BODY COUNT, the metal band fronted by hip-hop legend, actor and director Ice-T, paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne by opening its July 26 set at the Vans Warped Tour in Long Beach, California with a snippet of the song “Black Sabbath” by BLACK SABBATH. Video of the performance can be seen below.
Earlier this year, Ice-T told Metal Hammer magazine that the first BLACK SABBATH album was his “favorite metal” LP of all time. “It’s the one I probably listened to the most growing up,” he said. “I’ve actually sampled songs from SABBATH on my rap albums — and rock, too. I used BLACK SABBATH for [solo rap track] ‘Midnight’.”
In a 2021 interview with NME, Ice-T said: “The first song on the first BLACK SABBATH album [‘Black Sabbath’], I played it 10,000 times. That song was my bridge into metal.”
BODY COUNT guitarist Ernie “C” Cunnigan produced BLACK SABBATH‘s 1995 album “Forbidden”, which featured guitarist Tony Iommi alongside singer Tony Martin, drummer Cozy Powell and bassist Neil Murray, and is often regarded as the SABBATH‘s worst studio recording. Upon its release, it was lambasted by critics and fans alike for its poor production. The album even featured a guest appearance by Ice-T on the opening track “The Illusion Of Power”.
Ozzy died the morning of July 22, his family announced in a statement.
“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time,” the family said.
No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson’s disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.
Ozzy‘s death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band’s original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.
Formed in Birmingham in 1968, BLACK SABBATH is widely recognized as one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, with a career spanning decades and over 75 million albums sold worldwide. Their impact on the genre remains as significant today as it was in the early 1970s, with their music shaping generations of metal musicians.
Ozzy‘s family reality television show “The Osbournes” won a 2002 Primetime Emmy.
In 2006, Osbourne and the other members of the original BLACK SABBATH were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Ozzy was also inducted into the Rock Hall as a solo artist in 2024.
Osbourne won several Grammys, including one in 1993 for his solo song “I Don’t Want To Change The World”.
Ozzy and his wife and manager Sharon started their annual tour — Ozzfest — in 1996 after he was rejected from the lineup of what at the time was the top touring music festival, Lollapalooza. The first traveling version of Ozzfest in 1997 included MARILYN MANSON and PANTERA as part of the lineup.
Osbourne leaves behind his wife, three children from his first marriage (including an adopted son from his first wife’s previous relationship),and three with Sharon: Jack, Kelly and Aimee.
