Ozzy Osbourne and John Lennon, two of the most influential figures in rock history, held strong opinions about each other, despite coming from different musical eras. While The Beatles shaped the 1960s, Osbourne rose to fame in the 1970s as the frontman of Black Sabbath, a band often credited with pioneering heavy metal.
Osbourne has been vocal about his deep admiration for Lennon and The Beatles, frequently citing them as his biggest musical influence. He emotionally called Lennon his “hero” and even recorded a cover of How? for an Amnesty International tribute album. In interviews, Osbourne has often said that hearing The Beatles as a teenager changed his life and set him on the path to becoming a musician.
Lennon, on the other hand, had a more skeptical view of heavy metal. While he recognized the growing influence of heavier rock music in the early ‘70s, there is no public record of him commenting specifically on Black Sabbath or Osbourne. However, Tony Iommi, Sabbath’s guitarist, once recalled in an interview that Lennon expressed intrigue about the band’s music.
Despite their stylistic differences, Ozzy’s enduring admiration for Lennon remains clear, proving that rock’s greatest legends often transcend genres.
