Ozzy Osbourne’s obsession with Peter Gabriel

In an episode of the podcast of Jack Osbourne, ‘Trying Not To Die’Ozzy’s other son, Louis, spoke of how his father was obsessed with Peter Gabriel.

These are the words of Louis Osbourne: “Dad was obsessed at the time with the musical output of Peter Gabriel’s ‘So’ album. Man, we listened to that album…Dad was crazy about it. For most of our lives we were always listening to Beatles, Beatles, Beatles, but that was one of the albums he kept playing.”

Louis’ story only confirms what he wrote Ozzy Osbourne in his autobiography ‘Last rites’ published a few weeks after his death, which occurred on 22 July 2025. This is what he wrote about “So”: “There’s not a bad song. “In Your Eyes.” “Red Rain.” “Mercy Street.” They sound as fresh today as they did then. For a full year after its release, I listened to it at full volume everywhere I went… I played it all day on the tour bus. I played it all night in whatever hotel we stayed in. I played it at full volume on my boombox if I was poolside. And at every other time, except when I was on stage, I was singing one of the songs at the top of my lungs.”

Ozzy explained with amusement that he had played and sung so much
Peter Gabriel
It was around this time that his bodyguard had to take time off to undergo a “Peter Gabriel detox.” Then the unthinkable happened, Ozzy met the object of his obsession. Completely by chance in a hotel where he was staying during a tour.

This is his memory entrusted to the pages of
‘Last rites’
: “I was staying at this hotel in Midtown Manhattan. That morning, my security person picked me up in my suite, got on the elevator with me, I pushed the button from the ground floor… then, the elevator stopped on the mezzanine. The doors opened. And this guy walked in. And it was fucking Peter Gabriel.”

The story continues: “I couldn’t believe my luck. I thought, ‘Oh, I have to tell you, Peter, I love your album, it really is an absolute masterpiece, just seeing you here in person makes me want to listen to it a thousand more times.’ He couldn’t have been nicer. Before it came out, I asked him how long it took to make it and he said, ‘Oh, a long time… at least three months.’ And I thought, ‘Fuck, if I tried to make that record that way, it would take me thirty years.’ Then we said goodbye and he left.”

“I know”
(
read the review here
), fifth studio album by
Peter Gabriel
was released on May 19, 1986, and was the former member’s best-selling solo album
Genesis
.