The world didn’t just lose a rock star.
We lost Ozzy.
John Michael Osbourne, 76 — the Madman, the family man, the Iron Man. The one who outlived the bat, the drugs, alcohol, the tabloids, the PMRC, and maybe even our expectations.
Not this time.
Just three weeks ago, he commanded a throne in front of millions and reminded us what a legend looks like, sounds like, and does. He was saying goodbye. He knew it.
Formal tributes are coming. A docu-film will likely happen. The headlines will mention the numbers: over 100 million albums sold, two Hall of Fame inductions, a cultural icon.
But the numbers don’t tell Ozzy’s full story.
- People who never met him are crying.
- Vigils have popped up in cities that never booked Sabbath.
- Even TikTokers and cable anchors who couldn’t name a single Ozzy track are sharing “RIP” posts.
This one — Ozzy — it’s personal.
If you have a beating heart, you can feel the loss.
What I’ve heard most in the past 12 hours is there will never be another one like Ozzy.
When a loss is this personal, those of us who are lucky enough to be in Rock Radio have a job to do.
This is when Rock Radio can — and must — stand at its tallest.
I’m often asked:
- What should we do when crisis hits?
- When a big artist passes, how should we program?
There are different answers for different situations – but make it personal.
Heads spin. There’s a lot that can be done or considered. Digging out interview clips, finding close associates to book, writing posts, playing more music than usual. How long should it go, even hitting the streets and organizing or joining gatherings — but ALL OF THAT takes a back seat to meeting a personal moment by being personal.
At RockTernative, we’re not journalists — we’re fans.
When we lose a hero, the rule book goes out the window, and a new game must be played.
Do you think a listener hears the breaking news, tunes into their favorite Rock brand and expects to hear Billy Idol followed by news on how they can win Fair tickets tomorrow morning?
No f****ng way!
I’m sure many across the RockTernaverse got the alerts and immediately refocused, called audibles, and did a great job paying tribute to the Prince of Darkness in their own ways.
At 95.5 KLOS, we’re fortunate to have decades of history with Ozzy and a staff of pros, so it was less of a mad rush to “program” and more like playing air traffic control with planes taking off and landing from all directions. So we all hopped into the tower.
Most of the on-air team did special segments. “The Heidi & Frank Show,” Nik Carter, Greg Beharrell, Stew Herrera, Matt Pinfield, Full Metal Jackie, and we met the moment on every on-air level we could. Even airing an old special we produced. But it also stretched online, and onto the streets at Ozzy’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Rainbow Bar & Grill on Sunset, where fans were gathering.
It wasn’t rock science. It was more natural than flex.
No script, no run of show.
We opened the mic and made it personal. Some things were planned: who would call in when, which archives were best, but the rule book was tossed, and the music log was burned.
Listeners cried, laughed, shared stories and memories from their experiences with the “Tattooed Dancer” (if you know, you know). And we all raised our glasses and cranked up Ozzy and Sabbath.
What KLOS did wouldn’t have been right for everyone. But we didn’t make it about us. It was about the listener and Ozzy. It was also “Live and Local,” which gets touted as Radio’s advantage over other media.
And sure, sometimes “live and local” alone won’t beat slick alternatives.
But in moments like this, it can slay dragons.
I’d add a third piece to that phrase:
Live. Local. Personal.
Pandora, Spotify, Amazon and the others couldn’t do what local Radio did yesterday.
Not because Radio broke more news or played more songs.
Radio felt it.
Radio shared it.
Radio met a real and personal moment by being real and personal.
Ozzy’s voice will echo forever, and even in his final days, he brought out the best in us. Not because he passed, because he meant something real.
This was personal.
RIP John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne
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Keith Cunningham is a music industry and Rock/Alternative columnist for Barrett Media and the founder of Black Box Group, a modern-modeled creative & strategic consultancy built for brands that need strategies with teeth. He’s the former Master of Mayhem at 95.5 KLOS-FM in Los Angeles for over a decade, a nationwide consultant, and has been repeatedly voted one of America’s top Program Directors and strategic thinkers. Keith has built his career by taking multi-million-dollar brands from worst to first and leading Marconi & Gracie award winners along the way. A data nerd with a rock-and-roll heart, he is an advisory council member for St. Jude fundraising, a fantasy football champion, and lover of his daughters & dogs. Reach him at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com or on LinkedIn or X.
Amen! Losing Ozzy feels like we lost a member of the family. We dropped regular format on The Point 94.1 and did 3.5 of non-stop Ozzy/Black Sabbath, letting listeners call in, tell their stories, and make their requests. It was tough at times to talk and not break down live on the air.
It was a tough one, Mike. He was more than just an artist for so many — fans related to Ozzy. I bet you and your team did a great job.