Growing up I was always into hard rock/heavy metal. I loved the power of it…the balls-to-the-wall, massive energy. I still love some of that stuff because of that energy, but have gotten more into prog rock.

I was a Sabbath fan from the moment I heard that opening chilling bell that start the title track of the first album. I had heard Paranoid, Iron Man and such, but that song in particular had that 60’s sound but more modern – it was something really new.

I saw Sabbath on the forgettable “Technical Ecstasy” tour in October of 1976. A carload of us went to Memorial Hall in Kansas City to catch the show, my second ever concert and second of the year. The first was Ted Nugent in July.

One of the people I was with rolled up twenty…yes, 20!…joints and poked them in his shirt pocket. we got sat down and he pulled one out, fired it up, and passed it. He then pulled out another and did the same, only he passed it the other way to strangers. There were sone people from my school sitting up behind us and they couldn’t believe he kept doing that. This went on for a while – like clowns in a circus car, the joints kept coming out. He probably got the whole section high.

Then, on the “Never Say Die” tour (another forgettable Sabbath album), I saw them in Kansas City at Municipal Auditorium. The opening act was a band I had heard of and they were on their first big tour. It was Van Halen.

The last two Sabbath albums were really not very good and were far from the glory days of the first three albums, which were the best Ozzy-era Sabbath albums. Sabotage had its moments, but those first three are the best. there were personnel issues and infighting – the typical stuff that destroys a band and its music. Ozzy and Sabbath soon parted ways, with Sabbath bringing in Dio for some incredible albums, and Ozzy pursuing a solo career.

Fast forward to 1981. I saw the Blizzard of Ozz tour at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, with Motörhead as the opening act. I had never heard Motörhead before but thought they were okay. I was there to see Ozzy though and it was a great show. A hell of a show.

In 1986 I saw what was probably one of the greatest concert lineups – Ozzy with Metallica. Ozzy was out touring with “The Ultimate Sin” album and Metallica were getting huge and touring with “Master of Puppets”. We had front row tickets and they were filming “Ozzy Osbourne: The Ultimate Ozzy”. I borrowed the VHS tape from my cousin and was watching it, when all of a sudden there were four guys I know on the TV – me and my three friends. If you watch it we are the ones with the bloodshot eyes. 🤣

I only went to the Metallica show knowing it was going to be mostly the older Ozzy stuff. I was not into the thrash yet but Metallica just kicked everyone’s asses. They showed they were an unstoppable force to be reckoned with and were not going to be openers much longer. It was also the last tour with Cliff before he died tragically in the bus incident.

Admittedly, I was not a big fan of anything Ozzy did after Randy Rhoads died. I did not like the songs much, and I ended up going more with Sabbath and the singers they had replaced Ozzy with. I also hate reality TV and when they did that reality show I knew it was a sellout.

So, Black Sabbath was pretty formative in my youth for music preferences that still carries through to today. Even though I prefer prog, whenever I need a mood boost the heavier the music the better.

Thanks for the music, Ozzy. Somehow, Keith Richards outlasted you!

Shawn