I’m a metal head. I love all kinds of music, but metal is my go-to. And Ozzy Osbourne was my gateway into that love.
My dad introduced me to Black Sabbath inadvertently when I was but a wee child in low single digits. Born in 1970, Black Sabbath was still young, only a couple years older than me. To look at my dad, you wouldn’t guess that metal would be within the realm of his musical tastes. By day, he was a buttoned-up young lawyer. But like me, my dad had a taste for all kinds of music. Because of his listening habits, I learned to love all kinds of music… Janis Joplin, Fleetwood Mac, Deep Purple, AC/DC, ABBA, The Sex Pistols, Judas Priest. But Black Sabbath was the first.
One of my first musical memories is this song. I was too young to know much more than the song was about fairies, and as a kid in love with stories, I was obsessed. I used to dress up like my version of a fairy and dance around to it.
And then, of course, Iron Man. A song so distinctive that it’s forever a part of my brain.
And is there a song more instantly recognizable than Crazy Train? It is and always will be one of my favorite songs.
Another personal favorite, Paranoid.
And a departure from normal Ozzy, in this ballad, Changes.
This is one of my all-time favorite rock ballads, Close My Eyes Forever, with Lita Ford.
And so in homage to Ozzy…
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