Def Leppard, Bret Michaels honor Ozzy Osbourne at SPAC
Just hours after Osbourne’s passing was announced, Def Leppard and Bret Michaels pay layered tribute during their SPAC concert.
For hard rock fans, Monday night’s SPAC concert was one for the history books. Featuring special guest Bret Michaels — who joined the band for only four stops of its summer tour — Def Leppard took to the SPAC stage just hours after it was announced that the legendary Ozzy Osbourne, 76, had passed away in the U.K.
So the rockers made sure to honor the great “Prince of Darkness.”
Michaels kicked off the epic night by dedicating the concert to the Black Sabbath frontman. During his first set, he also dedicated the Poison hit “Ride the Wind” to Osbourne. In between sets, Black Sabbath hits such as “Iron Man” and “Children of the Grave” played on loud speakers, according to a July 23 report by the classic rock station Q105.7/Q103.5. The report also said that many fans wore Ozzy T-shirts to the show.
During Def Leppard’s set, lead singer Joe Elliott gave a speech about the late heavy metal icon, and led an acoustic set in honor of him. The band shared some of the tribute on their Instagram today.
“We all know that just a few hours ago, we lost our beloved Ozzy,” Elliott said. “So we will be celebrating Ozzy.”
Fans were quick to react.
“Should release a version of this!” commented one. “So good. Great tribute.”
“A tribute like no other,” said another. “I'm gutted😢. Thank you, Ozzy, for the memories, the music and the madness. We will miss the Prince of Darkness, but we will never forget you.”
Earlier that afternoon, SPAC had paid tribute in an Instagram post that read, “We lost a legend today. Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy and impact on music will never be forgotten. RIP to the Prince of Darkness.”
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