It has been an emotional month for metal fans. First, Back to the Beginning marked the end of an era. Both Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne held their final performances in their hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They took their final bows surrounded by countless bands that wouldn’t have been there without them. Then, less than three weeks later, the Prince of Darkness passed away, dealing another heavy blow to the metal community specifically and the music world in general.
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Where I grew up, country music was everywhere. However, a few rock and metal bands worked their way into the CD collections of almost every teenage boy. Lynyrd Skynyrd, Metallica, Black Sabbath, and Osbourne’s solo output were pretty common. I can’t think of one guy my age who didn’t have a copy of We Sold Our Soul for Rock ‘n’ Roll or The Ozzman Cometh. For me and many other kids who grew up in places where the closest thing to a record store in a hundred-mile radius was the local Walmart, Sabbath, Osbourne, and Metallica were the heaviest bands in the world. In short, these bands have been present in my life for as long as I can remember.
Black Sabbath was the soundtrack to many late-night conversations, fishing trips, drives down dark dirt roads, and high school dates. Osbourne was in my headphones on the way to the courthouse while my parents were going through a divorce. “Changes” and “Mama I’m Coming Home” have been standards for breakups and other emotionally heavy moments for decades.
However, with changing tastes, life’s obligations, and a wealth of music at my fingertips, I kind of forgot how important that music was to me. This month, though, has been full of stark reminders.
I’m Not the Only One Who Watched Black Sabbath’s Final Show Through Tears
Look, I’ll admit it, I’m a big ol’ softie. There are plenty of movies, TV shows, songs, and books that have made me cry in the past and will in the future. However, “Paranoid” was never one of those tunes. “Paranoid” and the rest of Black Sabbath’s output were music for just about anything else. Then, July 5 came around, and Back to the Beginning Happened.
Watching Sabbath work through their set with Ozzy Osbourne on his throne brought a mix of emotions. Honestly, I could feel it building. Then, the Prince of Darkness announced that they were about to play their “final song, ever,” and it was all I could do to hold it together. The tears started falling about the time Tony Iommi ripped into the iconic intro riff, and I tried in vain to explain why it was such an emotional moment.
Fan-shot video of the show made me realize that my reaction was the norm. Nearly every shot of the crowd shows a sea of metalheads with wet eyes, feeling the weight of the moment.
Ozzy Osbourne’s Death Was Harder Than I Thought It Would Be
Let’s be real for a moment, most of us knew that Ozzy Osbourne wouldn’t be around much longer. Appearing onstage with his band and then Black Sabbath was incredibly brave and likely took a lot out of him.
To those who don’t “get it,” he was an ill old man who tried and failed to stand during his final concert. However, to those in the know, he was the Prince of Darkness upon his throne, delivering one last proclamation of love and gratitude to his subjects. Years of addiction, injuries, hard living, and Parkinson’s disease had eroded him, but he remained larger than life.
I know I wasn’t alone in expecting to see more from Osbourne and Black Sabbath. All four members of the band had talked about making another album. We all wanted one more record with the original lineup. Worst-case scenario, I assumed we’d hear about Osbourne being hospitalized and fighting a little longer. The last thing I expected to do yesterday (July 22) afternoon was stop what I was doing to write about the death of a legend.
For me and countless other longtime fans, knowing he was gone felt like hearing about the passing of a distant but beloved relative. It was heartbreaking, and we’ll mourn the loss for years to come.
What Has Really Changed?
For the fans who never saw Black Sabbath or Ozzy Osbourne live, or spoke to them, or knew them personally, this month has still been emotionally heavy. Some may wonder why. Honestly, I’ve asked myself the same thing. I still have a stack of Sabbath and Ozzy records on my shelf. I can still pull up any song of theirs on my phone at a moment’s notice. So, nothing has really changed in that regard. Objectively speaking, our lives haven’t changed. At the same time, though, it still hurts.
Maybe it’s because it’s the end of an era, and we know those metal giants won’t make any more music. Maybe it’s because Back to the Beginning and Ozzy’s death remind us of our own mortality and that we’re all a day closer to shuffling off this mortal coil. Then again, it could be because we’ve formed an emotional connection to the band through the music’s presence during important or memorable moments. I’ll leave sussing out the “why” of it all to people who are much smarter than me.
I just know that losing a legend like Ozzy Osbourne is painful, even for those of us who didn’t know him. I can only imagine the grief felt by those who were close to him.
Featured Image by Gems/Redferns
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