KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Fans of heavy metal worldwide are mourning the passing of Ozzy Osbourne, known as ‘The Prince of Darkness’ and the ‘godfather of heavy metal,’ including in the Kansas City region.
Doug Kenworthy mentions that he has been a fan of Ozzy Osbourne’s music since he was 12 years old.
The heavy metal community lost a genuine icon today,” remarked Kenworthy. “It’s deeply sorrowful. It’s the music that accompanied my life. I’m a massive enthusiast of heavy metal. It truly influenced my life. So, it’s a heartbreaking day.
He mentions that “Diary of a Madman” remains his favorite Ozzy album.
It was the first album I ever purchased,” Kenworthy remarked. “It transformed my life. There are so many amazing tracks on it: Diary of a Madman, You Can’t Kill Rock and Roll.
Kenworthy attended multiple performances by Osbourne during his Ultimate Sin Tour when he visited the Kansas City region, including shows at Kemper Arena, several times at Sandstone Amphitheater, and at Memorial Hall for the No More Tears tour.
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I had front-row tickets to that, which was incredible,” said Kenworthy. “Ozzy was truly a master of entertainment. It was never boring. He had this dark image, but he was actually a friendly, enjoyable person and very approachable. His music, his lyrics were deeply meaningful. It wasn’t just random nonsense; it was about real-life experiences and things that many people could connect with.
Although he wasn’t able to take a picture with Ozzy, Kenworthy posted this image of himself and guitarist Zakk Wylde at Ozzfest held at Sandstone Amphitheatre.
Black Sabbath delivered their last concert in Birmingham, England at the start of this month. The show, titled Back to the Beginning, included other groups like Metallica and Gojira and was broadcast online. He mentioned he was fixed on the TV watching Black Sabbath’s performance.
Although today is heartbreaking, I believe it’s almost poetic that he left the way he wanted,” said Kenworthy. “He performed this concert in front of 70,000 people, surrounded by all those he inspired throughout his life, who honored him. Then he took the stage and did what he loved most for the final time. It felt as if he was saying farewell to all of us.
