Read Jack Black’s Rock Hall Induction Speech for Ozzy Osbourne

The conductor of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s crazy move on Saturday night was actor Jack Black, who had the honor of inducting Ozzy Osbourne into the institution with a speech that was predictably awesome and hilarious.

In addition to celebrating the music of Osbourne’s first band, Black Sabbath, Black has long championed Osbourne’s solo career, recording “Crazy Train” as a member of Tenacious D and “Mr. Crowley” with Tom Morello’s son Roman. In fact, he’s been a fan of Osbourne for most of his life. In 2010, Black George Lopez said he fell in love with heavy metal when a teenager in a record store talked him out of buying a Journey record and getting Osbourne’s Blizzard of Ozz album instead. “It just changed my whole brain,” Black said. “The passion and the darkness, the evil of music.”

Osbourne said Rolling Stone Earlier this month, he said he was excited to hear Black’s speech because he has great respect for the actor. “Jack invited my family Rock school Film premiered in 2002,” he said. “I’ve always been a big fan of his. Jack is one of the few great actors who is also a real rock ‘n’ roller and doesn’t play the role.”

Here’s what Black had to say about Osbourne.

Plumber, car horn tuner, slaughterhouse worker, the greatest frontman in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. Ozzy Osbourne.

I remember the first time I heard about Ozzy. I was 13 years old and strolling through the record store. What should I get? Sticks? Trip? An older rock lover noticed my indecision and said, “Stop fooling around, boy. This is the album you need, The Blizzard of Ozz.” Man, was he right! Thank you, nameless rock lover, wherever you are, you have changed my life. I remember seeing the album cover on Ozzy’s face before I even heard the music. I was transfixed. He looked so cool, that red and white suit with the white fringes on the sleeves, that crazy look in his eyes, the skull, the cross – holy shit. The whole thing just looked so bad. It was the most metallic thing I had ever seen and I didn’t even know what metal was. He taught me. Little did I know that I was entering a whole new world of heavy metal music.

I took the record home and when the needle hit, the vinyl sky opened up above me, I don’t know. Then track two, “Crazy Train.” There was an explosion of colors in my brain. “Suicide Solution.” “Mr. Crowley,” “Revelation” and even “Goodbye to Romance.” You best believe Ozzy could go one better. He could do anything. Blizzard of Oz was the best thing I had ever heard. A heavy metal masterpiece. That damn sound was pure power. Randy fucks Rhodes, yes, and gives Eddie Van Halen a run for his money. And Ozzy, that voice, it could cut through glass. Magic, joy, beauty.

Then I rewatched Ozzy’s previous albums, Black Sabbath, and thought: Unholy shit. This motherfucker, along with Geezer Butler, Bill Ward and the immortal Tony Iommi, invented heavy metal, the darkest, heaviest shit the world had ever heard. And despite all that power, when Ozzy’s voice cut through the sonic furnace like an air raid siren, “Attention” sent goosebumps up the back of my neck. Clear and clear as a morning bell, and that smile, he looked so happy, he looked crazy. So much charisma, the Jack Nicholson of rock.

He invented a genre and ensured a comeback of the greatest second act in rock history. What then? How about 1991’s No More Tears, on which guitar god Zakk Wylde demonstrated insane, sustained power and was certified five times platinum? You heard me right! Five-bed room Then he decided to fully touch his tender side. So of course he called Lemmy Kilmister from Motörhead and together with Zakk they wrote: “Mama, I’m coming home.” And so Ozzy took a little dip into the Top 40 just to prove he could do it. What then? The Osbornes? Yes, he teamed up with his family to create another genre, reality TV, perhaps the most evil thing he’s ever done. But there’s no denying it, his entire family was damn hilarious and extremely entertaining. Another damn big part. What then? Oh, maybe just a little thing called Ozzfest, easily the most successful heavy metal music festival of all time. Ozzy, stop creating incredibly successful, genre-defining, world-changing hits. It’s too much success for a lifetime.

And you know, his evil alliance with the Dark Lord Satan has caused quite a stir. But in reality, Ozzy is a loving father, husband and friend who remains loyal to his family and friends to the ends of the earth and back.

And now here I am, just another nameless rock lover. And I’m talking to you 13-year-olds watching the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Every five, put your phones away unless you’re watching, then hold them closer to your face. Oh man, the rock fan is about to reveal some truth. Sure, you could stream Post Malone and Taylor Swift and get the warm hugs you need for your broken hearts, or you could stay up all night and be blown away by Ozzy’s entire catalog for the first time.

Holy shit, you kids are so damn lucky.