SHOCK CONFESSION: Judas Priest’s Rob Halford has finally revealed the raw truth about hearing of Ozzy Osbourne’s death — “I curled up in a ball and bawled my eyes out.”

The legendary frontman admitted he locked himself away for hours, replaying old tour memories and voice mails from Ozzy that “now feel like sacred relics.” 🎤⚡ Fans never imagined the Metal God would break down this hard — but his grief proves just how deep their brotherhood ran. 🖤

NEED TO KNOW

Judas Priest’s Rob Halford revealed his devastating reaction to Ozzy Osbourne’s death
In an interview with Talkin’ Rock with Meltdown, the metal icon said he “bawled my eyes out”
Halford was unable to perform at Black Sabbath’s Back to the Beginning concert last month due to a previously scheduled show

Rob Halford had a devastating reaction to Ozzy Osbourne’s death.

In an interview with Talkin’ Rock with Meltdown on Tuesday, Aug. 19, the Judas Priest frontman opened up about how gutted he was when he found out the rock legend had died at the age of 76 on July 22 from a heart attack.

Halford, 73, recalled feeling a wave of emotions after receiving a call the day Osbourne died.

Charley Gallay/Getty

Rob Halford and Ozzy Osbourne in Sherman Oaks, Calif. in April 2010
“I just put the phone down in my hotel room… and I just curled up in a ball and bawled my eyes out for hours,” he said.

Added Halford: “I just couldn’t believe it. I still can’t believe it now. I’m still grieving like so many people.”

The “Panic Attack” artist then revealed he had a concert the next day and was struggling to deal with “all this tragedy, all this love, because I’ve never seen such an outpouring of love.”

However, Halford paid tribute to Osbourne in his own way as Judas Priest has done in the past with lost loved ones.

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Rob Halford and Meltdown in August 2025
He performed the 2024 track “Giants in the Sky,” which details the loss of legends.

“Homage to the legends/ Till the bitter end/ Leaving such a legacy my friends/ Giants in the sky/ You won’t ever die,” Halford sings on the track.

He noted that with the song, he had honored Motorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister, Ronnie James Dio, Janis Joplin and Freddie Mercury. But on that night, Osbourne received a tribute.

“I said to everybody, this is so much to try and comprehend and so tough. But Ozzy would say ‘Let’s party. Let’s rock and roll. Let’s live it up, let’s enjoy.’ That was in his heart, his soul and his spirit. Whenever we did shows together he would always say to me, ‘Did you have a good time?,’” said Halford.

Rob Halford in November 2022 in Los Angeles; Ozzy Osbourne in December 2014 in New York City
He further noted how Osbourne was “the embodiment of kindness in that respect.”

Osbourne died on July 22. He was 76 years old. At the time, his family confirmed his death to PEOPLE.

“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’s privacy at this time.”

In a May interview with Metal Hammer, Halford explained his absence from Osbourne’s final performance with Black Sabbath at England’s Villa Park on July 5.

On the same day, his band was scheduled to join the Scorpions in Hanover, Germany for the 60th anniversary celebration of the German rock group.

“I had no idea it [the Sabbath show] was happening. It all got announced and was a big deal,” said Halford of the Scorpions concert. “Suddenly I get this phone call [Sharon Osbourne], ‘Robbie, I know you’ve got this gig with Scorpions, but could you consider coming over to do a thing with Ozzy and the guys. He’d love to see you.’”

Ultimately, he decided it was going to be too much to do both.

“Even with a private plane, there’s a word called ‘technical’, where something could go wrong, or the weather that time of year could cause problems… I was absolutely gutted [to miss the concert],” said Halford.