Rod Stewart’s Bizarre Ozzy Tribute

When Ozzy Osbourne passed away, the music world paused in reverence. Fans mourned, metalheads saluted the Prince of Darkness, and fellow rock stars offered heartfelt tributes. It was everything you’d expect for a man who redefined rock 'n' roll and lived to tell the tale—until he didn’t.

But while most tributes were touching, maybe even a little weepy, Rod Stewart decided to honor Ozzy in the most Rod Stewart way possible: by turning the emotional dial sideways and launching into what might be the strangest onstage homage we’ve seen in years.

It started innocently enough. On his current tour, Rod began dedicating his timeless ballad Forever Young to Ozzy. A little unexpected? Sure. But kind. Appropriate, even. And then came the AI video.

Picture it: Ozzy Osbourne… in Heaven… taking selfies with a lineup of dead music legends. We’re talking Bob Marley, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, Tupac, Prince, Freddie Mercury, Kurt Cobain, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson… and yes, even XXXTentacion.

The scene is projected behind Rod as he sings, a surreal montage of Ozzy grinning in digital eternity, apparently the most extroverted ghost in the afterlife, cheesing it up with rock and pop royalty like he’s front row at the Grammys.

The audience in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the video recently debuted, reportedly went from “aww” to “uhh…” in record time.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get weirder, Rod Stewart leaned into the mic and delivered what can only be described as a spiritual stiff-arm to the dearly departed.

“Very sad,” he said, gazing at the screen. “A lot of those people died ‘cause of drugs… I’m still here, though!”

Yikes.

For one, Rod’s not wrong. Many of the icons featured in the video did, tragically, lose their lives to addiction. But throwing in that little humblebrag—“I’m still here, though”—while their AI holograms hover behind you like a VH1 ghost roast? That’s a move only Rod Stewart could pull off without getting booed into orbit.

Maybe it’s the shaggy blond hair. Maybe it’s the fact that Rod has survived it all—the parties, the excess, the leopard-print blazers—and come out the other side still crooning, still strutting, still vaguely resembling a fashionable wind sock.

Or maybe this is just Rod being Rod.

The tribute has divided fans online. Some see it as tongue-in-cheek brilliance—a perfect blend of respect and reality-check from a man who’s seen it all. Others think it’s tacky, tone-deaf, and oddly self-congratulatory for a song that’s supposed to celebrate someone else.

One commenter on Reddit summed it up perfectly:

And to be fair, there’s some precedent here. Rod’s never been one to sugarcoat the past. He’s spoken openly about his own drug use, his brushes with burnout, and his miracle escape from the excess that claimed so many of his peers. Maybe, in a weird way, this is his version of survivor’s guilt—delivered with a smirk and a power ballad.

Ozzy, for his part, would probably find the whole thing hilarious. This is a man who once bit the head off a bat, got banned from San Antonio for urinating on the Alamo, and turned mumbling into an art form. The idea of him mugging for selfies in Heaven? Honestly… kind of on brand.

And if there’s anyone who could smuggle humor into Heaven and still get past St. Peter, it’s the Prince of Darkness with a camera roll full of celebrity ghosts.

So, is Rod’s tribute weird? Absolutely. But it’s also weirdly fitting in a world where rock gods are becoming holograms, and tributes are becoming performance art.

Whether it’s heartfelt, hilarious, or just plain head-scratching, one thing’s for sure: Rod Stewart has once again reminded us that rock stars never really age. They just get stranger.

And as for that moment on stage—AI Ozzy, ghost selfies, and a jab at the dearly departed—well, it’s all just another entry in the long, bizarre book of rock 'n' roll history.

Somewhere up there, Ozzy’s probably still posing.