Sir Rod Stewart has become the latest music legend to pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, following the Black Sabbath frontman’s passing on Tuesday, July 22, at the age of 76. The rock icon died peacefully surrounded by loved ones, after a long, courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2019.
Rod, who shared a decades-long friendship with Ozzy, took to social media and radio to remember the man behind the myth — not just the Prince of Darkness, but the friend who made him laugh, who loved deeply, and who never stopped being himself.
“Ozzy was one of a kind. A madman onstage, sure, but offstage? He was pure heart. A loyal mate. A man who’d give you the shirt off his back — and probably set it on fire just for a laugh. We raised hell together in the ’70s… and then we’d raise a glass and talk about family. That’s the Ozzy I’ll remember.”
The pair famously crossed paths many times over the years — from wild nights at London’s Rainbow Theatre, to heartfelt chats at award shows and charity events. Though their music styles differed — Stewart’s soulful rasp and Osbourne’s heavy metal growl — they found common ground in their roots, their love for music, and their devotion to family.
Rod also revealed a lesser-known side to Ozzy:
“People saw the bat-biting, the chaos… but there was this deeply thoughtful man under all that. He talked to me about his fears, about Sharon, the kids, even about faith. He was always searching — for peace, for answers, for meaning. And I think he found it in his own way.”
In one particularly moving moment, Stewart recalled a phone call from Ozzy in 2020, shortly after both men had faced health scares.
“He rang me out of the blue and said, ‘Rod, we’re still here — isn’t that bloody mad?’ We laughed for a good 10 minutes. That’s how I want to remember him: laughing, swearing, and somehow turning pain into poetry.”
Rod closed his tribute by raising a glass and playing “Changes” in Ozzy’s honor, calling it “one of the saddest, most beautiful songs ever written — and now it feels like a goodbye.”
“Sleep well, brother. You brought madness and magic to this world — and we loved you for every moment of it.”
As tributes continue to pour in from across the globe, Rod Stewart’s heartfelt words stand as a testament to a friendship forged in fame, but anchored in something far deeper.
