Ozzy Osbourne Used Just 3 Words to Describe Jelly Roll’s Voice

Ozzy Osbourne brushed up against the country genre multiple times throughout his long and storied career.

He shared his thoughts on the genre, and occasionally co-mingled with some of its biggest stars, like Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.

And though he stopped short of calling himself a country fan, Osbourne was always respectful and enthusiastic when artists like Carrie Underwood and Jelly Roll tried their hands at covering his songs.

Read More: Ozzy Osbourne Made His Feelings on Country Music Known

In fact, the Prince of Darkness had high praise for Jelly just last year, when he learned that the “Liar” singer would be honoring him during Osbourne’s 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.

“Who doesn’t love Jelly Roll?” he told Rolling Stone at the time.

“His voice is soulful, pure and dirty,” Osbourne continued.

“I’m so honored that someone would do this for me who I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting.”

It’s unclear whether the two artists ever did get that personal meeting during Osbourne’s lifetime, but Jelly did get to sing onstage for him during the induction show.

Jelly Roll Flanked by Rock Royalty When He Performed in Tribute to Ozzy 

• Guitarist Zakk Wylde, who co-wrote “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and played on Osbourne’s original recording, joined him onstage.
• So did longtime Osbourne producer Andrew Watt.
• Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo — both of whom have a history of performing with Osbourne — checked in to contribute to the performance, too.

Osbourne himself watched from the sidelines, seated on a black throne decorated with an oversized bat as he took in the tribute performance.

Jelly’s Tribute Made Sense

Though Jelly’s background is mostly in country and hip-hop, he’s also got strong rock leanings: “Mama, I’m Coming Home” didn’t feel like too much of a stretch for the singer, who explores a variety of sonic stylings on his new album, Beautifully Broken.

Of course, Jelly has become something of a Prince of Darkness of country music over the years, exploring themes like addiction, abuse and overcoming personal demons in his music.

Remembering Ozzy Osbourne

Osbourne died on Tuesday morning (July 22). He was 76 years old.

On July 5, he performed during the Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham, England, during what was advertised as his final show.

Dolly Parton was among the stars to honor him during that final event. She tributed Osbourne with a tender video message.