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Did Ozzy Osbourne Pick Yungblud as His Rock Successor? Inside Their Bond and VMA Tribute
Is Yungblud Ozzy Osbourne’s successor? That’s what fans are saying after the “Zombie” singer’s touching tribute to the Prince of Darkness at the MTV Video Music Awards, just two months after Ozzy’s passing.
In a rocking performance on Sunday, Sept. 7, Yungblud and Nuno Bettencourt took the stage alongside Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry to perform a medley of Ozzy’s greatest hits.
The tribute opened with Yungblud, 28, singing “Crazy Train” and “Changes” with Bettencourt on guitar. Aerosmith then joined in for “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” with Yungblud adding his vocals. After the performance, the group shared a heartfelt embrace, and Yungblud yelled, “Ozzy forever man!” Notably, he wore the cross necklace Ozzy had given him during his final concert with Black Sabbath earlier this summer.
Following the performance, fans took to social media to share their excitement, writing things like, “He has definitely made Ozzy proud. Ozzy picked the right one,” and “Ozzy couldn’t have picked a better person to carry on his legacy. Yungblud is the perfect choice.”
Ozzy Osbourne died at age 76 on July 22, just days after holding his final concert with Black Sabbath at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, which Yungblud, Tyler, and Bettencourt attended.
Following Osbourne’s death, in an emotional Instagram post, Yungblud wrote:
“I didn’t think you would leave so soon. The last time we met you were so full of life and your laugh filled up the room. But as it is written with legends, they seem to know the things that we don’t. I will never forget you — you will be in every single note I sing and with me every single time I walk on stage. Your cross around my neck is the most precious thing I own. You asked me once if there was anything you could do for me and as I said then and as I will say now, for all of us, the music was enough. You took us on your adventure — an adventure that started it all. I am truly heartbroken. You were the greatest of all time.”
Yungblud and Osbourne first met while filming the music video for “The Funeral” in 2022, and Ozzy soon took him under his wing.
On a recent appearance on Steve-O’s Wild Ride! podcast, Yungblud shared some of the wisdom Ozzy passed along: “The most beautiful thing he ever said to me was, ‘Never compromise. They’ll get it later,’” he said.
Yungblud also explained that their bond went beyond music. “People find it hard to believe that I’m actually f**ing like this all the time. And after kicking it with Sharon, she said he saw a little bit of himself in me, not because we made the same music [but] because we’re fing a bit nuts.”*
He told NME about their conversations: “Ozzy was a character in my life who was a reflection of everything I went through. He said that he saw a lot of himself in me. He said, ‘Never apologize for anything. They will understand you later. Time always tells.’”
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