Jack Black welcomes Ozzy Osbourne on the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
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The controversy surrounding Tenacious D and their abruptly cancelled tour was swept aside on Saturday evening as Jack Black welcomed the artist responsible for inspiring them at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees Ceremony.
Black was on hand to introduce Ozzy Osbourne at the star-studded event in Cleveland, Ohio, where the rocker was honoured with his second induction.
The self-styled Prince of Darkness , 75, had previously been inducted in 2006 as a member of iconic heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath.
Sporting a heavy beard, Black, 55, appeared star-struck as he welcomed his musical hero after his own band were forced to cancel their tour following inappropriate comments made by guitarist Kyle Gass.
Gass was forced to issue an apology after joking about Donald Trump being the subject of a failed assassination attempt while performing with Tenacious D.
The controversy surrounding Tenacious D and their abruptly cancelled tour was swept aside on Saturday evening as Jack Black welcomed the artist responsible for inspiring them at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees Ceremony
Black was on hand to introduce Ozzy Osbourne at the star-studded event in Cleveland, Ohio , where the rocker was honoured with his second induction
Sporting a heavy beard, Black appeared star-struck as he welcomed his musical hero after his own band were forced to cancel their tour following inappropriate comments made by guitarist Kyle Gass
Republican presidential candidate Trump was left bloodied and shaken after a bullet grazed his ear during a Pennsylvania rally in July.
Black subsequently put ‘all future creative plans’ for the band on hold after being ‘blindsided’ by his band-mate’s remarks on stage in Sydney.
Introducing Ozzy in front of a star-studded audience on Saturday evening, Black admitted listening to his music as a child influenced his own musical direction with Tenacious D.
‘I remember the first time I heard of Ozzy,’ he recalled. ‘I was 13 years old, wandering around the record store. What should I get? Styx? Journey?
‘An older rock aficionado noticed my indecision, and he said, “Stop f**king around, kid. This is the album you need to get, Blizzard of Ozz.”
‘Man, was he right! Thank you, nameless rock aficionado, wherever you are, you changed my life. I remember looking at that album cover at Ozzy’s face before I even heard the music. I was transfixed.
‘He looked so cool, that red-white suit with the white fringe on the sleeves, that crazy look in his eyes, the skull, the cross. Holy shit. The whole thing just looked so badass.
‘It was the most metal thing I’d ever seen, and I didn’t even know what metal was. He was teaching me. I didn’t realize I was entering a whole new world of heavy metal music.’
Introducing Ozzy in front of a star-studded audience on Saturday evening, Black admitted listening to his music as a child influenced his own musical direction with Tenacious D
‘It was the most metal thing I’d ever seen, and I didn’t even know what metal was. He was teaching me. I didn’t realize I was entering a whole new world of heavy metal music,’ he said
Black roused the audience at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Saturday evening
Black had the honour of welcoming his musical hero to the stage at the event on Saturday
Ozzy, who is battling Parkinson’s disease, took to the stage on a throne adorned with bat wings
The actor and singer announced the Tenacious D tour had been axed and that all of their ‘creative plans’ are on hold after his bandmate Kyle Gass sparked controversy with a comment about Donald Trump
Gass’ ill-timed joke occurred when Black sang happy birthday to the guitarist, 64, and asked him to make a wish, to which he replied: ‘Don’t miss Trump next time.’
After the concert, Black star : ‘I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday.
‘I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form. After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold.
‘I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding.’
Gass also apologised, adding: ‘The line I improvised onstage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake.
‘I don’t condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone. What happened was a tragedy, and I’m incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement.
‘I profoundly apologize to those I’ve let down and truly regret any pain I’ve caused.’
The remark referred to the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday
Gass, who issued an apology, has since been dropped by his talent agency as a direct result
An insider has since claimed that Black swiftly pulled the plug on Tenacious D’s tour in a desperate bid to avoid being ousted from Hollywood and jeopardizing his upcoming movies.
‘Jack Black is still best friends with Kyle Gass,’ an insider told DailyMail.com exclusively. ‘He wasn’t expecting the jab that Kyle made about Trump and with his standing in Hollywood, he had to lock this controversy down instantly.
‘Though Jack was surprised by it and even surprised by the reaction, he made sure to get ahead of it.
‘Jack isn’t looking to be cancelled and by ending the tour and stepping away from it all and Kyle’s joke, he is hoping that people will quickly forget it.
‘There are so many huge movies Jack is attached to right now and to derail that would be career suicide. We will see Tenacious D again, but it could be years from now.’
In June, delivered a speech that went viral at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles for President Joe Biden
But the ensuing controversy surrounding Gass and his Donald Trump gag was forgotten during Saturday evening’s ceremony
Black currently has three movies in post-production, including the upcoming sci-fi action-comedy Borderlands, which is slated for release later this year.
He will also be sharing the screen with Keegan-Michael Key in new Christmas comedy, Dear Santa, which follows a young boy who accidentally sends his wish list to Satan.
Gass, who has been an outspoken critic of Trump, is said to be fearing for his friendship with Jack.
‘Kyle never wanted it to get to this point, obviously,’ the insider said. ‘He genuinely feels bad about the fallout.
‘He thought it was a throwaway line during a show, but it has taken a life of its own and he is accepting his current fate.
‘He just hopes that people will forgive him and that it won’t impact his friendship with Jack.’
