Throughout an look on the “Religion & Freedom” podcast, which is hosted by his spouse Shemane Nugent, legendary rocker Ted Nugent was requested what it was like touring with Ozzy Osbourne again within the late Seventies when Nugent was the assist act for BLACK SABBATH on a North American run of reveals. Ted responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Effectively, it does not actually matter as a result of — and backside line is we love Ozzy. He was a sort man, a gentleman, a hard-working man, extraordinarily gifted. He did a vocalization and a songwriting musical power to reckon with. So we’re praying for his household and his associates and people hundreds of thousands and hundreds of thousands of followers on the market which can be actually traumatized [by his passing]. I imply, there’s plenty of heartbreak and plenty of crying happening. So we’re with you individuals, and we share your heartbreak, we share your emotion and we share your love for Ozzy. Our hearts are heavy for the Osbourne household as a result of he was a very good dad and a very good husband… And as he acquired clear and sober, he was a enjoyable man. He was a humorous man. He was a cocky man. And extra importantly, he is often called the Prince Of Darkness. He was a Christian. He was in opposition to struggle…”
Ted continued: “I have been reviewing plenty of the testimonies and celebrations of Ozzy‘s life, and plenty of his lyrics had been for peace, supporting the navy, good over evil, figuring out the scourge of mankind, being detrimental and being evil and satanic. So I imagine, I am assured after I say that Ozzy Osbourne was a Christian.”
Again in 2002, Nugent slammed Ozzy‘s household actuality TV present “The Osbournes” for being “soulless” and singled out Osbourne‘s spouse and supervisor Sharon for “[taking] benefit of [Ozzy‘s] drooling situation to make hundreds of thousands of {dollars} from individuals laughing at [him]”. In an interview revealed at Salon.com, Nugent had the next response when requested for his opinion on the collection that on the time was the highest-rated program in MTV historical past: “I feel the success of ‘The Osbournes’ as a TV present is an indictment of the soullessness of mankind.
“Now, I am only a guitar participant, however after I see a prepare wreck, I do not take a look at it and giggle — I attempt to save injured individuals. You are not imagined to wring leisure out of tragedy.
“Ozzy is a pleasant man, he’s a sort man, he’s a particularly gifted man, extraordinarily tenacious, clearly. However he’s the poster boy of why I by no means touched poisons in my life. As a result of I do not need to drool, nor do I need to permit a lady in my life to reap the benefits of my drooling situation to make hundreds of thousands of {dollars} from individuals laughing at me. That is what she has performed. And nobody is laughing with the Osbournes — they’re laughing at them. I discover that soulless.”
On whether or not the Osbournes symbolize the household life that folks assume most rock stars have, Ted mentioned on the time: “That is the worst factor. There’s three ranges. Effectively, there’s clearly one million ranges. However let’s go together with the plain three. There’s Jerry Garcia‘s stage: They did so many medication they died. You do not have sufficient tape and I haven’t got sufficient time to listing all of the lifeless assholes. That is Stage 1: The last word failure of people and society to establish lethal conduct. Horrifically, not solely did not they establish it, they fucking celebrated it. They inspired it, they wrote about it, they danced about it, they drew individuals into it. So now, you may have loss of life and mayhem uncontrolled. That is not an opinion; that is an commentary of [more than five decades of] clear and sober. I would wish to go see Jimi Hendrix, I would wish to go see John Belushi, I would wish to, properly, I would not wish to go see Jerry Garcia, he is not certainly one of my favourite guitar gamers. However that is the last word stupidity: Poison your self to loss of life for no different cause besides that some fashionable asshole thought it was groovy, child.”
Ted continued: “The second stage is Ozzy: you are not lifeless, however rattling shut. And once more, I am to repeat this: I like Ozzy. He is an efficient man. He’s a particularly gifted man. Extra gifted for the truth that he took these abilities he does have, that are reasonable, and offered 50 million data with them. He surrounded himself with the Randy Rhoadses and the Tommy Aldridges and the Zakk Wyldes and mastered constructing one million properties out of timber that most individuals could not have constructed a barn with. That is actual expertise.
“In order that’s Stage 2: You probably did all of the silly issues, however you survived. Nice. Then there may be Stage 3: Ted. He defied the stupidity and his American dream soars on the wings of an American eagle. As a result of my happiness — the content material, the fiber, the fun, the emotion — is all thriving in my life, as a result of I self-discipline myself. Aha! That is what Jerry and Ozzy did not have: The massive ‘D’. Self-discipline. My dad and mom taught me to shoot a gun carefully, safely, and responsibly, and disciplined me if I did not. I’d get my block knocked off, which is what Ozzy‘s little brats want a very good dose of. God, I want my dad was nonetheless alive. He may repair these children in a single night time. I’d simply say, Dad, may you repair these assholes for me? Thanks very a lot.
“Stage 3 is those that are good sufficient to not drink and drive, to not poison their God-given items, and to stay the American dream of searching for excellence, and the ensuing happiness that may not be stopped.”
In a 2003 interview with Traditional Rock Revisited, Ted doubled down on his criticism of “The Osbournes”, saying: “God bless Ozzy and Sharon. God bless their household. I hope they will discover happiness. What I see shouldn’t be happiness; it’s superficial happiness. You do not encourage and far much less permit your kids to swear violently at individuals and be completely undisciplined. Take a look at how fats his children are. When you may have children that fats, then they’re simply consuming unhealthy meals, which is a manifestation of a sure cultural depravation the place they cannot even monitor their very own well being habits.
“Ozzy, God bless him, is tremendous gifted. He is a superb man. He’s a person of coronary heart and soul and goodwill. He’s a really humorous man, however he is an ideal poster baby of why I’ve by no means touched medication, alcohol, tobacco or quick meals. You get silly, fats, sluggish and drooling. He’s an absolute shell of a person. He does not have any capacities bodily or mentally. It’s simply pathetic that somebody would discover leisure or leisure pleasure from watching a wounded man shuffle about and mumble. It is embarrassing.”
Ozzy died the morning of July 22, his household introduced in an announcement.
“It’s with extra unhappiness than mere phrases can convey that now we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has handed away this morning. He was together with his household and surrounded by love. We ask everybody to respect our household privateness presently,” the household mentioned.
No explanation for loss of life was given, however Osbourne had battled quite a lot of well being points over the previous a number of years, together with Parkinson’s illness and accidents he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.
