Singing in tribute to Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Ozzy Osbourne over the weekend was a full-on blast from the past for Billy Idol, reports Gary Graff for Classic Rock.
"I've been watching Ozzy my whole life," Idol – who sang "No More Tears" during the star-studded Osbourne segment of the Rock Hall's induction ceremony in Cleveland – tells Classic Rock prior to the performance. "I saw Black Sabbath one month before their first album came out – John Peel was playing it on the BBC before it came out – and I was right in the front row and the tassels of his coat were touching me.
"And getting to know him as well has been fantastic. He's just one of those people you really look (up) to in lots of ways. It's an amazing honour to do this for Ozzy tonight. Never could I have imagined, that 13-year-old kid, his tassels touching me, this is what it would lead to. Life is pretty amazing."
Ozzy returned to the stage for the first time in over a year during his induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on October 19 in Cleveland, Ohio. The performance went ahead despite Ozzy struggling with mobility issues that make it difficult for him to walk or stand for extended periods of time.
Ozzy was inducted as a solo artist - by actor and Tenacious D frontman Jack Black - making it the second time he has been recognized by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. He was inducted as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006.
Black offered the following in his introduction: "Blizzard Of Ozz was the most metal thing I had ever seen, and I didn't even know what metal was. Then I went back to Ozzy's earlier albums, to Black Sabbath, and I was, like, 'Unholy shit, this motherfucker invented heavy metal; the darkest, heaviest shit the world had ever heard.'"
Check out fan-filmed video of Ozzy's induction and his speech below.
Ozzy said in part: "My fans have been so loyal to me over the years, I cannot thank them enough. I've been fortunate over the years to play with some of the world's greatest guitar players, drummers, bass players, and a few of them are here tonight. But I've got to say one thing for a guy by the name of Randy Rhoads. If I'd hadn't have met Randy Rhoads, I don't think I'd be sitting here now. And moreso more than that, my wife Sharon saved my life. And my grandbabies and my babies. I love them all."
What followed was an all-star performance of "Crazy Train", "Mama I'm Comin' Home" and "No More Tears" featuring Andrew Watt, Zakk Wylde (Black label Society), Wolfgang Van Halen (Mammoth WVH), Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Adam Wakeman (keboards), Maynard James Keenan (Tool), country star Jelly Roll, Billy Idol, and Steve Stevens (guitar).
Check out fan-filmed video below.
