Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary heavy metal icon, has passed away.
The Prince of Darkness passed July 22 at age 76, just weeks after taking the stage with the original members of Black Sabbath for a final time.
Known for his larger-than-life persona both on and off the stage, Osbourne shaped the sound and spectacle of heavy metal as we know it today. His storied antics — mooning audiences, snorting ants off the sidewalk and scarring Iowans for life at a 1982 concert in Des Moines when he bit the head off a live bat (he would later claim he thought it was a rubber toy) — have become legend in the world of rock ‘n’ roll.
However, the controversial style and substance of Osbourne’s music made him infamous among religious conservatives, particularly during the height of the Satanic Panic. In 1990, Cardinal John O’Connor claimed that Osbourne’s music led to suicide and demonic possession.
“You are ignorant about the true meaning of my songs,” Osbourne responded. “You have also insulted the intelligence of rock fans all over the world.”
The WRFL community had already been reflecting on the legacy of the metal genre following the recent passing of long-time DJ Mike Bray. His show “All Things Heavy!” was dedicated to the wide variety of metal genres and was a fundamental presence on the radio waves and beyond.
Fittingly, Bray’s final broadcast in May of this year opened with “Embryo/Lord of this World” from Black Sabbath’s “Master of Reality,” a salute to Osbourne and the genre’s roots. Between Bray and Osbourne, there’s likely one hell of a radio show being broadcast in The Great Beyond.
There’s no question that Osbourne’s influence will live on at WRFL. In 2024 alone, Osbourne’s and Black Sabbath’s music was played 68 times on the station. With the “All Things Heavy!” tribute show, the growth and continuation of the station’s metal playbox and the news of Osbourne, that number will only grow (and hopefully create many new metal fans). Heavy metal will endure, and so will the legacies of Osbourne and Bray.
While bats everywhere are breathing sighs of relief, the rest of the world mourns the loss of an extraordinary man.
Rest in Peace Ozzy