my condolences and love.”
Photo: KMazur/WireImage
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