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Rod Stewart is facing criticism for sharing an AI-generated tribute to Ozzy Osbourne during his “One Last Time” tour.
Since Osbourne’s passing on July 22, Stewart, 80, has been honoring the late rock legend by performing his classic hit, “Forever Young,” at his shows. However, his most recent tribute – which included AI visuals of Osbourne alongside late musicians like Michael Jackson, Prince, Tina Turner, Bob Marley, Freddie Mercury, Kurt Cobain, George Michael, and Amy Winehouse – has sparked mixed reactions among fans.
Some individuals on social media criticized the tribute as “tacky” and “embarrassing,” with one person calling it “the most distasteful thing I’ve seen.”
Despite the backlash, some fans have defended Stewart’s tribute.
“If this is Rod’s way of paying respect to those who have passed away, that’s his way. Everyone shows respect differently, and that’s okay,” one fan commented on the tribute, which was featured during his Atlanta, Georgia show on Friday.
“I mean, I’m sure they didn’t mean to hurt anyone, but it’s just weird,” another fan wrote.
“I think it’s pretty cool,” another fan remarked.
According to Rolling Stone, during his Charlotte, N.C. show a few days prior, Stewart ended the song by saying, “Very sad. A lot of those people died because of drugs… I’m still here, though!”
Stewart also shared a personal tribute to Osbourne on Instagram on the day of Osbourne’s passing.
“Bye, bye Ozzy. I’ll see you up there— later rather than sooner,” he wrote.
A spokesperson for Stewart did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
One day after thousands of fans gathered in Birmingham, England to pay their respects to Osbourne, close friends and family of the rock star gathered for a private ceremony to say their final goodbyes.
On Thursday, Osbourne, who passed away at the age of 76, was laid to rest on the grounds of his mansion in Buckinghamshire, England.
According to The Daily Mail, Osbourne wanted to be buried near a lake on his 250-acre property.
A large floral arrangement on the mansion’s grounds spelled out the words, ‘OZZY F—ING OSBOURNE,’ by the Osbourne lake, as reported by the outlet.
Guests at the private ceremony included Osbourne’s longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde, along with Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson. Metallica frontman James Hetfield and Sir Elton John were also reportedly in attendance.
Last week, a procession of thousands honored Osbourne in Birmingham as the hearse and accompanying vehicles made their way to the Black Sabbath bridge and bench.
Sharon Osbourne and children Jack Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne stood united as they arrived at the celebration of life, hand in hand.
The hearse carrying Osbourne traveled down Broad Street to the Black Sabbath bench, which was unveiled on the Broad Street canal bridge in 2019.
In a column for The Times in 2011, Osbourne shared his wishes for his future funeral, expressing his desire for it to be a celebration rather than a somber event.
“So to answer your question, yes, a bit of planning is the right thing to do for the family you leave behind,” he said. “It’s worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives. So by any measure, most of us in this country — especially rock stars like me — are very lucky.”
“That’s why I don’t want my funeral to be sad. I want it to be a time to say ‘thanks.’”
