RIP, Ozzy Osbourne

Sad news today in music, as heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne died.

I don't have any really personal stories to share. Never met the guy, so I'm not going to pretend that I knew what kind of a man he was away from the stage. That said, he always seemed like a pretty decent and intelligent guy, even if he had obtained a reputation in latter years for being a little difficult to understand when he was talking.

However, while I never met the man in person, I saw him in concert a ton of times. That includes him as a solo act probably at least six or seven times, and with Black Sabbat something like six or seven times, as well. Obviously, I was a fan of Black Sabbath.

Ozzy was the front man for one of the pioneering bands in heavy metal. His lyrics were intelligent and thought-provoking, and the music tested boundaries. He was a true artist in every sense of the word.

His solo career was much of the same. While I don't listen to heavy metal anywhere near as much as I did when younger, I still find myself rocking out to it every now and then. Whenever an Ozzy or Sabbath song that I particularly like (No More Tears, or War Pigs, or a number of others that are not immediately coming to mind) comes on the radio, I generally turn up the volume and sing along. 

So I grew up on his music and appreciate the legacy, which spanned many decades. 

Ozzy, also known as the Prince of Darkness, died earlier today at the age of 76

RIP, Ozzy. You will be missed.