The Heavy Metal Legions are grieving hard with the news that the legendary Prince Of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne has passed away at age 76. It was only a few short weeks ago that he hit the stage for one last time as a solo artist and with his original Black Sabbath bandmates for what was viewed as an ultimate celebration of a life devoted to Heavy Metal music. The statement from the Osbourne family is presented below this photograph that I snapped with my mobile back in 2016 at one of “The End” performances by Sabbath.
Ozzy with Black Sabbath (2016) by Ken Pierce
The Statement:
“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time”. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis
The music world has lost a true legend today as the news has been circulating about the passing of the great Tina Turner at age 83. At the time of this posting, Turners COD has not yet been revealed but she was reported as being ill for a very long time with a number of different ailments. To say that she will be missed is an understatement.
The singer who was born Anna Mae Bullock was one who was a true coming from meager beginnings, faced tremendous adversity and triumphed at the end. A real life rags to riches story that was both chaotic and compelling at the very same time. Turner’s initial claim to fame was when she met and joined the band of guitarist Ike Turner as a part of his Kings Of Rhythm lineup. Some of their early hits came with “Nutbush City Limits”, “River Deep Mountain High” and of course “Proud Mary”. Sadly, the relationship with Ike was a tumultuous and abusive one that found her on her own and starting from the ground up. Continue reading Music Legend Tina Turner Has Died (1939-2023)→
The band Fleetwood Mac has announced the passing of their keyboardist/vocalist Christine McVie. I have added the official statement down below.
“The are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine McVie. She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her. Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. She will be so very missed”. Fleetwood Mac
I’ve embedded to of the most prominent Christine McVie led Fleetwood Mac tunes. These numbers had such radio play when they were released.
We extend the deepest of condolences to Christine’s family and band mates and worldwide legions of fans. Thanks for the music Ms. McVie, may you Rest In Peace.
And sadly another great one has left us. This afternoon the world lost the legendary artist Joe Kubert who has passed away at age 86. According to reports, the artist had been hospitalized for about a month. While I realize that this was not a musician who passed and would normally find me posting the notice in our “When The Music Died” category, it is without question that his artwork sang to all illustrators and was a veritable symphony of creative power.
The PiercingMetal Command Center was saddened to learn of the death of bassist Mike Starr today who was found dead in his Salt Lake City, Utah home at the age of 44. The police DO NOT expect foul play as the cause but the results from the medical examiner will take a few months to determine. The musician appeared on the third season of “Celebrity Rehab” where he showcased his own personal struggle with addiction and while he seemed a bit frantic during this particular season, he did end up getting it together for the case of his own health. He and fellow show participant Tom Sizemore each appeared on the season four showing of this program and had been sober/clean for a number of months. Starr was arrested in February of 2011 with possession of several controlled substances so perhaps his own sobriety was not as long lived as his family and friends would have hoped. Let’s see what the medical experts report when they make that assessment.
Musically speaking, Starr was a founding member of the Alice In Chains band and appeared on their earliest and most seminal works such as “Facelift” (1990), “Sap” (1992) and “Dirt” (1992). Although he does NOT appear on the bands “Unplugged” album he can be heard on two tracks on the bands “Live” album. I don’t think I need to speak more on how important the band was to the Seattle Sound and the Grunge Movement as a whole, but I will say that out of the crop of bands that appeared during this time, how Alice In Chains with Mike as a member were one of the best and most promising.
We express our deepest condolences to his family and fans as well as his former band mates. If the cause gets cited as being from an overdose then I will feel all the more sad, because I hate when this kind of shit takes talented people away from us. Some view the “Celebrity Rehab” show as sensationalizing the addiction recovery process, but I think at the end of the day it does good and showcases just how hard it is to overcome this kind of problem.
Photo used comes credited to “Iris Peace and Love”.
