The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards honored late Black Sabbath rocker Ozzy Osbourne nearly two months after his death.
Jack Osbourne kicked off the tribute with a message to the crowd on Sunday, September 7.
“I wish we could be there as you celebrate my dad’s amazing musical journey,” he said. “It would make him incredibly happy to see these great musicians carry on his legacy and help inspire the next generation of rockers.”
Aerosmith musicians Steven Tyler and Joe Perry took the stage alongside Yungblud (real name Dominic Harrison) and Nuno Bettencourt to perform a medley of Osbourne’s biggest hits.
Yungblud kicked off the performance with Ozzy’s iconic “Crazy Train” intro before putting his own spin on the iconic song. The singer kissed the cross around his neck, which had been gifted to him by Ozzy. He then went into “Changes,” which is a song Yungblud has been singing every night on tour since Ozzy’s death. (Yungblud formed a friendship with Ozzy after the late rocker appeared in his 2022 music video for “The Funeral.”)
Tyler and Perry then took the stage for “Mama, I’m Coming Home” before Yungblud joined them to finish the tune, which wrapped up the tribute.
“Ozzy forever,” Yungblud yelled as they finished the performance.
Us Weekly confirmed in July that Osbourne died at the age of 76 after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease.
“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” Osbourne’s family said in a statement shared with Us on July 22. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family’s privacy at this time.”
Ozzy is survived by his wife, Sharon Osbourne, his six children and his multiple grandchildren. The musician shared Aimee, Jack and Kelly with Sharon, 72, as well as Elliot, Louis and Jessica with ex-wife Thelma Riley.
Less than one week later, Sharon and Ozzy’s children united for a memorial service in Birmingham, England. He was later laid to rest on the grounds of the family’s English estate.
Jack, 39, eventually revealed the heartbreaking way he found out about his father’s passing.
“I woke up in Los Angeles to a knock at my house door, at around 3:45 in the morning. Someone who’s worked for my family for probably 30 years now was knocking on my door,” Jack said in a Thursday, September 4, YouTube video. “When I looked through my window and saw it was him, I just knew something bad had happened. I was informed that my father had passed. … Immediately, I don’t know, [I felt] pain. Sadness and pain. So many thoughts.”
He continued, “You go through this, of like, feeling sad and frustrated and angry. … But there was a level of like, ‘OK, he’s not suffering anymore, he’s not struggling,’ and that is something. I wish he was still here. I wish he was still with us all, but he was having a rough go, and I think people saw that at the show.”
Ozzy reunited with his former Black Sabbath bandmates for one final concert earlier in July to raise money for various charities, including Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorns Children’s Hospice.
“I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you,” Kelly, 40, said in a July 6 social media video. “Thank you to everyone who came to the show last night, [and] thank you to everybody who was involved in the show last night. You have no idea what it did for my dad.”
She concluded, “It was one of the most magical experiences of my entire life, and if I keep talking, I’m probably going to end up crying again. So, that’s all I’ll say for now.”
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