Billy Idol recently took to his social media and posted a backstage photo with Ozzy Osbourne, stating that Ozzy secretly sang at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This is the first time Ozzy has sang with Parkinson’s Disease. He wrote:
“Just let u know @OzzyOsbourne was singing the chorus of no more tears with me @rockhall induction.. so I’ve duetted with the prince of darkness!”
Just let u know @OzzyOsbourne was singing the chorus of no more tears with me @rockhall induction.. so I’ve duetted with the prince of darkness! pic.twitter.com/Bqq9pORv8a
— Billy Idol (@BillyIdol) October 22, 2024
It was a full-on blast from the past for Billy Idol by singing in tribute to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Ozzy Osbourne over the weekend.
“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, told Classic Rock before 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.”
Idol’s guitarist and creative partner Steve Stevens was also part of No More Tears, while Tool’s Maynard James Keenan sang Crazy Train which was introduced by an “All aboooooard!” roared by Osbourne from a throne-shaped wheelchair on the side of the stage – and Jelly Roll took the lead on Mama I’m Coming Home.
The eight-minute tribute was organized by Andrew Watt, who produced Osbourne’s last two studio albums, including 2022’s Grammy Award-winning Patient Number 9; his “house band” including Osbourne band alumni Zakk Wylde and Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, along with Wolfgang Van Halen and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith.
