Jelly Roll Remembers Ozzy Osbourne: ‘Forever Grateful’

Jelly Roll shared a simple, heartfelt tribute to the late rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, who died on Tuesday morning (July 22) at the age of 76.

“Forever grateful,” Jelly wrote in an Instagram Stories slide, over a photo of himself and the Prince of Darkness smiling and posing with a group of people.

“Thank you for everything,” the country star added, along with an emoji of a red heart.

• Jelly was one of several country artists who counted himself an Osbourne fan.
• Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton and Hardy are some of the others who’ve covered, worked with or shared their appreciation for Osbourne’s music.
• Just days before his death, Osbourne performed at the July 5 Back to the Beginning concert, an event billed as his final show.

Just last year, Jelly was among the artists performing in tribute to Osbourne when he was inducted in to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.

He sang a rendition of “Mama, I’m Coming Home” during the show, flanked by musicians who worked with Osbourne, as well as two members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The photo Jelly selected for his remembrance of the late legend looks like it might have been taken backstage at that performance.

Before the show, Osbourne said he and Jelly had not yet had the opportunity to meet in person. This photo makes it clear that they got to have that personal meeting during Osbourne’s lifetime.

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.

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