For those of you who have followed this blog for a long time or who sat through one of the many “Which is Better?” segments that I did with Marty Dunn back in the day, you will know that my favorite rock band is Black Sabbath. Given that background, I was very sad to learn that Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne passed away yesterday at the age of 76. Ozzy was truly one-of-a-kind, being both the “godfather of heavy metal” and a reality TV pioneer. Black Sabbath, with Ozzy delivering his unique vocals, ushered in a whole new genre of rock and roll that defined an era and set the stage for the continued evolution of rock music to this day.

The thing that I always found most inspiring about Ozzy is how he was able to reinvent himself to meet the moment, despite the many struggles that he faced in his life. He was fired from Black Sabbath in the late 1970s, but was able (with the help of his wife Sharon) to launch a solo career that was arguably even more successful than his Black Sabbath era and once again defined heavy metal for a new generation of fans. In the early 2000s, he became a beloved reality TV star, pioneering a format that we are all very familiar with today. Finally, he bid farewell to his fans in style in his hometown of Birmingham just earlier this month. I think that everyone would agree, that was quite a ride.

– Dave Lynn