With those simple words, Rod Stewart said goodbye to his lifelong friend. What followed was a heartbreaking tribute that brought fans to tears around the world. His final message to Ozzy will stay with you forever… Don’t miss what he said!

The rockstar paid tribute to an old friend.

Sir Rod Stewart paid an emotional tribute to fellow rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away on Tuesday, aged 76.

The ‘Maggie May’ singer took to social media to express his thoughts at this sad time.

Rod’s tribute

The 80-year-old singer-songwriter posted the message on his Instagram, with white writing on a black background. While the look was simple, the message touched the hearts of his fans.

“Bye, bye Ozzy. Sleep well, my friend. I’ll see you up there – later rather than sooner,” the 80-year-old musician wrote.

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Rod and Ozzy sang together during “Party at the Palace” for the late Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations

Rod’s fans flocked to the comments to admire the message and add their own tributes.

“Rest in peace, Ozzy. And Rod, this is the fate of all of us, but please, find him later, much later,” one fan wrote, while another penned, “Keep on rocking Sir Rod, RIP Prince of Darkness.”

The two musicians had great respect for each other, appearing on stage together at the late Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee ‘Party at the Palace’ celebration.

A brilliant life and career

Ozzy was born in 1948 in Birmingham and first rose to fame in the late 1960s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Although he was fired from the band in 1979, the band’s original line-up reunited in 1997.

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Ozzy was known to his fans as the ‘Prince of Darkness’

Ozzy also had a fantastic solo career with hits like ‘Crazy Train’ and ‘Mr. Crowley’, cementing his status as a metal legend. He was known for his wild persona and theatrical stage presence, and became a pop culture icon through the reality TV show “The Osbournes”, which offered a look inside his family life.

Ozzy Osbourne: 5 surprising facts

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1. Meeting Sharon

Ozzy first met Sharon in 1970 when she was 18 years old and her father was managing his band, Black Sabbath. However, their romantic relationship didn’t start until years later when Sharon took over managing Ozzy’s career.

2. His first tattoo

His famous ‘OZZY’ tattoo on the knuckle of his left hand was done by himself.  

3. Bat incident 

In 1982, Ozzy bit the head off a bat while onstage. He later claimed he thought the animal was a rubber toy thrown to him by the crowd and never intended to hurt it.

4. Driver’s license

Ozzy got his driver’s license later in life when he was 60 years old. He had to take the test around 19 times to actually pass.

5. Taunting nickname

His nickname ”Ozzy” was actually a taunt by his school friends growing up before it became his stage name.

Ozzy’s passing

Ozzy passed away on Tuesday following a battle with Parkinson’s disease, which lasted several years. According to a statement from his family, he died at home with his wife and children around him.

“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” the statement read. “He was with his family and surrounded by love.

“We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

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Ozzy’s wife Sharon announced the passing of her “beloved Ozzy” in a joint statement with their children

Ozzy’s death came just weeks after his wildly successful farewell show with Black Sabbath in Birmingham, with Ozzy joining bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for a performance in front of 42,000 fans at Villa Park.

Sir Rod Stewart was joined by many other stars in paying tribute to the ‘Prince of Darkness’, including Sir Elton John, Jason Momoa, and Sir David Beckham.