“The world was an excellent place with Ozzy in it. And it’s nonetheless nice — however it’s not as nice with out Ozzy.”
Henry Rollins has lengthy been an evangelist for the music of Black Sabbath and on Tuesday (July 29), he joined Loudwire Nights to proceed spreading the great phrase whereas celebrating the life and legacy of Ozzy Osbourne.
Hearken to the complete dialog — together with tales about how Black Sabbath knowledgeable Rollins’ entry into Black Flag, what it was like witnessing the band’s rehearsals for his or her reunion reveals within the late-’90s, how Sabbath ended up writing “Paranoid” and a lot extra — by way of Loudwire Nights On Demand on Apple and Spotify.
“He is simply a kind of nice individuals who is cherished by lots of people who by no means had the possibility to satisfy him, however who knew him due to the data and the reveals and the issues he would say from the stage,” Rollins shared.
“It isn’t a put-on. You’ll be able to see from the interviews that the man onstage is the man offstage. That was Ozzy and that is why we love the man, as a result of he was actual. He was a showman — however he wasn’t placing on a present.”
As Rollins processed the loss of life of Ozzy with the Loudwire Nights viewers, he additionally frolicked lifting up the facility of Black Sabbath’s work.
“If you wish to discuss heavy steel music, go forward, speak,” he stated.
“You are going to have to say Black Sabbath or another person will pull you to the facet [and say], ‘Sir, you did not say Black Sabbath’ … They type of began a factor that informs festivals like Wacken, that informs total radio stations, report collections and bands the scale of Metallica.”
When Henry Rollins Opened For Ozzy
In 1996, Rollins bought a name from his supervisor asking him if he and his band wished to fly from New York to Florida to play a couple of reveals with Ozzy on the Retirement Sucks tour.
Rollins stated he answered so quick he practically sprained his jaw.
“We performed our set, the Floridians tolerated us,” Rollins stated, smiling.
“They wished Ozzy and for some cause, Type O Negative opened for us — it ought to have been the opposite manner round. We each opened, nobody killed us.”
He recalled showering after Rollins Band’s set after which operating again to the stage to observe Ozzy’s present.
“I am standing on the facet of the stage proper, viewers left, and it is simply me and Ozzy,” Rollins remembered.
“I simply met him, I am not going to strategy him. He is about to go onstage, so I simply type of hover close by simply to observe the person.”
As he watched him, he had no concept that he was about to expertise the shocking, humble nature of Ozzy.
“He turns to me and he seems to be at me, he is like, ‘Hey, is there anyone on the market, man?’ And I went, ‘What loopy query is that?’ The place holds 22,075 folks, I stated, ‘Sure, sir, you bought it out.'”
Ozzy admitted to Rollins that he nonetheless bought nervous earlier than reveals and was at all times frightened no one would present up.
“That is fairly rattling humble to me — and he wasn’t faking it,” Rollins stated.
“After which Sharon comes out, ‘Go,’ and he runs on the market. Upon sight, the place makes this sound of just like the Earth ripping in half. The place rumbles with human approval.”
‘We have Received the Music’ — Carrying Ozzy’s Legacy Ahead
When Rollins was on Loudwire Nights, Ozzy’s loss of life was solely per week previous. Although Rollins shared numerous tales and recollections, it was clear his largest focus was merely to have a good time the rock and roll icon.
“I’ve had a few days to type of mull it over and it is certainly one of life’s eventualities,” he shared.
“However we have got the music. At the very least we have now that.”
Rollins informed Chuck that he is not essentially a “go to tears man,” however the loss of life of Ozzy actually hit him laborious.
“I miss that man,” he stated.
“I met him a bunch of instances and he was by no means something lower than hilarious, pleasant, self-deprecating. He was zero let down.”
READ MORE: Billy Corgan Reflects on Ozzy’s Death, Celebrates His Life
As for pushing ahead, Rollins had a really clear directive to share with listeners: preserve celebrating.
“Be sure you’re effectively over 50-percent in celebration mode as a result of there are nonetheless data to play and so they’re nonetheless as superior as they have been,” he stated.
“The music stays within the current tense.”
Hearken to the complete dialog by way of Loudwire Nights On Demand on Apple and Spotify.
Henry Rollins joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday, July 29; the present replays online here, and you’ll tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; it’s also possible to see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.
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Gallery Credit score: Chad Childers, Loudwire