Ozzy Osbourne fans push for Download Festival stage naming in tribute to rock legend

Fans had already been calling for one of the stages at the annual Download Festival at Donington Park to be named after the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness and Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne before his passing on Tuesday (July 23).

That demand has now intensified into a frenzied outcry - one that festival organisers may struggle to dismiss.

Ozzy's farewell performance at Villa Park in Birmingham triggered the appeals for a permanent tribute at the festival, recognising his immense impact on the heavy metal scene and his eight appearances there between 1984 and 2016, both as a solo artist and with legendary band Black Sabbath.

He might have earned his reputation as rock's ultimate rebel, particularly during his early career, thanks to his foul mouth, substance abuse and the notorious incident involving biting off a bat's head.

However, as time passed he certainly softened and a series of mishaps and, latterly, Parkinson's disease began to take their toll, reports DerbyshireLive.

Even two decades ago, in 2005, when he graced Download for the fifth time on what became dubbed Ozzfest Day, there were hints that times were shifting when reports emerged that he would be "fuelled by nothing stronger than soft drinks and healthy food".

This was apparently all he had demanded, according to the organisers. However, it wasn't always this way.

When Ozzy first graced the stage at Donington Park in 1984, he had split from Black Sabbath five years prior and had since forged a new path for himself. Despite this, Black Sabbath did reunite, initially for Live Aid in 1985, then in California in 1992, and for the Ozzfest shows in 1997.

They came together once more in 2011 for a world tour and performed at Download in 2012 and 2016.

Ozzy's most recent appearance at Download was as a solo artist in 2018 - his first time headlining the event alone. Reviewer Rachel Gorman penned at the time: "Drawing from his back catalogue and that of Black Sabbath, he worked the crowd like the 50 year frontline veteran of rock that he is. Still stalking the stage like Ozzy of old, just at a pace more fitting of the 69 years now in his legs. Throughout the set his vocals were at the level that fans expect from someone who's been on the metal circuit for half a century.

"Drawing the festival to a close with another Black Sabbath song in Paranoid, the man that is Ozzy Osbourne left fans with memories to last a lifetime once again. If Donington is the spiritual home of British Rock n' Roll, Ozzy is its patron saint."

The Download Festival Facebook page has been flooded with messages from devoted fans, including proposals that a stage should be renamed and that Black Sabbath should perform with other acts performing Ozzy's tracks.

One person commented: "I was so grateful to see Sabbath at 2012 Download. Even more so now. It would be ridiculous not naming the stage in his honour next year.."

Another supporter remarked: "You know it makes sense he has at the very least a stage named after him, if it wasn't for him we wouldn't have the heavy metal that is so proudly displayed at your festival, he has inspired an entire generation - all the bands you have play at your festival have in some way been inspired by Black Sabbath and Ozzy."

Comparable proposals have also been put forward by some enthusiasts who are attending the nearby Bloodstock Festival at Catton Park in a couple of weeks.

The Bloodstock Festival organisers posted a tribute on social media stating: "Ozzy forever. We are absolutely devastated, condolences from the Bloodstock family to the Osbournes. RIP OZZY, Prince Of Darkness."

Numerous Bloodstock devotees would like to see the New Blood stage at their festival named after him because "he, with Sabbath, was responsible for so many young musicians picking up their instruments, so that would be fitting". Last year, the ashes of Ozzy's dear mate Lemmy, the former lead singer of Motorhead, were showcased in a bust at Bloodstock and will make a return each year.

In the meantime, the bust is housed at Rock City in Nottingham. Lemmy passed away in 2015, aged 70.