Led Zeppelin Icons Pay Tribute to Ozzy

Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic frontman of Black Sabbath, passed away on July 22 at the age of 76, prompting heartfelt tributes from across the music world—including from Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and Jimmy Page.

Plant took to social media on the day of Osbourne’s death, writing:

“Farewell Ozzy … what a journey … sail on up there .. finally at peace .. you truly changed the planet of rock!”

Page followed up with a message the next day, expressing his respect:

“To dear Ozzy, Rest In Peace. My respect and love goes out to his family and friends.”

The two bands, both pillars of heavy rock, have a long-shared history, and the tributes marked the passing of one of the genre’s most influential voices.

The Myth of “Black Zeppelin”

The connection between Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath dates back to the early 1970s. In September 1973, during Sabbath’s recording sessions for Sabbath Bloody Sabbath at Morgan Studios in London, members of Zeppelin dropped by.

Guitarist Tony Iommi recalled the moment to Classic Rock Magazine:

“We were recording in Morgan Studios in London, and John [Bonham] came down to see us. He brought Planty and John Paul Jones – Jimmy Page was the only one who wasn’t there. They came in and John’s going, ‘Let’s play Supernaut!’, cos he loved that song. So he sat behind the kit and we started to play it. Of course, he didn’t play it right, but we just carried on and went into a jam.”

Rumors of recordings from that session—dubbed “Black Zeppelin” by fans—have circulated for years. But drummer Bill Ward shut them down in a 2011 interview with Back Page:

“There was a moment during that jam where we all kind of got this crazy notion and said, ‘Let’s put something down on tape’ – but nothing transpired and no tape rolled. Nothing was recorded: We were just pissing about.”

He added that Robert Plant and Geezer Butler may have collaborated briefly, but it was an informal and private endeavor.

Friendship, Fandom, and a Missed Collaboration

The relationship between the two bands goes deeper than professional admiration—it stems from shared roots in Birmingham’s music scene. Osbourne once told Classic Rock Magazine:

“We knew Robert Plant and John Bonham from back in Birmingham. We had checked Robert out with his early bands, and he’d told us he was joining The Yardbirds. Then one day we were in this club in London called Blazes, and the DJ started playing this song. So I go up and say, ‘What’s the name of the band that’s playing? That’s fucking Robert Plant singing, he’s a big shot in Birmingham.’ And she goes, ‘It’s The Yardbirds, but they’ve just changed their name to Led Zeppelin.’ I was, like, ‘Fuck me!’”

Even decades later, the friendship endured in humorous ways. In a 2016 interview, Osbourne’s son Jack revealed that Ozzy once accidentally texted Plant while trying to locate his cat.

Led Zeppelin’s ties to the Osbourne family extended beyond the stage. Their longtime tour manager, Richard Cole, appeared on an episode of The Osbournes in 2003.

Still, not all attempts at collaboration worked out. Osbourne had hoped to feature Jimmy Page on his 2022 solo album Patient Number 9, alongside guitar legends Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck.

“I don’t even know if he plays anymore,” Ozzy told Metal Hammer. “But I thought getting Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page meant having the greatest guitarists on the planet. But I never heard from him. Maybe he’d lost his phone or something!”