The rock scene was in shambles on Tuesday afternoon when word hit that Ozzy Osbourne had passed away at the age of 76. Known as the “godfather of heavy metal,” the former Black Sabbath lead pioneered a new subgenre of rock ‘n’ roll and shared his throaty, growling voice with millions of fans around the globe.
So, did Osbourne ever perform in Mississippi?
The answer is yes – on multiple occasions. According to setlist.fm, Osbourne took the stage four times at Mississippi Coast Coliseum and twice at the Mississippi Coliseum. On March 4, 1983, he performed in Biloxi. A year later, as part of his “Bark at the Moon” tour, Osbourne played in Jackson on June 3, 1984, and in Biloxi on June 6, 1984. His 1986 “The Ultimate Sin” tour featured a stop in Biloxi on Oct. 3. His “Retirement Sucks!” tour stopped in Jackson on May 8, 1996, and in Biloxi on May 11, 1996.
His 1996 set list in Jackson included stronghold songs like “Paranoid,” “Iron Man,” “War Pigs,” “Crazy Train,” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home.”
Perez Hodge, a former radio personality at WZZQ, Z106, and SuperTalk Mississippi Media, was in attendance at Osbourne’s final concert in Jackson and remembers it as hot, wet, loud, and “a good show.”
“I remember being backstage. When the pyrotechnics went off, I just remember it being loud for everyone else but not for me because I learned years ago that ear buds are a man’s best friend. Particularly, if you go to a metal show, you’ve got to be nuts not to have them,” Hodge said.
“It was a good show, but seeing it from backstage is different, because he kept throwing water as I recall. With it being [May], imagine the coliseum being packed with about 10,000 people in it and as you well know, the air conditioning in that building at that point was probably not the best it’s ever been. I do recall it being a good show, though.”
Hodge recalls tickets being a lot cheaper than they are today, although his was free through the radio gig. Osbourne, himself, made a post on social media with a picture of a stub from his 1984 gig in Jackson – a ticket that was just $11.50.
Osbourne’s family announced he passed away just weeks after a farewell show in his hometown of Birmingham, England. The hard rocker, who had been battling Parkinson’s disease since 2020, took the stage around 1,400 times as a solo artist and with Black Sabbath from 1967 until 2025.
“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,” a statement from the family said.
Osbourne was considered one of the wilder personalities in rock, which says a lot. From biting a bat’s head off to snorting fire ants at a poolside get-together with Mötley Crüe, he had a drug and alcohol-fused persona that paired with a haunting, raspy voice made for one of the better concerts in rock ‘n’ roll.
He was twice inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, once in 2006 with Black Sabbath and again in 2024 as a solo artist.
Later in his career, the softer side of Osbourne was given to fans through a reality TV show called “The Osbournes.” During its run from 2002 until 2005 on MTV, he revealed himself as a sweet father who had all the love in the world for his children. He then achieved full sobriety from 2013 onwards.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
