Ozzy Osbourne was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday for the second time, an occasion marked by an all-star performance of musicians he inspired. Among the performers were Tool singer Maynard James Keenan, country rapper Jelly Roll, and punk icon Billy Idol.
Ahead of the performance, Jack Black had the honor of inducting the Prince of Darkness to the Rock Hall, 18 years after he was first inducted (by Metallica) as a member of Black Sabbath. Black’s impassioned speech was a highlight of the night as the animated actor turned red in the face as he listed off Osbourne’s lifetime of achievements. Read his full speech here.
“Sure, you could go stream Post Malone and Taylor Swift and get all the warm hugs you need for your broken hearts,” Black posited. “OR you could stay up all night and get your minds blown by Ozzy’s entire catalog for the first time. Holy shit! You kids are so f–n’ lucky.”
Beside Black sat Osbourne on a black, bat-adorned throne in a rare public appearance. Following Black’s fervent declaration, Osbourne delivered a few brief words of his own in which he thanked his fans, his wife Sharon Osbourne, and late guitarist Randy Rhoads.
“If I hadn’t met Randy Rhoads, I don’t think I’d be sitting here right now,” Osbourne said before thanking Sharon, “She saved my life.”
Ozzy kept things moving in the fourth hour of the ceremony at Cleveland’s Rock Mortgage Fieldhouse. With a house band comprised of Ozzy’s longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde, Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, producer and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Watt, Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, and Van Halen bassist Wolfgang Van Halen on guitar, Keenan kicked off the three-song tribute with “Crazy Train”—featuring a live “All aboard!” from the Ozzman himself. After the Randy Rhoads-penned solo, Wylde switched to an acoustic guitar as Jelly Roll strode onstage for “Mama I’m Coming Home”. That guitar solo then segued seamlessly into that of “No More Tears”, as Billy Joel finished the eight-minute medley.
Ozzy Osbourne Tribute | Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony
[Video:Shawn McCullough]
[Video: Joseph Dohar]
Other highlights of the 2024 Rock Hall inductions were a tribute to A Tribe Called Quest by Queen Latifah, Common, and Busta Rhymes following a speech by Dave Chappelle. Sammy Hagar, Slash, and Demi Lovato honored Foreigner as bandmates Lou Gramm, Rick Wills, and Al Greenwood reunited for the ceremony. Roger Daltrey inducted guitar hero Peter Frampton who performed his classic “Do You Feel Like I Do”, while James Taylor paid tribute to posthumous inductee Jimmy Buffett. For the finale, Julia Roberts inducted the Dave Matthews Band who closed out the night with a medley of hits and a cover of Talking Heads‘ “Burning Down the House”. The full five-and-a-half-hour ceremony is currently streaming on Disney+ with a truncated version airing on ABC on New Year’s Day.
Foreigner Tribute | Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony
[Video: Joseph Dohar]
Dave Mathews Band | Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony
[Video: Ansley .Snapp]
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