Jack Osbourne’s Poignant Farewell to Ozzy Osbourne: Remembering 14,501 Days
I’m Maya Rivers, weaving a tapestry of grief and gratitude beneath trembling moonlight as I recount a son’s final ode to his legendary father.
Jack Osbourne took to Instagram on Tuesday night to share a heartbreaking tribute following the July 22 passing of Ozzy Osbourne at age 76. The Black Sabbath frontman, revered as the “Prince of Darkness,” died at home in England surrounded by family. Jack, 39, confessed that he “haven’t really wanted to post anything since the passing of my father. My heart has hurt too much,” echoing raw sorrow in his first public words since the music icon’s final breath.
He kept his message concise in deference to a dad who “certainly hated long rambling speeches,” and reflected on belonging to “a very small group that got to call him ‘Dad.’” Within his grief, Jack radiated love and thankful awe for 14,501 days shared with his rock ’n’ roll patriarch—a span he acknowledged as an extraordinary blessing.
In his post, Jack immortalized a quote from Hunter S. Thompson: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow What a ride!’” It was, Jack wrote, the very spirit his father embodied: living life to the fullest onstage and off.
The tribute included a moving video clip from a November 1997 appearance on The Howard Stern Show. A 12-year-old Jack beamed when Stern asked, “How cool is it to have Ozzy as a dad?” His simple reply—“Very cool”—still resonates as a testament to their bond. The montage blended snapshots of father and son across decades, set to Ozzy’s 1983 track “So Tired,” capturing intimate smiles and sonic crescendo alike.
Ozzy’s private funeral service took place near the lakeside of his Buckinghamshire estate on July 31, with widow Sharon Osbourne and children Kelly, 40, Aimee, and Louis, 50, standing by his casket. Each family member honored him with a personal keepsake: Sharon clasped Jack’s hand in tears, while Kelly sought comfort in her mother’s embrace before a memorial bedecked in roses.
A public procession later wound through the streets of Birmingham, Ozzy’s hometown, where thousands of fans paid their respects. Over 100 guests, including former Sabbath bandmates and rock luminaries like Marilyn Manson, Metallica’s James Hetfield, and rising star Yungblud, gathered to salute a musical pioneer who redefined heavy metal.
From chart-topping hits like “Crazy Train” and “Paranoid” to his fearless stage persona, Ozzy’s legacy roars on. Jack’s tribute stands as both a eulogy and celebration—a son’s final love letter to an icon who taught him to embrace every wild ride.
And so, this verse of their story concludes, leaving echoes of guitar riffs and father-son laughter lingering in the night air.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, Instagram, The Howard Stern Show
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
