As millions of Ozzy Osbourne fans found out on the MTV reality show “The Osbournes,” the Prince of Darkness wasn’t anything like wild his rock-star stage persona – at home, he was sweet, gentle and mischeivous, his daffy demeanor more intentionally funny than he was letting on.
But that was no surprise to Geezer Butler, bassist and founding member of Black Sabbath, who wrote a heartfelt remembrance of his friend for The Sunday Times.
Butler re-tells the story of how before they met, he would see a young, “mod” Osbourne, in a sharp haircut and suit, walking the streets of Aston, where they both lived near the Aston Villa football club’s stadium. It was there that Black Sabbath would reunite for their final concert.
“Aston Villa was a huge presence to us in Aston. Growing up, Ozzy’s humble house was a few hundred yards away from the stadium, as was my house. I was a Villa fanatic — still am — and went to as many matches as my pocket money would stretch to, while Ozzy would ‘look after’ supporters’ cars for a few pence. So it was quite fitting for Ozzy and Black Sabbath to end the long journey from our beginning in 1968 to our final show back in Aston at Villa Park, on July 5. I didn’t realize then that I would never see Ozzy again after that night.”
Butler says Osbourne was particularly frail during rehearsals – “it took a couple of days to get rid of the rust” – and required two helpers to get in and out of the studio, where he sat in a chair to sing.
“We ran through the songs but we could see it was exhausting him after six or seven songs,” Butler wrote. “We had a bit of a chat, but he was really quiet compared with the Ozzy of old.” But even “the Ozzy of old” was quite different from what he presented onstage.
“To me, Ozzy wasn’t the Prince of Darkness — if anything he was the Prince of Laughter,” Butler wrote. “He’d do anything for a laugh, a born entertainer. … People always thought Ozzy was a feral wild man, but he had a heart of pure gold. Most of his infamous antics — the bat saga, biting the head off a dove, pissing on the Alamo, snorting lines of ants, and the rest — came in his solo years, away from the restraints of the Sabbath crew. But if you were a friend in need, Ozzy was always there for you.”
Though Black Sabbath’s first gig “ended up in a massive brawl,” the mates “became inseparable brothers in arms, always looking out for each other.”
Their last show would end in a massive display of love: “We had gone through the best of times and the worst of times; the bond was unbreakable. … Nobody knew he’d be gone from us little more than two weeks after the final show. But I am so grateful we got to play one last time together in front of his beloved fans. The love from the fans and all the bands, musicians, singers and solo artists that night was incredible. Everyone had come to pay homage to the Prince. I am so privileged to have spent most of my life with him.”
Read Butler’s entire eulogy at the Sunday Times.