Veteran music journalist Cameron Crowe paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne with a post recalling the time he interviewed the late Prince of Darkness when he was 15 years old.
Crowe shared his recollections on X (formerly Twitter), along with snapshots of his story and a picture of Osbourne, who died on Tuesday at the age of 76.
You can see the posts below and read the full interview on Crowe’s website.
Cameron Crowe Reflects on 1972 Ozzy Osbourne Interview
“It was one of the first times I ever scored a backstage pass,” Crowe wrote. “I wandered into Black Sabbath’s dressing room with my tape recorder and a copy of our local underground paper, The San Diego Door, and asked Ozzy Osbourne for this interview.
“He was 24, I was 15,” Crowe continued. “He was talkative and fun and ended our chat with a poignant comment about his own future.”
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Crowe wrote and directed semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous, about a teenage music journalist who goes on tour with the fictional rock band Stillwater and writes a Rolling Stone cover story on them. In the film, he first encounters Stillwater backstage at a concert where they’re opening for Black Sabbath.
Black Sabbath Was Riding High and Feeling Low in 1972
Black Sabbath was promoting their fourth album, Vol. 4, when Crowe spoke to Osbourne in 1972. “I know I sound like I’m blowing my own trumpet, but … our new album to us, is our first album,” the singer said.
“It is the most truthful album we’ve made. I mean a lot of our albums had a lot of truth, lyrically, but this album is a more truthful representation of Black Sabbath musically. It’s also a lot more personal lyrically. In the past our lyrics have said what other people feel, but the words of our new one is what we feel. We’ve gone through a lot of changes.”
READ MORE: Black Sabbath Albums Ranked From Worst to Best
Osbourne also noted Black Sabbath’s tireless touring schedule, which was leading to fatigue and wreaking havoc on the band members’ bodies and minds.
“Y’know, before we went on this tour, I had an infected throat,” Osbourne said. “I had a very bad throat that I noticed three days before we came [to America for the tour], which wasn’t any fault of ours or our management because we were going through this big change-around in the business side. We didn’t know whether to go on the tour or not. So we just came over anyway.
“I couldn’t work the first week,” he lamented. “My throat gave out completely. This is … what … our seventh tour of America. Major tours, too. We all feel very, very tired. We’ve done seven tours in just over a year, now. We’ve worked so much in this country it’s driving me loopy.”
Ozzy Osbourne’s Five-Year Plan: ‘Six Feet Under and Pushing Up Daisies’
When asked where he saw Black Sabbath five years in the future, Osbourne offered a typically off-color — but also poignant — response.
“At this rate, six feet under and pushing up daisies. Or in a lunatic asylum,” he quipped. “We’re all just simple, ordinary people who became … this. I think it’s just started to affect us, what’s actually happened to us. Once the whole band was a giggle … I still enjoy it, don’t get me wrong. I love it. I wouldn’t change it for the world. But, we’ve covered a lot of ground. We’ve been in a lot of places and met a lot of people.
“I’m glad to say that at the end of it all … when the day comes when Black Sabbath is no more … if it’s kept up as good as it’s kept up to now, even if the popularity drops off, I can’t complain,” he concluded. “I’ve had a good time. If it ends tomorrow or five years … ten years from now, I can just turn around and say that I’ve had a good time and have enjoyed it. It’s been one hell of an experience for me, I’ll never forget it as long as I live.”
Ozzy Osbourne Year by Year Photos: 1969-2025
Between Black Sabbath and his solo career, Ozzy Osbourne became one of the most famous frontmen in hard rock history. Here’s a look back.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
