Alice Cooper fondly remembered Ozzy Osbourne as both “the prince of darkness” and “the court jester” following the death of the metal legend yesterday, July 22.
In a statement shared on Instagram, Cooper heaped praise on the Black Sabbath singer, writing: “Over his long career, he earned immense respect among his peers and from fans around the world as an unmatched showman and cultural icon. I always saw Ozzy as a cross between the prince of darkness, which is the persona his fans saw, and the court jester. That was the side that his family and friends saw.”
Cooper said Osbourne “was and will continue to be a rock n roll legend,” and expressed his condolences to Osbourne’s family. “Rock n Roll is a family and a fraternity,” he wrote. “When we lose one of our own it bleeds. I wish I would have gotten to know my brother Ozzy better… A titanic boulder has crashed, but rock will roll on.”
As Cooper noted in his post, he learned of Osbourne’s death just a couple of minutes before performing a show in Cardiff, Wales. He shared a short video of him and his band huddling up before taking the stage and dedicating the performance to Osbourne.
Cooper also recorded a short audio message for his “Alice’s Attic” radio show, saying: “Well, we all know that time is going to take us rockers, but when the giants fall, it’s really hard to accept. Even though everybody saw it coming with Ozzy, it just took our breath away when it happened. So Ozzy and family — your records and your music and your legend and all that you brought — the humor to the rock business — will live on forever and we’re gonna miss you man.”
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Osbourne’s family confirmed his death at the age of 76 yesterday. An exact cause was not given, the musician had battled an array of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson’s disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019. He died just weeks after performing a massive, all-star farewell concert, which included a final performance by Black Sabbath.
Along with Cooper, tributes to Osbourne have poured in from admirers like Pearl Jam, Elton John, Metallica, Coldplay, and the members of Black Sabbath.
