Tucsonans remember Ozzy Osbourne

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The passing of the legendary Godfather of Heavy Metal, Ozzy Osborne, has been felt around the world, including in Tucson.

Fans wasted no time in paying tribute to the Blizzard of Oz on social media platforms and by going straight to stores to purchase his music.

From vinyls to CDs, Zia Records on Speedway had Osborne and Black Slabbath music showcased throughout the shop.

Store manger Haley Bennett said as soon as the news of his death surfaced, customers rushed through the doors.

“People started trickling in kind of right away. Huge family came in probably around noon and bought up a bunch of stuff and then just a couple people here and there just trickling in, buying some CDs," Bennett said. "Trying to celebrate Ozzy’s life as best as they can.”

The Prince of Darkness didn’t just influence metal, some argue he’s the face of the genre.

So much so, people were calling in to Zia Records asking for specific music of his.

“What I can do is I can also look him up to see if maybe I can special order anything live. You want me to do that?," said one of Zia Records workers.

Bennett says she’s a fan of Osbourne herself.

“I actually just started listening to him, Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath, specifically Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," Bennett said. "Probably one of the better metal voices that I’ve heard personally, which is why I took a liking to him but I mean the dude’s just really cool. His image overall is kinda what drags you in.”

Tucsonan Janine Pfeifer says she’s been a fan of Osbourne since she was a kid.

“I think my stepfather when I was 12,13, that’s when I found his Black Sabbath albums and started listening then and it kind of evolved," Pfeifer said.

Pfeifer says she’ll never forget when she saw Osbourne opening night of the Merry Mayhem Tour on Halloween 2001 at the Tucson Community Center, which is now called the Tucson Convention Center (TCC).

"Ozzy came out on stage. He was wearing a track suit, which you wouldn't think of with Ozzy, and kind of hobbling. He had a cane, and the tracksuit zipped up at the pants, and he had a cast, like to the knee cast. He had fallen out of the shower of the his room at the resort they were staying at that morning, and he showed up. He performed. He had a cane. He had a cast. He did many, many dates on the tour before he actually had to go see someone. It turns out he had a stress fracture, but the fact that he went through multiple shows on this leg and still perform and still put on a really, really amazing show," Pfeifer described. “One of the things I will always remember though is the back curtains behind the stage caught fire and I thought it was part of the show and I kinda turned to my husband. I go 'that’s a different effect.' He’s like 'no, I don’t think that was planned."

Pfeifer said she doesn't have any photos or videos from that concert to share, but has no regrets.

"Yeah, I think that's one of the things that we don’t have as much anymore is we're trying to capture those moments instead of live those moments. So having been a part of that, I remember the energy of it and how much fun everybody was having and everybody just singing along," Pfeifer continued. "I was there with my friend and my husband and we just had an amazing night."

The first time Osbourne performed at the TCC was on March 16, 1972 with Black Sabbath.

According to the TCC, he performed there seven times throughout his music career.

Pfeifer said he always brought his A game to every show and even though he’s gone, his music will live on forever.

"I'm really thankful I've been able to see him probably four, five, six times," Pfeifer said.

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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.