Frankly, so many damn fine shows are flowing down to the river through the twisting, turning music-making arroyo called Albuquerque that I almost forgot about my old pal Ozzy Osbourne. It’s not like I’ve missed out on the dude’s legendary rocanrol antics over the years. Why I can still remember, whippersnappers, when I sat in the general admission section of Tingley Coliseum on Jan. 7, 1982 for the Diary of a Madman tour. Randy Rhodes rocked the lead guitar at that show and his playing blew my fucking mind—that plus Osbourne opened the show with a performance of “Mr. Crowley.” “Damn good,” as my high school friend, Ronald Grover, who also attended the gig, uttered mysteriously as the organ piped the opening notes of that satanic song.Two weeks later, Ozzy bit the head off a bat in Des Moines, Iowa; a couple of months later, Rhodes was killed in a tragic plane crash.But of course, Ozzy rocked on. His career really took off (sorry Mr. Rhodes) at the end of the millennium and in the aughts. He had a hit teevee show, sold some gold records as a solo act and reformed Black Sabbath to the delight of thousands of fans who had already sold their souls for rock and roll.Now it’s like almost 2019 and the latest incarnation of Lucifer is still on the road, greeting fans with a voice for the ages and an act that probably won’t stop becoming both beatific and brutal until Osbourne has been transported back to Hades to rule us all.I sent the dude a text with some questions and he replied with great but awesome brevity a few moments ago. And I followed up, too. Anywho, get ready Alibi readers, it’s Ozzy time!
Ozzy Osbourne: No More Tours 2 TourSunday, Sept. 30, 7:30pmIsleta Amphitheater • $126 to $294 • 13+Tickets at livenation.com
