Ozzy Osbourne is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on a heavy metal throne

22 October 2024, 10:59

The Prince of Darkness becomes a two-time inductee.

There are plenty of all-time great musicians who haven't yet been deemed worthy of induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

At the weekend, Ozzy Osbourne joined the even smaller exclusive club of becoming a two-time inductee, as he received his honour from actor/singer Jack Black while sat on an imposing heavy metal throne.

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Ozzy was first inducted as part of Black Sabbath in 2006 alongside his bandmates Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward.

That was at the eighth time of asking after seven failed nominations over the previous decade.

As a solo artist, Ozzy was inducted this year on the back of his very first nomination.

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"F**king love you guys," Ozzy said at the ceremony.

"Well, here we are. You know what? I can’t believe I’m here myself. Let me get the thank yous out of the way, because I'm not going to bore you with a long, drawn-out f**king monologue.

"I'd like to thank whoever voted me into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for my solo work. A great thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

He added: "My fans have been so loyal to me over the years, I cannot thank them enough. I've been fortunate over the years to play with some of the world’s greatest guitar players, drummers, bass players, and a few of them are here tonight.

"But I've got to say one thing for a guy by the name of Randy Rhoads. If I'd hadn't have met Randy Rhoads, I don't think I'd be sitting here now.

"And more so more than that, my wife Sharon. Saved my life. And my grandbabies and my babies. I love them all."

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Ozzy's induction at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, was preceded by a tribute performance from an all-star band.

That one-off supergroup was made up of singers Billy Idol, Maynard James Keenan and Jelly Roll backed by Rob Trujillom Zakk Wylde, Wolfgang Van Halen, Chad Smith, Steve Stevens and Andrew Watt.

While Ozzy confirmed his retirement from touring last year after decades of health issues, he's recently been teasing the possibility of a final Black Sabbath reunion show alongside Iommi, Butler and Ward.

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Other inductees in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2024 included Foreigner, who were inducted by Sammy Hagar; Peter Frampton, who was inducted by Roger Daltrey; and Kool & The Gang, who were inducted by Chuck D.

Cher, who was inducted by Zendaya, gave a storming speech where she said that 'Believe' "changed the face of music". She performed on stage with Dua Lipa.

Alexis Korner, John Mayall and Big Mama Thornton were inducted in the early musical influences categories.

Suzanne de Passe was given the Ahmet Ertegun Award for non-performers, while Jimmy Buffett, the MC5, Dionne Warwick and Norman Whitfield were recognised in the Musical Excellence category.