Jack Black Channels Ozzy in “Mr. Crowley” Tribute at Back to the Beginning

July 8, 2025 rocknews

Jack Black Performing Mr Crowley at the Back To The Beginning Concert Black Sabbath & Ozzy Osbourne

Jack Black didn’t need to be physically present at Back to the Beginning to steal the show — he sent a thunderbolt straight through Villa Park with a pre-recorded tribute that was part homage, part resurrection. His cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mr. Crowley,” played on the big screens during Black Sabbath’s final concert, was more than just a performance — it was a love letter to metal’s theatrical soul.

This video captures the full tribute, with Black fronting a band of prodigious young talent and channeling Ozzy’s eerie charisma with uncanny precision.

The Outfit: A Sweater That Screams “OZZY”

Black’s costume was a direct nod to Ozzy’s original 1981 live video for “Mr. Crowley.” He wore a blue sweater emblazoned with “OZZY” across the chest, complete with flared, tassel-draped sleeves — a sartorial throwback that fans instantly recognized. It wasn’t just cosplay; it was character possession. The outfit mirrored the one Ozzy wore during his Blizzard of Ozz era, evoking the mystique of Aleister Crowley and the gothic grandeur that defined early solo Ozzy.

The fringe, the lettering, the silhouette — it all screamed vintage metal iconography. And when Black lifted his guitarist mid-solo, it was a direct homage to the 1987 Tribute album cover, where Ozzy hoists Randy Rhoads into the air. That moment alone earned a thousand devil horns from the crowd.

The Band: Metal Royalty’s Next Gen

Backing Black was a lineup that reads like a metal family tree:

Roman Morello (guitar): Son of Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, Roman shredded through Rhoads’ iconic solo with a guitar once owned by the late legend himself.
Revel Ian (bass): Son of Anthrax’s Scott Ian and Pearl Aday, Revel laid down the low-end with swagger and precision.
Yoyoka Soma (drums): The Japanese prodigy brought thunder to the kit, her energy matching the intensity of the original track.
Hugo Weiss (keys): On synth duties, Weiss recreated Don Airey’s haunting organ intro with eerie perfection.

Together, they weren’t just a tribute band — they were a School of Rock supergroup, with Black as their headmaster of mayhem.

Ozzy’s farewell concert was a seismic moment in metal history. Held in Birmingham — Sabbath’s birthplace — Back to the Beginning featured a who’s who of rock royalty, from Metallica and Slayer to Steven Tyler and Ronnie Wood. But Black’s tribute stood out for its intimacy and reverence. It wasn’t about pyrotechnics or bravado; it was about legacy.

By recreating “Mr. Crowley,” Black reminded fans of the theatrical roots of metal — the drama, the darkness, the showmanship. And by doing it with the next generation of musicians, he passed the torch in real time.