I remember the first time I discovered Ozzy. I was hanging around with an older kid from the neighborhood, and on his wall he had the Bark at the Moon poster. I found it terrifying and mystifying all at once. I said who (or what) is that? He was like “that’s Ozzy dude”. Being a 10 year old french catholic boy, I had never heard of Ozzy. He proceeded to play Ozzy for me and I really liked it. Fast forward a few years, I discovered Black Sabbath, who to this day is still my favorite band. There’s nothing like sitting outside during Autumn and listening to that first Black Sabbath album, from the chilling Bell of the title track, straight through to the end, it’s magnificent mystifying and hypnotic.

      I remember being one of the strange metal heads in Middle School our Music Teacher, Miss Perry, used to have what she called “listening lessons”, where once a week we could bring in a cassette and play one song for the class to hear and everyone would try to name the song. I brought in The Unofficial Greatest Hits cassette “We sold our souls for rock and roll” and played Iron Man, figuring everyone knew that song. To my astonishment nobody in my class had ever heard Iron Man or Black Sabbath.

      As my teenage years progressed I grew more enamored with Black Sabbath and Ozzy. I purchased every cassette I could. I think the first Ozzy CD I actually bought was speak of the devil. I remember there was a little music store by my house, and at the time you could get bootleg CDs. The two bands I was always buying bootleg cd’s of were NIN and Black Sabbath/Ozzy. I acquired quite a few. I was a bit sad because I never thought I’d get to see the original lineup of Sabbath but I was hopeful I would get to see Ozzy. And in 1995, it was either my second or third concert, I actually accomplished that. My brother in arms Kris and I decided we’re going to go see Ozzy in Boston. To get tickets I had to borrow my grandmother’s credit card, I gave her the cash and we bought the tickets all was good. However I found out that since the tickets were will call we had to bring the credit card with us. My grandmother wasn’t having any of that. I was so bummed, I begged and pleaded but she wouldn’t fold. At that point we decided to try and get another set of tickets to the show, but to no avail it was sold out. I was devastated, my first chance to see Ozzy, the retirement sucks tour, squashed. Then the day of the concert my grandmother relented and she let us take her credit card with us so that we could present it and get our tickets. Now mind you she decided this about six hours before the show so we had to get all our shit together and drive from Maine to Boston. I remember my friend Kris was driving about 95 down the highway the whole way so he wouldn’t miss the show. We got there, managed to get our tickets and take our seats and about five minutes later the Ozzman stepped on stage. It was glorious! I was so happy, and the energy was so vibrant and raw, and to me so very new. I actually got a few pictures from the show, and one of the things that makes me laugh even to this day, is how many bras that Ozzy had on his mic stand. Chicks were just taking their bras off left and right, and throwing them on stage, that was the first time I saw live boobs on the big screen lol. Damn, that’s charisma!

Two years later 1997 I went to Ozzfest. The local radio station WTOS was selling bus tickets to the event. It was amazing we got on the bus from Portland Maine at 7 AM and drove down to Boston. Now we had this driver his name was Art Black but we ended up calling him Black Art considering that the headliner of Ozzfest was Black Sabbath (minus Bill Ward).

      I remember when we got on the bus, and got settled, he said in a foreboding tone “look I got a cell phone and I know how to use it, so no bullshit. But I can’t see what goes on in the bathroom”. The first hour of the drive down was pretty tame people just chilling then this long line to the bathroom started forming because everyone was going in there to smoke weed. About halfway to the venue, the line went from people going to the bathroom to smoke weed to people needing to piss; because we were all drinking so much (at 8 AM). At one point my friend Dan looked at me and said “dude I’m not waiting to go in the bathroom the smoke this joint” (he had some really good homegrown Maine green bud). So I got up on the seat popped the little air vent in the ceiling and said “light it up dude”, after that nobody gave a fuck and everyone was lighting joints. By that point, Black Art was just like whatever. Then one of the DJs, this gorgeous woman named Jen Wilde was walking up and down the aisle with shots of tequila which by the way was what I was drinking and and offered us some. She smelled that we was like damn that smells pretty good she sat on my friend Dan slap and smoked a couple hits with us. The last hour of the trip was a blur but we got to the venue I remember that there was this guy on the bus who was so bummed out because he got there last-minute and the bus driver made them put is cooler under the truck as it was big. As soon as we got to the venue he went to break his cool route and crack a beer and the cops were waiting there they knocked the bottle out of his hand and told them if they caught any of us drinking they’d arrest us. They were pretty strict that first year. Luckily we were pretty wasted already. We went into the venue and I remember losing my friend Dan as he wandered off. I laid on the one for a while listening to the first couple of bands I remember the first one was power man 5000 eventually we caught up with Dan and he had his face painted like Peter Chris from kiss it was hilarious. So fast-forward to Ozzy’s set, it was amazing. Then after a small set break Sabbath came out, I was in ecstasy, when they played children of the grave I totally lost my shit. The whole day and night was pure magic I will never forget that day. That was my first of many years at Ozzfest.

      I continued to go to Ozzfest every year from 97 to 2007. There were times when I wasn’t sure how I was gonna get the money but I always manage to grab a ticket. I remember one year in particular I just lost my job and I took my last paycheck to buy two Ozzfest tickets for me and my girlfriend not even caring about the bills or any of that adult stuff. One year I actually went to Ozzfest alone. It was very strange I’d never been to a concert alone before but it was still amazing I remember sneaking down front for Ozzy’s set, and getting gloriously sprayed by the sprinklers I was so hot that day.

      My friend and I devised this ingenious system where we would scan our tickets and then open them up in Photoshop and edit our seat numbers so we could get down front. We actually got pretty creative with it would get the exact same stock paper as the tickets were printed on we would razor off the holographic bar and glue them onto our fake tickets using those to get down front and then find an empty seat if somebody came we best move to another one we actually did that for years it was awesome.

      Now for anyone hasn’t been to Ozzfest you have to understand it’s the whole experience. I would plan our navigation so that we could sit out in the back parking lot by the second stage party all day, watching all the 2nd stage bands and then go in for the main stage. It’s so amazing to spend a day like that with friends, and often times you make many more new friends while you’re there. One year I bought a couple of cases a Corona and some limes at Sam’s Club and sold them for three dollars a piece in the parking lot I ran out in less than an hour lol. Another year all of us but one person went in and then we had our friend stay out and throw over a backpack with booze and beer and it. Another year my girlfriend and I went in and we had a bunch of booze and beer in my backpack, it was pretty stupid and I didn’t expect to get through but the security guy at the gate just looked at me smiled and said “have a good time”.

Another thing that people might not realize if they’ve never been to metal shows is the camaraderie. I can remember more than once getting in the mosh pit in my drunk ass falling over. As soon as I hit the ground there was a hand there to pick me up. That’s what metal is about brotherhood. One of my favorite parts of Ozzie set, is before he took the stage he would play videos, of of pop-culture stuff movies TV shows etc. and he would edit himself into the and do the funniest shipped. I always said that if Ozzy wasn’t doing music he could be a comedia, he was genuinely funny. As a side note I really hope those videos get released someday, they are comedy gold. I actually have VHS cassette from the first year of Ozzfest when he did that but he ended up doing it every tour and it was hilarious.

      Though I wasn’t a huge fan of the Osbournes, because I thought it portrayed Ozzy in a bumbling, negative light. I will admit there were definitely some funny moments in the show though. Again Ozzy was the Eternal Cosmic Jester.

      Fast-forward to 1999, I remember getting the news that Black Sabbath was doing a reunion. Through some unfortunate circumstances I missed the tower records meet and greet and record signing I was very upset. However I learned that the original full lineup of Black Sabbath was going to headline Ozzfest. I knew that I must see the show at all costs and of course I did. Words cannot describe the ecstasy, enchantment, and joy I felt when those four men took the stage. I rocked harder than I ever had or have. I remember getting out of my seat and just thrashing and dancing in the aisles, even though I had been told several times by security to get back in my seat I just didn’t give a fuck. It was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life. I went home feeling completely drained and rejuvenated all at the same time. I got to see my favorite band in the world, which I never thought would happen. I thanked God it, was such an amazing time. And I’m grateful I got to share some of my greatest friends.

      Another amazing show I went to was in 2001. It was originally called the Black Christmas tour but after the events of 9/11, respectfully Ozzy and company renamed it the Merry Mayhem tour. A few of us had tickets and I remember my friend Michelle was with us and didn’t, I convinced her to come with us and by sheer force of will we found a ticket in the parking lot though it was not anywhere near our seats. But I kept sneaking her down to our seats and letting her stand in front of me even though the security guards hassled us many times. It was great to because she snuck a bunch of liquor nips and joints in her cleavage God bless her lol. The energy for that show was…..different, but it was still vibrant. the country was in a very dark place at that time and I think Ozzy and crew were trying to uplift us, and I will say they did so very well.
I continued to go to Ozzfest every year (for 10 years) and see every solo Ozzy show that I could. I think in total I’ve seen Ozzy 13 times and the original Black Sabbath four times. I still have all the T-shirts from every show.

      I’ve been to many concerts in my life but I’ve got to tell you that the energy that Ozzy brings to the stage is unlike any experience you will ever have. I am eternally grateful for every moment that I experienced, it was truly magical. Ozzy was an example to all of us, a rough and tough street kid who rose from poor humble beginnings to become a rock legend. He was very human and fragile. From his struggles with drugs and alcohol, his feelings of inadequacy and alienation, his constant search for acceptance. He overcame it all, and in the process he loved and entertained us so thoroughly. Being at his shows, it felt like we were all his children, he was our Godfather, our Godfather of Metal. I am eternally grateful for that experience. Even though I am saddened by his departure from this material around I know that his music and his legend will live on. And so I say to you thank you Ozzy, love and respect forever.