Beck Plays 1st ‘Ozzy’ Since 1997 To Honor Osbourne At Ravinia

Beck brought his orchestra tour to the Chicago suburbs on Wednesday night for a concert at Ravinia featuring the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Beck paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne during the orchestra-less encore, performing his rarity “Ozzy” in honor of the legendary Black Sabbath frontman, who died Tuesday at age 76.

Beck’s experimental second album, 1994’s Stereopathetic Soulmanure, included the brief original song entitled “Ozzy.” The album track was a live recording of Beck performing the obscure song, which was inspired by an Ozzy Osbourne keychain. As he explained to the Ravinia audience last evening, Beck tried to emulate Osbourne’s “delay effect that he had on his voice.”

According to the whiskeyclone.net database, Beck came up with “Ozzy” in the early-1990s, with the first known public performance occurring in January 1994. The deep cut was played by Beck only a few more times, but it had not been performed live (before Wednesday’s concert) since an appearance in February 1997.

Watch clips of Beck’s “Ozzy” tribute to Ozzy Osbourne below: