Ozzy Osbourne might be famous for his crazed rock star antics onstage, but in reality, he’s got a heart of gold, according to his lifelong friend and Black Sabbath bandmate, Geezer Butler.
In a candid piece for The Sunday Times, Butler shared that the dark, wild persona people associate with Ozzy couldn’t be further from the truth. “To me, Ozzy wasn’t the Prince of Darkness — he was the Prince of Laughter. He’d go out of his way to make people laugh; he’s a natural entertainer,” wrote Butler.
Geezer describes their bond as “inseparable brothers in arms” who looked out for one another through thick and thin.
“Many people thought Ozzy was just a crazy guy, but deep down, he had a heart of gold,” Butler revealed. “Sure, he pulled some infamous stunts – the bat incident, biting the head off a dove, pissing on the Alamo, and snorting ants – but those moments mostly happened during his solo career when the chains of Black Sabbath weren’t holding him back. When I was going through tough times, like when my son had a heart defect, Ozzy would check in with me every day despite us not talking for a whole year.”
Geezer recalls meeting Ozzy back in 1968 when he was all polished up with cropped hair and mod fashion. Over time, of course, Ozzy transformed into the wild look we recognize today – long hair, dramatic makeup, and oversized crucifixes.
Ozzy himself addressed his notorious persona during a 1991 interview on The Joan Rivers Show. In a segment dedicated to rock ’n’ roll dads, he explained that much of his chaos is just part of the show. “People need to realize that I’m an artist/entertainer,” he said. “Imagine a clown not putting on their red nose outside the circus – that’s me; it’s only part of my job, and it’s what I love.”
His hilarious side wasn’t totally hidden from fans. Viewers got a glimpse of his fun-loving family demeanor on MTV’s reality show, The Osbournes, in the early 2000s. During a 2007 chat with The Sault Star, Butler remarked, “We always joked, ‘If his music career ever fizzles, he should definitely try stand-up.’ He has always had a natural sense of humor – that’s what made The Osbournes such a hit.”
Sadly, on July 22, 2025, the world lost Ozzy, just a few weeks after reuniting with Butler and his Black Sabbath brothers, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, for a farewell concert named Back to the Beginning at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK.
In a final act of generosity, this landmark event dedicated its proceeds to local charities, including Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Acorns Children’s Hospice, and the Cure Parkinson’s charity, raising over $190 million to support these important causes.
Note: Ozzy once expressed he’d continue performing ‘as long as there’s breath in my lungs’ during an interview with his children.
