3 December 1948- 22 July 2025
I was first introduced to western music by my cousins who used to stay at our house. It was the late ’80s, and they often listened to Wham! — the first English song I remember learning to sing was “Last Christmas.”
When they returned to their hometown, my exposure to western music faded too. We didn’t have a tape recorder for many years, so the only time I could hear English songs was on Saturdays when Radio Nepal played a few during the day. Later, Nepal Television aired a show called Sunday Pop, hosted by Mr. Bhusan Dahal. That show became a regular part of my week. In fact, before I ever heard the name Queen, it was on this show that I learned Freddie Mercury had passed away.
In school — around Class 8 — some of my friends played guitar and sang songs by Guns N’ Roses and Metallica, and I was instantly drawn to those sounds. Later, when I finally got a tape recorder at home, I was eager to explore western music more deeply.
A cousin introduced me to glam metal bands like RATT and Mötley Crüe — and from there, I was completely hooked. I began exploring even more, hungry for information and music. My biggest source became the Rock Street Journal (RSJ), a magazine from India that covered rock and metal scenes.
Before I even discovered RSJ, someone told me to listen to “Paranoid” — and I was blown away. I learned the lyrics by heart and even wrote my own song based on its music (still looking for someone who wants to see the lyrics and jam to it!). That’s when I learned Ozzy Osbourne was the lead singer of Black Sabbath, and that he also had a solo career. My friend Pankaj introduced me to “Crazy Train”, and from that moment, there was no turning back. I even gave myself the name SAZZY, as a tribute to Ozzy. Later, I named my dog Ozzy, and he became quite popular in our neighborhood!
One day, a cousin’s friend visited and, seeing my deep interest in western music, introduced me to KATSHOP, a cassette store that was a lifeline for music lovers back then. They used to dub songs for us and import cassettes from Bangkok. The first thing I asked the shopkeeper was, “Can I get a collection of all Ozzy Osbourne albums?” He said he didn’t have them, but knew someone from another city who might — and he kept his promise, eventually making the albums available for me.
This was before the days of the internet, so I stayed updated through RSJ and bought every new metal album I could get my hands on. Slowly, I expanded into other bands in the heavy metal scene.
In 1996, I got a computer. In 1997, I got internet. In 1998, I bought a printer. And guess what I printed first? Ozzy Osbourne lyrics — all of them. During my high school days, I inked “SAZZY” on my knuckles with a dot pen and wore eyeliner to look more like him.
People have their favorite albums, but for me, nothing beats Ozzmosis and No More Tears. I wanted to understand Ozzy beyond the music, so I read his autobiography “I Am Ozzy”, which opened my eyes to his struggles — especially his dyslexia — and how he overcame them to become the Prince of Darkness, a legend whose voice defined an era of heavy metal.
The stories were crazy: biting the head off a bat, urinating at the Alamo in Texas, losing his best friend and guitarist Randy Rhoads. Yet, through all of it, Ozzy remained unapologetically himself — raw, honest, broken, and brilliant.
Just a few months ago, when there was an announcement about his concert at Villa Park, my friend Dr. Bikash jokingly said, “Hey, let’s buy tickets and watch his last concert.” But before we could even act, the tickets were sold out. We ended up watching it live online.And now, just weeks after that concert, comes the news that Ozzy is no more.
We must thank every band who stood with him on that stage, and those who couldn’t make it but sent their wishes. Ozzy truly died like a prince — fulfilling not only his last wish, but also that of his fans, reuniting with Black Sabbath’s original members for one final gig. Special thanks to Sharon Osbourne for making that happen.
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What a death. Just a week ago, millions of us watched him live, surrounded by fellow legends. What a legacy he left behind.
No one can take your place, our PRINCE OF DARKNESS.
I bid farewell to you through this blog.
Forever SAZZY,
An Ozzy fan till the end.
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