On Tuesday, KISS bassist Gene Simmons sat down with NBC Information’ Gadi Schwartz to debate Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy and their longtime friendship and intertwined early careers within the music business.
Ozzy Osbourne just lately handed away on the age of 76. He pioneered heavy steel with Black Sabbath earlier than occurring to have large success in his personal proper. He was recognized for hits together with Iron Man, Paranoid, Battle Pigs, Loopy Prepare and Adjustments, each with the band and as a solo star.
When requested how he remembers the Black Sabbath singer, Simmons recalled sharing the stage with Ozzy in 1974. He highlighted how, regardless of his “Prince of Darkness” persona, Ozzy was a loving father and devoted husband. He referred to as Ozzy a “singularity” in music, emphasizing that there was by no means anybody like him, and he remained true to himself all through his life and profession.
“Nicely, I bear in mind the person. In 1974, we had been each attempting to forge our paths and we really performed on the identical invoice. And I’ll inform you that the lots, the followers are grieving. What are you able to say? It’s simply damaged hearts. And once I inform you my coronary heart, my prayers and thousands and thousands of others’ to Sharon and the youngsters.
“Individuals consider him because the Prince Of Darkness and on stage, in fact, this large persona, a large, however on the identical time, [he was] a loving father and a devoted husband,” Gene continued.
“You possibly can say no matter you need about Ozzy. There by no means was an Ozzy earlier than Ozzy,” Simmons added. “You possibly can’t actually level to anyone and say, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s the place he got here from.’ Scientists name {that a} singularity, an anomaly. He was simply sort of born Ozzy, and so far as I do know, his total life — to thine personal self be true, the Greeks say. Ozzy was all the time Ozzy — by way of disco, by way of no matter musical genres there have been, Ozzy was all the time Ozzy all the best way to the top.”
Simmons added, “Individuals don’t understand that Ozzy, although he didn’t play an instrument, these are his melodies. That’s him writing melodies and lyrics and crafting that sound, that big guitar that Iomi has that simply shook the heavens, the guitar that dominated the world.
“Ozzy, there by no means was one like him and possibly by no means might be.”