Classic Rock 93.9

Ozzy Osbourne, undoubtedly one of the most beloved and iconic heavy metal singers on the planet, has died at age 76.

A statement from his family issued on Tuesday reads, “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. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

In 1968, the Birmingham, England, native co-founded Black Sabbath with guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. The band helped define the metal genre, thanks in large part to Osbourne’s otherworldly vocals on such classic tunes as “Iron Man,” “Paranoid” and “War Pigs.” Ozzy also gained notoriety for his often-drug-and-alcohol-fueled exploits. His persona and antics earned him the nicknames the Prince of Darkness and the Metal Madman.

After a decade with the group, Osbourne was fired from Sabbath in 1979, purportedly over his substance abuse. However, he soon launched a solo career that, with initial help from virtuoso guitarist Randy Rhoads, became more successful than Black Sabbath’s. Among Ozzy’s memorable tunes from the ’80s are “Crazy Train,” “Flying High Again,” “Shot in the Dark,” “Bark at the Moon” and “No More Tears.” In 1988, Osbourne scored a top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Close My Eyes Forever,” a duet with former Runaways guitarist Lita Ford.

Ozzy occasionally reunited with Black Sabbath over the years, while mainly focusing on his solo endeavors. In 1996, Osbourne’s wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, launched Ozzfest, an annual hard-rock festival and tour that Ozzy regularly headlined either solo or with Sabbath.

In the early 2000s, the singer found a whole new audience when he starred alongside Sharon and two of their children — Jack Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne — in the hit MTV reality series The Osbournes, which ran from 2002 to 2005. He and Jack teamed up again for another reality show, Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour, which debuted in 2016.

In 2006, Ozzy was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath. The band — minus Ward — reunited to record a final studio album, 13, which was released in 2013. The group launched a farewell tour called The End that ran from January 2016 to February 2017.

Ozzy then refocused on his solo career and in 2018 launched the No More Tours II outing, which he intended to be his final major trek. But in early 2019 he battled an upper respiratory infection and pneumonia, which forced him to postpone tour legs in the U.K. and Europe, and cancel dates in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Also in 2019, Osbourne suffered a fall in his home, aggravating injuries he suffered in a 2003 ATV accident. He required extensive surgery and recovery time, and continued to postpone tour dates. In 2020, Ozzy revealed he’d been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Amid all that, Ozzy continued to put out new music, including the Grammy-nominated 2022 solo album Patient Number 9, which he supported with several live appearances. Still, the effects from the 2019 fall continued to hamper him, and in early 2023, he announced that his long-postponed tour dates would be canceled and that he was retiring from touring. 

In 2024, Ozzy returned to the stage for his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist: He shouted the iconic “All aboard”‘ intro to “Crazy Train” from a throne onstage. In addition to that song, an all-star band paid tribute to him with versions of “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and “No More Tears.” 

On July 5, 2025, Ozzy made his final onstage appearance as part of the epic 10-hour all-star Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham, England. He performed a five-song solo set while seated on a throne and was joined by his original Black Sabbath bandmates for a four-song set that included “War Pigs,” “Iron Man” and “Paranoid.” The concert will screen in theaters in 2026.

Ozzy had announced earlier in July that a memoir entitled Last Rites will be released Oct. 7.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ozzy Osbourne, undoubtedly one of the most beloved and iconic heavy metal singers on the planet, has died at age 76.

A statement from his family issued on Tuesday reads, “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. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

In 1968, the Birmingham, England, native co-founded Black Sabbath with guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. The band helped define the metal genre, thanks in large part to Osbourne’s otherworldly vocals on such classic tunes as “Iron Man,” “Paranoid” and “War Pigs.” Ozzy also gained notoriety for his often-drug-and-alcohol-fueled exploits. His persona and antics earned him the nicknames the Prince of Darkness and the Metal Madman.

After a decade with the group, Osbourne was fired from Sabbath in 1979, purportedly over his substance abuse. However, he soon launched a solo career that, with initial help from virtuoso guitarist Randy Rhoads, became more successful than Black Sabbath’s. Among Ozzy’s memorable tunes from the ’80s are “Crazy Train,” “Flying High Again,” “Shot in the Dark,” “Bark at the Moon” and “No More Tears.” In 1988, Osbourne scored a top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Close My Eyes Forever,” a duet with former Runaways guitarist Lita Ford.

Ozzy occasionally reunited with Black Sabbath over the years, while mainly focusing on his solo endeavors. In 1996, Osbourne’s wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, launched Ozzfest, an annual hard-rock festival and tour that Ozzy regularly headlined either solo or with Sabbath.

In the early 2000s, the singer found a whole new audience when he starred alongside Sharon and two of their children — Jack Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne — in the hit MTV reality series The Osbournes, which ran from 2002 to 2005. He and Jack teamed up again for another reality show, Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour, which debuted in 2016.

In 2006, Ozzy was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath. The band — minus Ward — reunited to record a final studio album, 13, which was released in 2013. The group launched a farewell tour called The End that ran from January 2016 to February 2017.

Ozzy then refocused on his solo career and in 2018 launched the No More Tours II outing, which he intended to be his final major trek. But in early 2019 he battled an upper respiratory infection and pneumonia, which forced him to postpone tour legs in the U.K. and Europe, and cancel dates in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Also in 2019, Osbourne suffered a fall in his home, aggravating injuries he suffered in a 2003 ATV accident. He required extensive surgery and recovery time, and continued to postpone tour dates. In 2020, Ozzy revealed he’d been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Amid all that, Ozzy continued to put out new music, including the Grammy-nominated 2022 solo album Patient Number 9, which he supported with several live appearances. Still, the effects from the 2019 fall continued to hamper him, and in early 2023, he announced that his long-postponed tour dates would be canceled and that he was retiring from touring. 

In 2024, Ozzy returned to the stage for his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist: He shouted the iconic “All aboard”‘ intro to “Crazy Train” from a throne onstage. In addition to that song, an all-star band paid tribute to him with versions of “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and “No More Tears.” 

On July 5, 2025, Ozzy made his final onstage appearance as part of the epic 10-hour all-star Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham, England. He performed a five-song solo set while seated on a throne and was joined by his original Black Sabbath bandmates for a four-song set that included “War Pigs,” “Iron Man” and “Paranoid.” The concert will screen in theaters in 2026.

Ozzy had announced earlier in July that a memoir entitled Last Rites will be released Oct. 7.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The sequel to the 1984 rock mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap will feature appearances by several rock stars, including Paul McCartney and Elton John. And the film’s director, Rob Reiner, has nothing but praise for their comedic talents.

“They were all great. Paul McCartney is really funny. I mean, really funny,” Reiner tells Entertainment Weekly. “And Elton was spot on. He knew exactly what he wanted to say, and either you can do it or you can’t do it.”

He adds, “But these guys are used to being asked questions. They’ve been asked a million questions over their careers by reporters, and so they were totally comfortable, and you’ll see what they say. It is good.”

Reiner says McCartney’s storyline comes out of a real experience where the guys in Spinal Tap were rehearsing for a tour, and McCartney was in another studio rehearsing for his tour and “dropped in on them.”

“He came in and said, ‘Hey fellas, sing us a song.’ And they wound up singing the worst version of ‘Start Me Up’ that ever lived,” Reiner tells the mag.

In the movie, McCartney pops in when Spinal Tap is rehearsing a song.

“McCartney comes, he listens, and then he gives a suggestion of what to do, how to fix it,” Reiner says. “And then they get into singing together. … And then that one is in the album.”

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues opens in theaters Sept. 12. In addition to McCartney and John, it will feature cameos by Garth Brooks, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Billy Joel has shared his thoughts on The Beatles’ 1968 self-titled ninth studio album, commonly referred to as the White Album, and they aren’t positive.

During his appearance on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast, Joel and Maher were discussing classic double albums when Maher mentioned The Beatles’ record.

“I’m not a big fan of the White Album, but some people love it,” Joel said. “I hear it as a collection of half-a**** songs they didn’t finish writing because they were too stoned, or they didn’t care anymore.”

He adds, “I think they had fragments and they put them on the album.”

Joel also suggested that John Lennon “was disassociated” during the recording of the record, and Paul McCartney was “carrying the weight.”

While The Beatles officially broke up in 1970, Joel said he has a theory that the Fab Four “almost broke up a couple of times, just like a marriage.” He added, “They had their ups and downs and sometimes they were more prolific and sometimes they weren’t and I hear that in some of those things.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham continue to tease fans with the possibility of some news on the horizon.

The former couple and Fleetwood Mac bandmates began the teases on Instagram by sharing lyrics to “Frozen Love.” The track appeared on their 1973 album, Buckingham Nicks, which they recorded before joining Fleetwood Mac.

Stevie offered a post with the words “if you go forward” written in cursive, while Lindsey shared a similarly styled post with the words “I’ll meet you there,” which is the first line in the song’s chorus.

The cryptic teases have now moved to Los Angeles, as fans on social media have been sharing photos of billboards that have been popping up. They feature the topless photos of Stevie and Lindsey from the cover of Buckingham Nicks. The billboards list both their names, along with the title of the album and the date Sept. 19, suggesting they could be teasing a reissue of the album.

Buckingham Nicks was the only studio album Stevie and Lindsey released as a duo. Shortly after the release Mick Fleetwood heard “Frozen Love” and invited them to join Fleetwood Mac.

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Grateful Dead is set to revisit their 1975 album Blues for Allah with a 50th anniversary expanded edition.

The three-CD and digital set, dropping Sept. 12, will include a remastered version of the album, along with two hours of unreleased recordings.

The bonus material includes performances of the band’s soundcheck from their Aug. 12, 1975, concert at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, as well as from their June 21, 1976, show at the Tower Theatre in Pennsylvania, and Bill Graham’s SNACK (Students Need Athletics, Culture, and Kicks) Benefit at San Francisco’s Kezar Stadium on March 23, 1975. The latter includes a rare performance of the Blues for Allah track “King Solomon’s Marbles.” 

As a preview of the newly remastered album, the first track released is “The Music Never Stopped,” which is now available via digital outlets.

In addition to the three-CD set, the remastered version of Blues for Allah will be released on 180-gram black vinyl, picture disc and limited edition “Midnight Fire” custom vinyl, and like the original album, all three will include a lyric sheet with both English and Arabic translations.

There will also be a Blu-ray featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround, hi-resolution stereo and instrumental mixes of the album, available at Rhino.com.

Released Sept. 1, 1975, Blues for Allah was recorded by The Dead during an extended hiatus from touring. It marked the only time the band went into a recording session without pre-written material, developing almost all of the songs in the studio. The album peaked at #12 on the chart, making it their third straight top-20 album.

Blues for Allah (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) is available for preorder now.

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On This Day, July 22, 1977…

Elvis Costello launched his music career with the U.K. release of his debut album, My Aim Is True.

The album, produced by Nick Lowe, featured Costello backed by the San Francisco country rock band Clover, although contractual issues resulted in their name being left off the album.

Although the album did not contain any chart-topping singles, at least two tracks went on to be Costello classics, “Alison” and “(These Angels Want to Wear) My Red Shoes.”

After the release, Costello was nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy, although he lost to the R&B group A Taste of Honey.

Costello and The Imposters with Charlie Sexton kick off a new tour on Sept. 18 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. A complete list of dates can be found at ElvisCostello.com.

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Devon Allman and Duane Betts, sons of Allman Brothers Band’s Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts, respectively, have been touring as the Allman Betts Band since 2018. While their shows celebrate their fathers’ musical legacy, they are not trying to copy the Allman Brothers.

The pair has released two albums since their formation. Noting they’ve been inspired by their fathers’ music, Duane tells Billboard’s Behind the Setlist podcast that it’s important their music “has its own character, its own texture, its own chemistry.”

Still, they don’t shy away from Allman Brothers music on tour.

“It’s such an honor to be part of the legacy,” Devon says. “It’s some of my favorite music in the world.”

The Allman Betts Band’s live show includes a mix of their original music along with Allman Brothers hits like “Midnight Rider,” “Blue Sky” and deeper cuts, and for Duane it’s important to get that mix right.

“I could never go out and do six-month tour of all Allman Brothers songs. I’d feel gross,” he says. “But at the same time, if the lights go down in a theater and there’s 1,500 people to see us perform, and we didn’t play one of our fathers’ songs, I would feel gross then, too.”

He adds, “It’s important to play those songs, but we have to move forward. You have to be your own creative person.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Blondie’s Chris Stein has given fans an update about the band’s upcoming new album.

Stein first announced that the band had a new record in the works back in November, sharing a black-and-white photo of Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry in the studio along with the caption, “New Blondie album next year.”

In December he followed that up with another photo of Harry in the studio, this time with producer John Congleton, suggesting he’s producing the album.

Stein has now let fans know when they should expect the release: He posted another photo of Harry and Congleton in the studio with the caption, “Next Blondie album should be around last quarter this year,” suggesting it’s coming out in October, November or December.

The album will be the first Blondie record since the April death of drummer Clem Burke. When a fan asked if Burke would be on the album, Stein replied, “Clem played the whole thing.”

As for whether there are plans to hit the road to promote the record, Stein said he didn’t know.

The new album will be the first from Blondie since 2017’s Pollinator, which Congleton also produced. It featured songs written by the members of Blondie and outside collaborators like The Smiths’ Johnny Marr, Sia and Charli XCX.

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