Ozzy Osbourne, the man whose name became synonymous with the birth of heavy metal, is gone. For some, it still doesn’t feel real. Mikael Åkerfeldt, frontman of Opeth, shared a deeply personal and poetic tribute, capturing both his own sorrow and the collective disbelief felt across generations of fans.
“So that dreadful day finally came. John Michael Osbourne has left us, and it’s so incredibly hard to accept it. Even if I have braced myself for this inevitable fact since the 80’s it just feels completely unreal. He was like an ancient oak tree to me. A listed tree that people would visit and marvel at.”
That image of Ozzy as a living monument speaks volumes about his place in music history. Åkerfeldt traced his connection to Black Sabbath back to childhood, recalling an experience that left a permanent mark on his musical journey: “Ozzy came into my life in the late 70’s/early 80’s (I can’t remember exactly, I admit) when I heard ‘Iron Man’ on a cassette player in Sörskogen/Huddinge/Stockholm. I was just a child, and ‘that’ voice in the beginning scared the living daylights out of me.”
“Black Sabbath was my introduction to heavy rock/metal and has remained a lifelong companion since. I’ve read some posts from other musicians and can only concur. If it wasn’t for Ozzy and Black Sabbath, my interest in music (as a whole) wouldn’t have taken off as it did. I became obsessed with them, and I suppose I still am,” he added.
Despite performing on the same bill as Ozzy and Black Sabbath on multiple occasions, Åkerfeldt never had a proper conversation with him — something he now reflects on with bittersweet humor and reverence: “I’ve never talked to Ozzy myself. The closest engagement I had with him was when he shuffled past me at an award show and kinda bumped into me. I remember thinking, ‘This might become my only Ozzy story.’ He felt that illuminated and untouchable just walking past.”
“I kept looking for him around the room, but I never got the chance to speak to him again. We have played with Black Sabbath and Ozzy on a few occasions, but I’ve been too shy and starstruck to search him up. Besides his entourage and private quarters made sure that no one would be able to come close.”
That distance, physical, emotional, and mythical, was part of what made Ozzy seem eternal. But Åkerfeldt, like so many others, is now reckoning with a world that feels dimmer in his absence.
“There’s so much to be said about his musical wealth, which he showered on the world of music, but I’d only repeat what countless others have already said. All I know is that the world is a lesser place without him around. The beacon that was Ozzy Osbourne has gone dark and silent. Luckily, his music remains for our eternal enjoyment, and for that I am so grateful.”
And yet, knowing the legacy endures is only part of the healing. The loss is fresh, raw, and overwhelming: “Now, all that remains is to actually understand and accept that this is real. It happened! It’ll be an emotional marathon of sorts in order to get there, but what else can we do than try?”
From one visionary to another, Åkerfeldt‘s words strike a balance between reverence and rawness. And for many, like him, Ozzy wasn’t just a frontman or a legend. He was the gateway.
Enter your information below to get a daily update with all of our headlines and receive The Orchard Metal newsletter.
