Music, Memory, and Losing the Legends

[-Soul-]

I listen to music constantly. Day in, day out. It’s more than background noise for me!! it’s therapy, it’s grounding, it’s the thread that’s held me together through every version of myself I’ve been over the years. When everything else gets chaotic, I throw on a track, crank it up, and suddenly the world makes a bit more sense.

Now, I’m not someone who gets too caught up in celebrity culture. I don’t care what people are wearing on red carpets or who’s dating who. But every now and then, someone passes, someone who meant something, and it hits differently.
Ozzy Osbourne passing? That hit hard.
Same with Chris Cornell. Same with Chester Bennington. Those weren’t just names. Those were voices that soundtracked chapters of my life.

I remember the exact moments I first heard them. Ozzy? That was back in high school. A mate handed me a mix tape, real old school, and I popped it into my yellow Sony Walkman. The second Ozzy’s voice hit my ears, it was like stepping into a different world. That gritty, unfiltered energy spoke to something primal in me. I was hooked. And from that day on, Sabbath and Ozzy’s solo stuff became staples of my rotation.

Then there was Chester Bennington. Hybrid Theory dropped, and I still remember it vividly, my friend’s birthday party, he was gifted the CD. The moment it went on, everything else in the room disappeared. The rage, the pain, the honesty in Chester’s voice, it was like he was singing the stuff none of us knew how to say. I left that party, went straight to the store the next day, and bought my own copy. Wore that thing out.

Chris Cornell... man. That was a little more personal. He was the reason I picked up a guitar. I wanted to play “Be Yourself,” and I played that damn song until my fingers ached. It was the first song I ever learned. Played it 24/7. We even did it at our school talent show, my first and only live performance. I was nervous as hell, but once we started playing, it felt right. That memory is burned into my brain, and Chris's voice is the anchor to it.

So yeah… when we lose artists like these, it’s more than just a headline.
It’s like losing a part of your own timeline.
They were there for the breakups, the parties, the long nights, the fights, the healing. They were mentors we never met. Therapists we didn’t have to book. Brothers in arms screaming through the speakers.

And every time one of them passes, it feels like another brick from the foundation of my youth crumbles. Another light goes out in the soundtrack of my life.

I don’t even know what the point of this post is, really. Maybe I’m just processing. Maybe I just wanted to throw something out into the void and see if anyone else feels the same way.

All I know is… music is my life.
And when we lose these legends, it’s not just the end of their journey,  it’s a reminder of how far we’ve come, and who we were when we first heard them.

So to everyone who ever lost themselves in a riff, a lyric, a scream, a melody,

Keep playing. Keep listening. Keep remembering. Rock on, legends. And rock on, everyone still here holding the torch. 🔥🎸

[MissAnna]

3 minutes ago, -Soul- said:

I listen to music constantly. Day in, day out. It’s more than background noise for me!! it’s therapy, it’s grounding, it’s the thread that’s held me together through every version of myself I’ve been over the years. When everything else gets chaotic, I throw on a track, crank it up, and suddenly the world makes a bit more sense.

Now, I’m not someone who gets too caught up in celebrity culture. I don’t care what people are wearing on red carpets or who’s dating who. But every now and then, someone passes, someone who meant something, and it hits differently.
Ozzy Osbourne passing? That hit hard.
Same with Chris Cornell. Same with Chester Bennington. Those weren’t just names. Those were voices that soundtracked chapters of my life.

I remember the exact moments I first heard them. Ozzy? That was back in high school. A mate handed me a mix tape, real old school, and I popped it into my yellow Sony Walkman. The second Ozzy’s voice hit my ears, it was like stepping into a different world. That gritty, unfiltered energy spoke to something primal in me. I was hooked. And from that day on, Sabbath and Ozzy’s solo stuff became staples of my rotation.

Then there was Chester Bennington. Hybrid Theory dropped, and I still remember it vividly, my friend’s birthday party, he was gifted the CD. The moment it went on, everything else in the room disappeared. The rage, the pain, the honesty in Chester’s voice, it was like he was singing the stuff none of us knew how to say. I left that party, went straight to the store the next day, and bought my own copy. Wore that thing out.

Chris Cornell... man. That was a little more personal. He was the reason I picked up a guitar. I wanted to play “Be Yourself,” and I played that damn song until my fingers ached. It was the first song I ever learned. Played it 24/7. We even did it at our school talent show, my first and only live performance. I was nervous as hell, but once we started playing, it felt right. That memory is burned into my brain, and Chris's voice is the anchor to it.

So yeah… when we lose artists like these, it’s more than just a headline.
It’s like losing a part of your own timeline.
They were there for the breakups, the parties, the long nights, the fights, the healing. They were mentors we never met. Therapists we didn’t have to book. Brothers in arms screaming through the speakers.

And every time one of them passes, it feels like another brick from the foundation of my youth crumbles. Another light goes out in the soundtrack of my life.

I don’t even know what the point of this post is, really. Maybe I’m just processing. Maybe I just wanted to throw something out into the void and see if anyone else feels the same way.

All I know is… music is my life.
And when we lose these legends, it’s not just the end of their journey,  it’s a reminder of how far we’ve come, and who we were when we first heard them.

So to everyone who ever lost themselves in a riff, a lyric, a scream, a melody,

Keep playing. Keep listening. Keep remembering. Rock on, legends. And rock on, everyone still here holding the torch. 🔥🎸

My heart breaks for you, I know how much music means to you. 

When the artist from our generation start to pass it slowly chips a piece of our hearts along with them as they leave us.

His legacy will never be forgotten, his music will never die out. His lyrics, his music will forever live in you and everyone around the world. 

He is now playing for the Angels in the sky 

[LeftyGuitar]

I just saw that Ozzy Osbourne passed away. Another rock/metal legend gone, but never forgotten. 

[the_trucking_pawpaw]

43 minutes ago, -Soul- said:

I listen to music constantly. Day in, day out. It’s more than background noise for me!! it’s therapy, it’s grounding, it’s the thread that’s held me together through every version of myself I’ve been over the years. When everything else gets chaotic, I throw on a track, crank it up, and suddenly the world makes a bit more sense.

Now, I’m not someone who gets too caught up in celebrity culture. I don’t care what people are wearing on red carpets or who’s dating who. But every now and then, someone passes, someone who meant something, and it hits differently.
Ozzy Osbourne passing? That hit hard.
Same with Chris Cornell. Same with Chester Bennington. Those weren’t just names. Those were voices that soundtracked chapters of my life.

I remember the exact moments I first heard them. Ozzy? That was back in high school. A mate handed me a mix tape, real old school, and I popped it into my yellow Sony Walkman. The second Ozzy’s voice hit my ears, it was like stepping into a different world. That gritty, unfiltered energy spoke to something primal in me. I was hooked. And from that day on, Sabbath and Ozzy’s solo stuff became staples of my rotation.

Then there was Chester Bennington. Hybrid Theory dropped, and I still remember it vividly, my friend’s birthday party, he was gifted the CD. The moment it went on, everything else in the room disappeared. The rage, the pain, the honesty in Chester’s voice, it was like he was singing the stuff none of us knew how to say. I left that party, went straight to the store the next day, and bought my own copy. Wore that thing out.

Chris Cornell... man. That was a little more personal. He was the reason I picked up a guitar. I wanted to play “Be Yourself,” and I played that damn song until my fingers ached. It was the first song I ever learned. Played it 24/7. We even did it at our school talent show, my first and only live performance. I was nervous as hell, but once we started playing, it felt right. That memory is burned into my brain, and Chris's voice is the anchor to it.

So yeah… when we lose artists like these, it’s more than just a headline.
It’s like losing a part of your own timeline.
They were there for the breakups, the parties, the long nights, the fights, the healing. They were mentors we never met. Therapists we didn’t have to book. Brothers in arms screaming through the speakers.

And every time one of them passes, it feels like another brick from the foundation of my youth crumbles. Another light goes out in the soundtrack of my life.

I don’t even know what the point of this post is, really. Maybe I’m just processing. Maybe I just wanted to throw something out into the void and see if anyone else feels the same way.

All I know is… music is my life.
And when we lose these legends, it’s not just the end of their journey,  it’s a reminder of how far we’ve come, and who we were when we first heard them.

So to everyone who ever lost themselves in a riff, a lyric, a scream, a melody,

Keep playing. Keep listening. Keep remembering. Rock on, legends. And rock on, everyone still here holding the torch. 🔥🎸

Heard it on Sirius as I was driving through Lexington KY. Still had 50 mi to my stop for the day. Barely held it together. I'm stopped now and I can let it out!

 

Ozzy and Black Sabbath are a major part of the heavy metal glue that got me through high school and all the hard roads since. My heart is broken again as we lose another rock legend! One of the best! He loved everyone. I can barely see to type this on my phone lol. Not gonna lie, I'm bawling right now!

 

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne you are already soooooo missed!!!!

[the_trucking_pawpaw]

I said hey goodbye to romance yeah

Goodbye to friends and to you

Goodbye to all the past

I guess we'll meet, we'll meet in the end

 

Ozzy Osbourne - Goodbye To Romance 

[WolfMoon2024]

Heavy metal has been my life ever since I was a young teenager and the news of Ozzy passing has broke me this evening. I've had dark periods in my life that I got through thanks to musicians like Ozzy providing that escapism through music, and metal encapsulates that darkness more perfectly than any other genre. I can't comprehend a world where music does not exist; it's been the only anti-depressant that has worked for me, that has given me the comfort and resilience to keep going. Ozzy and Black Sabbath's influence on my life trajectory and on culture as a whole cannot be overstated, and what a life he led - 76 years old is genuinely a feat of accomplishment considering the life he led. An absolute legend in every sense of the word.

[shadowrider]

 Couldn't agree more. A life without music wouldn't be lived, it would just be survived. 

 I grew up on every genre of music and each has a place in my heart and a time when I need to hear/feel it.

 Ozzy saw me through some strange times coming up. A best friend bought me The Ultimate Sin cassette. I played it so much I had to take it back to the store and exchange it for a new one because it wouldn't play any more. Sidenote, I was at the New Orleans show when Zakk dumped a bucket of water on Riki Rachtman, great show.

 Certain voices are instantly recognizable just like certain instruments. Ozzy, Perry, Coverdale, Snider, Hank, Sovine, Dokken, Dio, S.R.V., Dolly, are all voices that instantly bring a certain feeling and memories with them. Just like the feeling I get when I hear the unmistakable sound of the guitars of Rhodes, Lang, Ojeda, S.R.V., Eddie, and lets not forget the drums of Peart or the fiddle of Mr. Daniels. These aren't just sounds, they are vehicles that transport a music lover to another place and time. If we need to forget and smile, music can do that. If we need to remember and cry, music can do that too. 

The music and musicians bring on memories and feelings that are hard to explain to those that don't live through music. When you need to feel it, turn it up.

[the_trucking_pawpaw]

7 hours ago, shadowrider said:

 Couldn't agree more. A life without music wouldn't be lived, it would just be survived. 

 I grew up on every genre of music and each has a place in my heart and a time when I need to hear/feel it.

 Ozzy saw me through some strange times coming up. A best friend bought me The Ultimate Sin cassette. I played it so much I had to take it back to the store and exchange it for a new one because it wouldn't play any more. Sidenote, I was at the New Orleans show when Zakk dumped a bucket of water on Riki Rachtman, great show.

 Certain voices are instantly recognizable just like certain instruments. Ozzy, Perry, Coverdale, Snider, Hank, Sovine, Dokken, Dio, S.R.V., Dolly, are all voices that instantly bring a certain feeling and memories with them. Just like the feeling I get when I hear the unmistakable sound of the guitars of Rhodes, Lang, Ojeda, S.R.V., Eddie, and lets not forget the drums of Peart or the fiddle of Mr. Daniels. These aren't just sounds, they are vehicles that transport a music lover to another place and time. If we need to forget and smile, music can do that. If we need to remember and cry, music can do that too. 

The music and musicians bring on memories and feelings that are hard to explain to those that don't live through music. When you need to feel it, turn it up.

Before they play "God's Of Rock n Roll" on Ozzy's Boneyard they usually play a sound bite of Billy Morrison talking about how they wanted to completely re-record it with a 60-piece orchestra and a high school choir. He goes on to explain how we all have a hole within ourselves where something is missing and music is probably the best thing to fill that hole.