“Goodbye, Madman – Rest Well, My Friend”

Paul McCartney mourns the passing of Ozzy Osbourne, his dear friend and kindred spirit in music.

LONDON – July 23, 2025.

The world has lost a titan. And I have lost a friend.

That was the first line of Paul McCartney’s heartfelt statement released just hours after the news broke that legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne had passed away peacefully in his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family.

Ozzy Osbourne, known as the Prince of Darkness and the voice of Black Sabbath, was 76. But to Paul McCartney, he was far more than a musical icon — he was a brother in soul, a companion in the chaos of the industry, and, in Paul’s words, “a man whose heart was far softer than his scream.”

In a private message later shared publicly with the family’s consent, Paul wrote:

“I don’t have the words right now. I just know that the world sounds quieter today. It’s as if one guitar, somewhere, stopped playing. Ozzy was my friend — not in the way tabloids describe celebrity friendships, but truly — as two old dogs who’d seen too much, played too long, and still found joy in the madness of it all.”

Their friendship had surprised many. One from the polished pop world of The Beatles, the other forged in the dark, molten fires of heavy metal. But what the public rarely saw was the deep admiration and gentle affection between the two artists. They first met at a charity event in London in 1989. According to Paul, they bonded over tea and a shared love for early blues records.

“We sat in the corner, both trying to avoid the cameras,” Paul recalled in a 2015 interview. “He asked if I liked Howlin’ Wolf. I said, ‘Mate, I used to play his records till the grooves wore thin.’ He smiled that crazy Ozzy smile and said, ‘Then we’ll get along just fine.’ And we did.”

From there, an unlikely brotherhood blossomed. They would talk over the phone late at night, sometimes about music, sometimes about family, often just to share silence — a comfort known only to those who have survived the whirlwind of fame and the passage of time.

Paul was there during some of Ozzy’s darkest years, quietly checking in during hospital visits and rehab stints. And Ozzy, in turn, would show up unannounced at McCartney’s countryside home with a bottle of red wine and that raspy laugh that filled a room.

In the statement today, Paul remembered one of those late visits vividly:“He showed up during a storm, soaking wet, wearing a ridiculous raincoat and wellies. Linda had just made soup. He sat down, dripping all over the floor, and said, ‘You know, Paulie, I still get scared before I sing.’ I looked at him and said, ‘That’s why you’re great, mate. That fear is love in disguise.’ He cried a bit. We all did.”

Paul also paid tribute to Ozzy’s family — especially his wife Sharon, whom he called “a lighthouse through the fog.”“Sharon stood by him through more storms than most marriages could endure. Her strength gave him space to be vulnerable, to fall and rise again. She is a warrior of love. My heart is with her and their beautiful children.”

In recent years, as Ozzy’s health declined, Paul would often visit or video call him. Sometimes they would just listen to old tracks together. Ozzy had a special fondness for The Beatles’ “In My Life,” which Paul once played for him on acoustic guitar during a visit in 2023.

“He closed his eyes, and I swear I saw the 21-year-old Ozzy again — not the legend, not the survivor, just the kid from Birmingham who believed in magic and music.”

Paul’s final words in the tribute were quiet, honest, and full of grief:

“Ozzy, I never told you enough — but you mattered, to music, to people, and to me. You taught us to scream when life got heavy and to laugh even louder.

You lived like thunder and left like the breeze — gentle, surrounded by love.

I’ll miss the chaos. I’ll miss your voice calling me ‘Sir Paulie.’ I’ll miss the late-night messages, your silly jokes, your monstrous courage.

Sleep now, Madman. You’ve earned your rest.

And somewhere up there, I know you’re already forming a band.”

As the world pours out tributes to Ozzy Osbourne, it is this side — the quiet friendships, the humanity behind the heavy riffs — that gives the loss its deepest ache.

Paul McCartney’s words are not just farewell — they are a reminder that behind every legend is a friend, a husband, a father… a man who dared to be loud in a world too often silent.