Ozzy Osbourne spent decades as one of rock’s most controversial figures, but not every musician who crossed his path was a fan. From public insults to bitter rivalries, some of rock’s biggest names had serious issues with the Prince of Darkness—and Ozzy was never shy about naming names. One of the strangest encounters involved Frank Zappa. In 1974, Black Sabbath were touring America when Zappa, a genuine admirer of the band, invited them to his hotel suite in Chicago.
Ozzy, suspicious that the famously sarcastic musician was mocking them, prepared for a confrontation. Instead, he found Zappa was sincere. The evening went so well that Zappa invited Sabbath to his birthday celebration, and he later introduced the band at Madison Square Garden. Despite the warm relationship, there was a near-miss collaboration.
Zappa’s equipment was reportedly set up to join Sabbath on stage, but technical issues with Tony Iommi’s guitar led to the idea being scrapped. Years later, Ozzy misunderstood Zappa’s song “Moving to Montana,” thinking it was about cocaine dealing. Zappa explained it was about a dental floss tycoon, leaving Ozzy embarrassed. The two men’s relationship was marked more by misunderstanding than real conflict.
Gary Moore was another guitarist who kept his distance. After Ozzy left Black Sabbath in 1979, he wanted Moore for his new solo band. Moore repeatedly turned him down, preferring control over his own career. Ozzy reportedly took the rejection personally, and the two developed genuine animosity.
Moore recalled Ozzy insulting him, saying he had a face like a welder’s bench. The tension grew after Randy Rhoads’ death in 1982. Sharon Osbourne approached Moore about stepping in, but Moore refused bluntly, telling her to “off. ” Moore later noted that Rhoads had admired his playing, and similarities could be heard between Moore’s work on “Parisian Walkways” and Rhoads’ guitar part on “Mr.
Crowley. ” Moore’s influence reached Ozzy’s music even without him joining the band. Geezer Butler and Ozzy’s history stretched back to Black Sabbath’s formation in the late 1960s. Their friendship survived the band’s chaotic years, but substance abuse and creative frustrations strained the relationship.
Butler was fired from the band in 1979, and when he later worked with Ozzy again, he felt his contributions weren’t taken seriously. He sent Ozzy musical ideas, but Ozzy didn’t listen because Butler wasn’t the guitarist. Their personal lives also became a source of conflict. Tensions between Sharon Osbourne and Butler’s wife Gloria led to years without speaking.
In 2024, Ozzy publicly criticized Butler for not contacting him during a health crisis, and Butler responded publicly with his side of the story. Bruce Dickinson’s clash with Ozzy exploded during Ozzfest 2005. Dickinson publicly criticized reality television, which was widely seen as a dig at “The Osbournes,” and reportedly commented on Ozzy using an auto-cue on stage. Sharon Osbourne interpreted the remarks as disrespect toward the festival’s headliner.
The tension peaked at the August 20 show in San Bernardino, California. During Iron Maiden’s set, eggs and other objects were thrown at the band, and their sound was repeatedly cut off. After the performance, Sharon came on stage and publicly attacked Dickinson. Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood condemned the treatment as dangerous.
Ozzy later said he hadn’t understood what was happening and was annoyed the rest of Iron Maiden got caught in the middle. Dickinson maintained he never attacked Ozzy personally, describing the feud as “a storm in a teacup. ”
Bill Ward’s frustration centered on the business side of Black Sabbath. He believed the original members were treated unfairly financially and that decisions were made without him.
The biggest rupture came when Black Sabbath announced its final reunion in 2012 without Ward. Negotiations over his contract broke down, and Ozzy publicly said Ward wasn’t physically capable of handling the performances. Ward rejected that explanation, saying the issue was about respect and contractual treatment. When the band played its final show in Birmingham in 2017, Ward was not behind the drum kit.
Ronnie James Dio’s arrival in Black Sabbath created one of the most complicated chapters in Ozzy’s history. After Ozzy was fired in 1979, Dio joined and recorded “Heaven and Hell,” which revitalized the band. Ozzy’s solo career was also taking off, and the rivalry between the two camps became part of heavy metal culture. The tension intensified when Dio publicly criticized his exclusion from the 2006 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, which recognized the Ozzy-era lineup.
Later that year, Iommi and Dio reunited under the name Heaven and Hell because Ozzy controlled the Black Sabbath name. The band released “The Devil You Know” in 2009, proving the Dio era could still produce powerful music. Dio’s death in 2010 ended any possibility of reconciliation between the two singers.
