Yungblud's Sleepless Night Message to Ozzy Osbourne Revealed Ahead of VMA Tribute
Prior to his tribute at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, Yungblud messaged Ozzy Osbourne the evening before the event.
“I deeply admired your father, and I thought to myself, ‘I’m simply going to embody him.’ I’ll replicate his signature laughs and his gestures,” the 28-year-old artist revealed to Jack Osbourne on the “Trying Not To Die” podcast episode released on Tuesday, October 7. “I’ll capture his gaze, wear his cross, and wholeheartedly commit to it, because what alternative do we have?”
Nevertheless, the most “poignant” aspect of the homage performance actually occurred the evening prior.
“I was utterly sleepless. Consequently, I messaged your father. I sent it the previous night, but it failed to deliver,” Yungblud told Jack, 39. “My exact words were, ‘Tomorrow, I just want you to be aware, wherever you may be, I love you and I will pour my entire being into this.’”
Yungblud Defends Taylor Swift Against Bill Maher and 'Lads in Pubs'
The immense “stress” of perfectly executing the Ozzy tribute performance was cited by Yungblud as the reason for his insomnia.
On September 7, exactly two months following Ozzy’s passing at 76, Yungblud graced the stage with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, along with guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, at the awards ceremony, delivering a compilation of Ozzy’s most iconic songs. Jack unexpectedly featured in a prerecorded video clip that introduced the homage.
“I regret that we cannot be present as you commemorate my father’s remarkable musical career,” Jack expressed during the broadcast. “He would have been profoundly pleased to witness these talented artists perpetuate his legacy and motivate future rock musicians.”
Yungblud commenced the set with a cover of Ozzy’s “Crazy Train.” He followed with “Changes,” a track he has included in his nightly performances since Ozzy’s passing this summer. Tyler and Perry then united with Yungblud for “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” concluding the segment.
The podcast discussion also implicitly touched upon critiques of the VMA presentation by Dan and Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, who labeled Yungblud a pretender.
“There’s a tendency to overlook, and I believe rock music has been disadvantaged for some time because the public forgets that its essence is determined by the audience. It is the people who define what makes something rock and roll,” Yungblud stated on Tuesday. “From my perspective, the audience absolutely adored [the performance]. We had the opportunity to showcase your father’s image to an additional 100 million individuals that evening, thereby sustaining his heritage and its spirit.”
The Best and Worst Moments of the 2025 VMAs
Ozzy and his spouse, Sharon Osbourne, developed a connection with Yungblud subsequent to their cameo in his 2022 music video, “The Funeral.” (Originally, Yungblud contacted Kelly Osbourne for the role, but she redirected the offer to her parents.)
“As a family, we’ve discussed this at length. Your conduct has been remarkably composed over the past couple of months,” an emotional Jack expressed to Yungblud, subsequently addressing him by his given name. “You demonstrated a far deeper engagement. And we’ve honored your reverence for that.”
He concluded, “Dom held significance for my father. And my father held significance for Dom.”
