Additional Coverage:
- Yungblud slams ‘bitter and jealous’ rock stars who criticized his Ozzy Osbourne tribute (themirror.com)
Yungblud and Jack Osbourne Fire Back at Critics Over Ozzy Tribute
Artist Yungblud, real name Dominic Harrison, has sharply responded to “bitter and jealous” rock stars who criticized his recent tribute to Ozzy Osbourne at the MTV Video Music Awards. The 28-year-old performer, joined by Ozzy’s son Jack Osbourne, addressed the backlash on Jack’s “Trying Not To Die” podcast, defending the controversial performance.
Last month’s VMAs saw Yungblud team up with Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry to honor the late Black Sabbath icon, who passed away in July at 76. However, the performance quickly ignited a debate within the rock community.
Among the most vocal critics were The Darkness members. Guitarist Dan Hawkins reportedly called the tribute “another nail in the coffin of rock ‘n roll,” while his brother Justin, on his YouTube channel, questioned Yungblud’s position as a “natural heir to the Ozzy legacy,” suggesting he had “nothing to do with the really important stuff.”
Yungblud wasted no time in his rebuttal. “All I was trying to do was my best for your old man, because he gave me such a gift,” he told Jack Osbourne on the podcast. He characterized the critics as “bitter and jealous” for “intellectualizing a sense of spirit and six musicians on a stage going ‘f****** love you man’.”
He further accused his detractors of hypocrisy, stating, “They are doing the things they say we are doing – they’re trying to insert themselves into a conversation to obtain some kind of relevancy, on the back of us honouring one of the greatest rock stars that ever lived – and then they talk about authenticity and stuff like that.”
Jack Osbourne echoed Yungblud’s sentiments with equal fervor. “These people didn’t f—— know” the depth of his involvement in his father’s life, he asserted.
“They don’t know the f—— story of it, the things we know, and I was kind of like, ‘F— you dude.’ Dom meant something to my dad, my dad meant something to Dom.
I texted you the night of the gig and I said, ‘F—— crush it.'”
Yungblud concluded by distinguishing “real rock stars” from his critics, highlighting that true legends like Ozzy Osbourne, James Hetfield of Metallica, or Kerry King wouldn’t “talk down on you.” He emphasized, “People forget that rock is dictated by the people.
The people are what make something rock and roll. And as far as I’m concerned, the people f—— loved it, and we got to put your dad’s face in front of another 100 million people that night and keep that legacy alive.”