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The Black Sabbath genius guitarist Tony Iommi paid tribute to his late bandmate with another poignant throwback concert shot captioned with just two words, “Rest in Peace Ozzy”. Photographer Ross Halfin took the black and white image, capturing his two rock gods from afar, immortalizing a very special moment of musical brotherhood. Iommi holds that very iconic guitar of his, and Ozzy the mic as the pair entwine his arms around each other with dramatic stage lighting elevating this moment to mythic proportions.
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This post came amidst the mourning that had rocked the realms of music following the death of the Prince of Darkness, whose realm of influence extends far from mere heavy metal and into general pop culture. The stark words spoken by Iommi say so much about their decades-long journey into the steel that is termed today as Metal. The one photograph speaks volumes, illustrating the unbreakable bond forged between the man who laid the darkest riffs in metal and the voice that breathed life into those riffs.
Emotional reactions surged in the comments section. “He made a huge impact on the world. He will NEVER be forgotten,” one remarked, and this was the popular consensus on Ozzy’s undying influence. Another touching comment says: “It feels surreal for those of us who knew him through stage and screen…Thoughts are with you, the rest of the band, his family, his friends.” Indeed, Ozzy’s passing resonates with those who knew him personally as opposed to the millions who felt they knew him through his music and TV personality.
Several of the comments speak directly to how Ozzy has affected Iommi personally. A reader posted, “This must be very difficult for you,” while another replied, “Love to you and yours Tony.” These sentiments tell us that, rock legend IF or not, over decades real human relationships and shared history have been crafted. One particular revealing comment reminded us “Ozzy was awesome of course…But YOU brother, made it come to life.”
International voices joined in, including a Portuguese comment from, “Greatest band of all time,” while another screamed the praises in Brazilian Portuguese: “VIVA O OZZY!” The worldwide reaction is proof that the Black Sabbath had conquered language barriers. The seemingly unending series of bat emojis (🦇) on display almost constituted a tribute to Ozzy’s “Prince of Darkness” persona.
What stands out while scrolling through the comments is the number of people referencing Ozzy performing well into the recent past: one fan said, “especially after being on stage with him so shortly before he left us.” This mention of his performances until the very end is an affirmation of the fact that Ozzy really did keep performing against all expectations of health challenges. Another said, “Been idk how many days, yet brain still can’t comprehend that the Prince isn’t bringing light into the darkness anymore,” basically putting into words just what many feel in disbelief.
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The photo is a perfect metaphor for their bond-Iommi steady and grounding with his guitar, speedy and unpredictable frontman Ozzy flowing that energy out to the crowd. This dynamic kept the magic going for more than 50 years. Very brief, yet emotionally so loaded coming from the man who had known Ozzy better than almost anyone ever. In true rock style, Iommi lets the image do the talking, no lengthy eulogy needed when you’ve got a lifetime of shared stages to remember your brother by. The world may have lost the Prince of Darkness, but as these tributes show, through the music that Ozzy left for us to remember by and the fond memories he shared with Tony Iommi, that light will shine on.