Famed rocker Alice Cooper shared a lengthy post to Instagram following Ozzy Osbourne‘s death. In the post, he reflects on the Godfather of Heavy Metal’s impact and relationships.
The band found out about Osbourne’s death just minutes before playing a show in Cardiff, Wales, which is about two hours away from where Osbourne was born.
The post began by sharing a quote from Cooper’s radio show called Alice’s Attic:
“Well, we all know that time is going to take us rockers, but when the giants fall, it’s really hard to accept,” said Cooper. “Even though everybody saw it coming with Ozzy, it just took our breath away when it happened. So Ozzy and family – your records and your music and your legend and all that you brought – the humor to the rock business – will live on forever and we’re gonna miss you man.”
View this post on Instagram
Cooper and the band went on to dedicate the evening’s show to Osbourne. Following the show, Cooper had this to say about the death of the Prince of Darkness: “The whole world is mourning Ozzy tonight. Over his long career, he earned immense respect among his peers and from fans around the world as an unmatched showman and cultural icon.”
About who Osbourne was to his fans and family, Cooper said, “I always saw Ozzy as a cross between the prince of darkness, which is the persona his fans saw, and the court jester. That was the side that his family and friends saw.”
Related: See Alice Cooper’s Sweet Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne During Edinburgh Show
Osbourne confirmed as much in an interview with the New York Timesin 1992.
“All the stuff onstage, the craziness, it’s all just a role that I play, my work,” he said. “I am not the Antichrist. I am a family man.”
Cooper went on to say that Osbourne will always be a rock and roll legend.
SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox
“Rock n Roll is a family and a fraternity,” he said. “When we lose one of our own it bleeds. I wish I would have gotten to know my brother Ozzy better.”
Osbourne died on July 22, 2025 at the age of 76. In his family’s announcement, they did not specify a cause, though he had been treated for Parkinson’s disease in recent years.