On SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy reflected on the recent passing of Ozzy Osbourne, emphasizing the immense impact the singer had on music and pop culture. Portnoy noted that Ozzy’s death felt different from other losses within the rock world, as his influence extended far beyond the genre.
“The impact has been huge. I don’t know if I’ve felt a loss like this… This is as big as John Lennon or whatever,” Portnoy said (via Blabbermouth). He added that while the deaths of legends like Ronnie James Dio, Lemmy, and Eddie Van Halen were massive within the metal community, Ozzy’s passing was on a different level. “Because he transcends metal, he transcends rock even, he transcends music. He’s a pop culture figure. So this has been a huge one.”
In the wake of Ozzy’s death, Portnoy has revisited his extensive catalog as a way of remembering the iconic performer. He mentioned that he had been listening to the Black Sabbath catalog after the “Back to the Beginning” farewell concert in early July, and after Ozzy’s passing, he has been going through his solo albums. “And it’s been a great, great musical trip to be revisiting all this stuff. It’s amazing. What a career. But, yeah, what a loss,” Portnoy said.
Portnoy also spoke about Ozzy’s final concert, which took place just two weeks before his death at Villa Park in Birmingham. He described it as a “gift” for both the legendary singer and his fans. “What a blessing that that happened, that he got to say goodbye to the fans, do a final show surrounded by every band that loves him and grew up with him and he influenced,” Portnoy said. He added that the concert was a rare opportunity for Ozzy to be present for his own tribute. “This was a rare case where you had a tribute concert when he actually got to be there and attend it and be part of it. So, really, it was the ultimate farewell. Incredible,” he concluded.
Ozzy Osbourne died on July 22 from a heart attack, with coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s disease listed as contributing factors on his death certificate. The funeral was a private affair held on July 31 on the grounds of his Buckinghamshire estate, attended by 110 of his closest friends and family, including his Black Sabbath bandmates, Robert Trujillo, Rob Zombie, Zakk Wylde, and Corey Taylor. The day before the funeral, thousands of fans gathered in the streets of Birmingham to pay their respects.
