Metallica Makes Lengthy, Heartwarming Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne

After Ozzy Osbourne‘s sudden death on July 22, 2025, social media was filled with a flood of reactions from famous faces. EntertainmentNow’s Cate Meighan rounded up some of the first reactions, which included David Coverdale of Whitesnake. The musician called it “a very sad morning,” and sent “thoughts and prayers” to the rock legend’s loved ones. Flavor Flav said he was “heartbroken” and revealed he goes “way back” with the star. Rolling Stones member Ronnie Wood was also among the public figures to speak on Osbourne’s passing.

Now, one of Osbourne’s fellow legendary rock acts has spoken. Read on to see what heavy metal 10-time Grammy winners Metallica said about the loss of their comrade.

Metallica Calls Ozzy Osbourne a ‘Pioneer’

Metallica shared a photo of the band posing with Osbourne and put a long, emotional statement in the caption. They started by saying “RIP” before launching into a kind tribute which calls Osbourne a “hero, icon, inspiration, and mentor,” as well as a friend.

They also shouted out Sharon Osbourne, who was married to Osbourne from 1982 until his death, saying both she and the rocker “believed in us” and made a huge impact on their careers. “He taught us how to play in the big leagues,” they said.

More admiring adjectives they used to describe the “Crazy Train” singer included “warm, welcoming, engaging, and all around brilliant.”

The band, whose lead guitarist is Kirk Hammett, called themselves “heartbroken” and “devastated” before sending condolences to the Osbourne family. They finished by saying the 76-year-old “left an incredible legacy, and will be sorely missed.”

Prior to posting their statement, the band initially reacted to the news by posting a throwback photo of Osbourne posing with the band and captioning it simply with a broken heart emoji.

Ozzy Osbourne Was Joined by Metallica at Final Show

The New York Post says Osbourne’s former band Black Sabbath came back together for a final performance in Birmingham, England on July 5, 2025. Metallica was among several rock legends who took the stage, according to the report, which says Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Blink 182’s Travis Barker were also among the featured performers.

Barker, who married Kourtney Kardashian in May 22, does not appear to have made any comments on social media about Osbourne’s death, but he did quietly acknowledge the star’s passing by posting two photos to his Instagram Stories. The first picture is a throwback shot of Osbourne performing, and the second is a snap of a shirtless Barker posing with the star and Slash of Guns N’Roses.