Following the passing of Ozzy Osbourne at the age of 76, artists worldwide honored the Black Sabbath frontman with live tributes during concerts held the same evening. The tributes came in the form of musical performances, dedications, and personal reflections on Osbourne’s cultural impact.
Coldplay and Dave Matthews Band each performed covers of “Changes,” a ballad from Black Sabbath’s catalog, during their respective shows. Meanwhile, former Black Midi frontman Geordie Greep led a medley of Sabbath songs during a performance in Birmingham, England, Osbourne’s hometown. The setlist included tracks such as “Symptom of the Universe,” “War Pigs,” “Paranoid,” “Sweet Leaf,” and “Crazy Train.”
Speaking to the crowd, Greep reflected on the band’s influence. “They made this music that really changed everything, and they came from this town,” he said. “You get a guitar, you go to a rehearsal room when you’re 12, and you play these songs. It’s like magic. It was these guys from here , and this is not Beverly Hills. It’s amazing. Rest in peace.”
Elsewhere, Lady Gaga ended a performance in San Francisco by revealing an Ozzy Osbourne T-shirt under her jacket and playing “Crazy Train” through the venue’s sound system. Cyndi Lauper also honored Osbourne by leading a crowd singalong of the same song during her set in Raleigh, North Carolina, using her phone to play the track through a microphone.
Osbourne’s death sparked widespread response across the music world. Artists such as Elton John, Jack White, Tom Morello, and Metallica shared written tributes on social media, citing his influence on both heavy metal and popular music more broadly.
Osbourne, widely regarded as a pioneer of heavy metal, first rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the frontman of Black Sabbath. His distinct voice, stage presence, and later solo career made him one of the genre’s most recognizable figures.
