Ozzy Osbourne feels “more than honoured” to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.
The rocker was inducted into the famed institution as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006 and he will be inducted for a second time in honour of his solo career in October.
After this year’s inductees were unveiled on Sunday, Ozzy told Billboard via email that becoming one of the Rock Hall’s multiple inductees “feels big. I’m more than honoured.”
He added that this induction “feels different” because his solo career has “been a much larger part of my overall music career as a whole”.
Ozzy, 75, was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 and he kicked off his solo career with the 1980 album Blizzard of Ozz.
Reflecting on the decision, he continued, “With every new music venture there’s always a certain amount of surprise that comes when you see the fans embrace it, because no one wants to make a record and have it flop. I feel like I was invited to a party in 1980, and it hasn’t stopped. Not bad for a guy who was fired from his last band.”
Ozzy, who was voted into the Hall of Fame on his first year on the ballot, will be inducted alongside Mary J. Blige, Cher, the Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & The Gang and A Tribe Called Quest on 19 October in Cleveland, Ohio.
When asked if he would perform during the ceremony, the rocker coyly replied, “You never know.”
Ozzy has effectively retired from touring due to a series of health issues, including Parkinson’s disease.
