The Prince of Darkness received a fittingly grand farewell at the VMAs. At the MTV Video Music Awards on September 7th, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry took center stage to lead a musical tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne. Joined by Yungblud and Nuno Bettencourt, they honored the Black Sabbath co-founder with a stirring medley of his greatest hits.
Before the performance, Ozzy's son, Jack Osbourne, appeared in a heartfelt video message alongside his children, saying, "I wish we could be there with you all tonight as you celebrate my dad's incredible musical journey. I know for certain it would bring him immense joy to see these remarkable musicians carry on his legacy and inspire the next generation of rockers."
Yungblud kicked off the tribute with a shirtless, electrifying rendition of "Crazy Train," seamlessly transitioning into the poignant ballad "Changes." The Aerosmith legends then stepped into the spotlight for "Mama, I’m Coming Home," with Yungblud joining them at the climax to form a powerful trio. "Time's gone by, it seems to be / You could have been a better friend to me / Mama, I'm coming home," Steven crooned, as a cross bathed in purple lights loomed behind him. At the tribute's end, they thundered, "Ozzy forever!"
Ozzy passed away in July in his native England, just weeks after a star-studded farewell show that saw him reunite with his Black Sabbath bandmates and musical peers like Anthrax, Alice in Chains, and Metallica. In the years leading up to his death at 76 from a heart attack, Ozzy had bravely faced health struggles, including a long and arduous battle with Parkinson's disease.
"There was a level of comfort in knowing he's not suffering anymore," his son Jack, 39, reflected on his father's passing in a September 3rd YouTube video. "He's not struggling. That brings some solace. I wish he were still here. I wish he were still with us all, but he was enduring a tough time."
His older sister, Kelly Osbourne, the middle child of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne's three kids, also shared her raw emotions in the weeks following her father's death. "Grief is a strange thing," the 40-year-old wrote on her Instagram Story on August 4th. "It sneaks up on you in waves—I won't be okay for a while—but knowing that my family isn't alone in our pain makes a difference. I'm clinging tightly to the love, the light, and the legacy he left behind."
Kelly also expressed profound gratitude to the legions of her father's fans who reached out to her in the aftermath of his passing. "I've sat down to write this a hundred times and still don't know if the words will ever feel like enough... but from the bottom of my heart, thank you," the Osbournes alum wrote. "The love, support, and beautiful messages I've received from so many of you have truly helped carry me through the hardest moment of my life. Every kind word, every shared memory, every act of compassion has meant more than I can ever express."
