Brian “Head” Welch, the guitarist for the band Korn, recently shared his personal memories and deep respect for the late Ozzy Osbourne. Speaking on the podcast “Beardo & Weirdo“, hosted by Five Finger Death Punch bassist Chris Kael and comedian Craig Gass, Welch reflected on the passing of the legendary Black Sabbath frontman, who died last week at the age of 76.
For Welch, Ozzy‘s influence was foundational to his musical path. He drew an analogy to his initial inspiration, stating, “If Angus Young and AC/DC was the band that lit the fire, Ozzy and [late Ozzy guitarist] Randy Rhoads poured the gasoline on that fire.”
Welch also recalled numerous tours and performances with Ozzy Osbourne and his solo band, including Korn‘s very first arena tours. He recounted a particularly poignant story from the early days of Korn, during their debut album cycle. “Ozzy and [his wife and manager] Sharon walked into our dressing room with bottles of champagne, telling us that we went gold,” Welch said. He added that the couple also offered them words of encouragement, predicting they would have a long and successful career.
“The most iconic manager in metal history is Sharon Osbourne, who got Ozzy—[she] saved his life, bro. When he was in that hotel after [he left] Sabbath, she saved his life, got him up and gave him a bigger career than he had before. And she’s telling us that we’re gonna have a long career in music. I’m just, like, going, ‘Am I dreaming right now?'”
On the topic of Ozzy’s final performance on July 5 in Birmingham, Welch expressed a sense of wonder and gratitude. He and the other members of Korn watched the final Black Sabbath show, which took place just 17 days before Ozzy‘s death. While he knew Ozzy had been struggling with his health, the timing of his death came as a shock. As a spiritual person, Welch viewed the circumstances as a “kindness of God.” He believed it was an incredible gesture that Ozzy was able to perform one last time with his closest friends and original bandmates before his passing.
“Dude, I think we’re all just like tripping right now that [he died] 17 days later. I know he was struggling, but nobody probably predicted this was gonna happen so soon. I’m a spiritual person, and I look at it like the kindness of God. Because the timing’s shocking. And it’s, like, he could have passed before the concert. It just looks like kind gesture that the circumstances — call it what you want, but the circumstances were incredible that he was able to do that one last time with all of his closest friends.”
Ozzy Osbourne, the co-founder and charismatic frontman of Black Sabbath, passed away peacefully on July 22 at the age of 76. The metal legend had been battling Parkinson’s disease since his diagnosis in 2019. Reports indicate that he died peacefully at his home in Buckinghamshire, surrounded by his family.
