Ozzy Osbourne isn’t famous for being a good singer; it’s a bit more complicated than that. Though he was never one to intentionally perform poorly, it would also be a stretch to say that his voice was sweet sounding. He could carry a tune and project incredibly well; there was emotion in his voice that no other singers were coming close to mimicking at the time, and that complemented the heavy rock sound Black Sabbath achieved.
That, combined with his on-stage theatrics, made him appealing to a lot of people. However, just because sweet vocal tones weren’t at the top of his list of priorities doesn’t mean he never appreciated a good voice.
As someone who has been on the road for the majority of his life, Osbourne has had the pleasure of performing with some true rock and roll greats. This could be because they opened for him, shared a stage at a festival, or collaborated on a project. Despite a number of fond memories, there is one singer in particular that sticks in Osbourne’s mind.
In 1972, Black Sabbath went on tour and had Humble Pie open for them. In the group’s ranks was ex-Small Faces singer and guitarist Steve Marriott. The band was going through some turbulent times during this tour, with Peter Frampton having already left the band, but thanks to hit albums such as Rock On and Smokin, their live show was still met with adulation from most audiences.
In an interview, Osbourne looked back fondly on the ’72 tour, specifically because of how good Humble Pie was as a support band. “I remember when we did a show together in the Akron Rubberbowl,” he said, “It was an old amphitheatre in the open air. It was unbelievable.”
Before Osbourne saw them perform, he saw what they were like backstage. Their attitude off stage compared to their quality likely contributed towards Osbourne’s shock when they eventually started performing. “Humble Pie were shovelling coke up their noses like it was going out of style. They must have done 20 grams before they went on stage. But Marriott was incredible. Somehow, he was better than ever. I remember looking for the fucking Revox. Marriott was so good I thought he was lip-synching.”
Osbourne isn’t the only person to pick Marriott as one of the best rock vocalists ever. Following his untimely death in 1991 after his house caught fire, many came forward and crowned him one of the best voices in rock, including Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.
“I’m a big Steve Marriott fan,” said Ozzy, reflecting on the time they shared a stage, “When he died, a part of me died, too.”
