FOREIGNER's MICK JONES Remembers OZZY OSBOURNE: 'He Always Had A Wicked Sense Of Humor And A Kind Heart'

FOREIGNER's founding guitarist Mick Jones has paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, who died on Tuesday (July 22) at the age of 76.

Earlier today (Wednesday, July 23),Jones released the following statement via FOREIGNER's publicist: "I am saddened to hear about Ozzy. We'd been through it all together since way back — good times, writing songs, having a laugh until dawn. He always had a wicked sense of humor and a kind heart. They live and sing amongst us and leave as we met them…a star.

"My deepest heartfelt condolences to Sharon and the family, who were his rock. It meant a lot, that night we both got into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame together — hard to believe, really. Just glad we got to share that."

Jones, renowned for his songwriting prowess, penned FOREIGNER's chart-topping hit "I Want To Know What Love Is", which remains among the top 25 most performed songs in the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP) catalog. Jones's songwriting talents are also evident in his collaborations, co-writing "Dreamer" with Osbourne and Marti Frederiksen for Ozzy's 2001 album "Down To Earth".

In a 2013 interview with Noisecreep, Jones stated about the experience of writing with Osbourne: "I've known Ozzy for a long time, before I was even in FOREIGNER, I toured with him when he was in BLACK SABBATH and I was in SPOOKY TOOTH. I can't truly describe how he really is, but he's a lunatic, and a wonderful, funny guy, who is truly happy to be alive. Ozzy's intense, but I love being around him. He's managed to reinvent himself so many times. He's such an important part of rock music. Above all, he's a natural. We both were heavily influenced by THE BEATLES, and 'Dreamer' definitely has that kind of feel to it. I was really happy with the way that turned out."

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Ozzy's death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

The legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman was diagnosed in 2003 with Parkin 2 — a very rare genetic form of Parkinson's. During a TV appearance in January 2020, the singer disclosed that he was 'stricken" with the disease which occurs when the nerve cells of the body degenerate and levels of dopamine are reduced. Dopamine is an essential chemical that is produced by these nerve cells which send signals to different parts of the brain to control movements of the body.

Ten years ago, Jones was also diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Despite the challenges, he continued to tour with FOREIGNER, finding joy in performing for fans around the world. Two years ago, the progression of the disease made it impossible for him to take the stage — a profound loss for someone whose life has been dedicated to music.

Ozzy's health issues, including suffering a nasty fall and dislodging metal rods placed in his spine following a quad-bike accident in 2003, as well as catching COVID-19 three years ago, forced him to cancel some of his previously announced tours.

Despite his health problems, Osbourne had performed a couple of times in the last three years, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August 2022 and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game in September 2022.

Photo credit: Karsten Staiger