“Check out Jack Black’s rendition of Ozzy Osbourne’s iconic track ‘Mr. Crowley’ in new cover video.”
By Website Content Manager
“To celebrate Ozzy Osbourne’s monumental Back to the Beginning farewell concert, Jack Black has passionately recreated the ‘Mr. Crowley’ video, joined by special guests.”
Although Jack Black wasn’t present at this weekend’s massive Back to the Beginning celebration in Birmingham, his presence was still felt when his cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mr. Crowley” was broadcast on large screens to a full stadium.
Black has now officially released the meticulously recreated video online. Joining him in the performance are Roman Morello (son of Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello) and Revel Ian (son of Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian). Rounding out the group are musicians Yoyoka Soma and Hugo Weiss. You can watch the full video below.
In the clip, Jack Black sports a look reminiscent of Ozzy’s outfit in the 1981 live performance of “Mr. Crowley.” His flared purple shirt even features “Ozzy” printed across the front, paying homage to the Prince of Darkness.
“Mr. Crowley” originally appeared on Osbourne’s 1980 debut solo album, Blizzard of Ozz. A live version of the track was released as a single in the UK, while the studio version followed in North America in 1981. The song features the legendary Randy Rhoads on guitar, whose life was tragically cut short in a 1982 plane crash.
The Back to the Beginning event took place on Saturday (July 5) at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Osbourne’s and Black Sabbath’s hometown. The star-packed lineup included brief performances by Ozzy and Sabbath themselves, along with sets from Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Gojira, Anthrax, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Mastodon, and many more.
An all-star supergroup—featuring Billy Corgan, Tom Morello, David Ellefson, Fred Durst, and others—also hit the stage. Morello served as the night’s musical director, while actor Jason Momoa hosted the event.