Musicians around the world are commemorating Ozzy Osbourne following the Black Sabbath legend’s death yesterday at the age of 76. After a series of written tributes throughout yesterday afternoon and evening—from the likes of Elton John, Tom Morello, Metallica, and Jack White—artists playing concerts last night celebrated Osbourne’s life and work with covers, speeches, and singalongs. Among them were Coldplay and Dave Matthews Band, who both covered Black Sabbath’s “Changes,” and former Black Midi frontperson Geordie Greep, who led his band in an instrumental covers medley in Black Sabbath’s Birmingham hometown. Watch footage of all three below.
After jamming through “Symptom of the Universe, “War Pigs,” “N.I.B.,” “Paranoid,” “Sweet Leaf,” and “Crazy Train” at Birmingham’s XOYO venue, Greep said Black Sabbath “made this music that really changed everything, and they came from this town.” He added, “You get a guitar, you go to a rehearsal room when you’re 12 or something, and you play these songs, and you feel like you’re gonna have superpowers. It’s like magic. And it was these fucking guys just coming from this town—which is not exactly Beverly Hills. It’s amazing…. Rest in peace.”
Elsewhere, Lady Gaga closed out a Mayhem Ball show in San Francisco by ripping open her jacket to reveal an Ozzy Osbourne T-shirt, before playing his solo song “Crazy Train” through the PA. Cyndi Lauper led her Raleigh, North Carolina, crowd in a singalong to the same track by playing it from her phone into the mic.
