Historically, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is not known for endorsing metal maniacs – but when you've got Ozzy Osbourne on your list of nominees, well, that's a whole different story. Not only did the singer help invent the sound and vernacular of heavy metal, but he's also become an iconic figure among the pop-culture landscape as a whole.
So, it shouldn't come as too much of a shock to learn that the Prince of Darkness was among the Rock Hall's class of 2024 inductees, who were announced today (April 21st) and also include Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang and A Tribe Called Quest.
This is Osbourne's second induction after being inducted along with the rest of the original lineup of Black Sabbath in 2006.
In a statement given to Billboard, the Ozzman says this second induction "feels big. I'm more than honored."
Osbourne went on say his solo induction "feels different" than his entrance into the Rock Hall with Black Sabbath, "because my solo career, it's been a much larger part of my overall music career as a whole."
In 1979, Osbourne famously departed Black Sabbath (which he co-founded a decade prior) under less-than-cordial terms. His solo career kicked off the following year with the epic Blizzard of Ozz — the album that also introduced the metal world at large to the massively influential guitarist Randy Rhoads (who was posthumously inducted into the Hall in 2021).
Osbourne has released 13 solo albums over his career, the most recent of which was 2022's Patient Number 9.
For the past several years, Osbourne has been dealing with a series of health issues that have affected his ability to tour. In January, Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon announced he was planning a pair of final "goodbye" shows in his hometown of Birmingham, England, but no further details have been announced yet.
As to whether he might perform at the Rock Hall induction ceremony, he's keeping things vague, telling Billboard, "you never know."
The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will be held on October 19th at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. It will air live on Disney+, and stream on Hulu the day after.
