Twenty-five years before “Prince of Darkness” Ozzy Osbourne would join the royal ranks of double inductees, the former Black Sabbath frontman called for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to remove his band’s “meaningless” nomination. Osbourne’s highly publicized “eff you” moment happened in 1999, three years after the British heavy metal band became eligible for a HOF induction.
However, not even a public refusal of this accolade was enough to keep it from Osbourne, who entered the Hall of Fame alongside founding Black Sabbath members Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward in 2006.
Why Ozzy Osbourne Refused The Hall of Fame Nomination
Following Black Sabbath’s 1999 nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, frontman Ozzy Osbourne sent a public letter denouncing the HOF’s decision. “Just take our name off the list,” the rockstar wrote. “Save the ink. Forget about us.”
“The nomination is meaningless. It’s not voted on by the fans,” Osbourne continued. “It’s voted on by the supposed elite for the industry and the Media, who’ve never bought an album or concert ticket in their lives, so their vote is irrelevant to me. Let’s face it. Black Sabbath has never been media darlings. We’re a people’s band, and that suits us just fine.”
A source close to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame foundation told Rolling Stone that Osbourne couldn’t insist on Black Sabbath’s place on the list of possible nominees. Instead, he could only refuse the award if the band garnered enough votes to earn an induction. Other artists on that year’s list of possible nominees included Richie Valens, Queen, and Eric Clapton.
It Didn’t Take Long For Ozzy To Change His Tune
Ozzy Osbourne has always marched to the beat of his own drum, flying in the face of social norms whether in his music or in his wild behavior on and off stage. (Can you really expect anyone willing to lap up their own urine and snort a line of ants to follow the status quo? We think not.) Considering Osbourne was ramping up his traveling music festival, Ozzfest, perhaps the Prince of Darkness thought he had bigger fish to fry than an HOF accolade.
Still, it only took a handful of years for Osbourne to change his tune. Much to his previous self’s chagrin, the Hall of Fame foundation did nominate Black Sabbath in 2006, and the heavy metal band won enough votes to earn an induction. Although Osbourne mentioned how many times Black Sabbath received nominations with no follow-through during his acceptance speech, he was generally gracious, thanking his family and business associates.
18 years later, Osbourne would receive a second nomination into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. He seemed far happier about this nomination, releasing a statement in early 2024 which read, “I’m deeply honored to receive this news from the Rock and Roll hall of Fame. To be one of the few musicians who’s being considered for a second entry, now as a solo artist, is something I could never have imagined. After 44 years as a solo artist, the fact that I can continue to record music and receive this recognition is something I am incredibly proud of” (via Billboard).
Photo by Sean Ryan/IPS/Shutterstock
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