Ozzy Osbourne fans have hit out at a ‘ghastly’ gesture from Rod Stewart after witnessing an AI tribute to The Prince of Darkness that played on the big screen at Rod’s live shows

Rod Stewart has been slammed for the AI generated tribute(Image: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)

Fans of Ozzy Osbourne have been left outraged after Rod Stewart used AI to pay tribute to the late Black Sabbath star at his recent gigs.

Rocker Rod has been displaying an AI-generated video on the big screen at his shows while he performs Forever Young. In the clip, Ozzy is seen using a selfie stick to pose for a photo alongside a string of other dead musicians in heaven.

Those seen in the footage include Janis Joplin, Prince, Tina Turner, Bob Marley, 2Pac, Aaliyah, Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, George Michael, Kurt Cobain, XXXTentacion, Whitney Houston, and Amy Winehouse. Fans haven’t taken kindly to the seemingly misguided tribute and have taken to social media to slam the footage after one fan shared a clip of it playing out on the screen on Instagram.

One fan commented, “Omfg I was there too and was horrified by this. Couldn’t believe no one around me thought it was weird!!!” A second scathed, “How about we just dig their corpses up and make them walk around it’s just as ghastly.”

Ozzy is seen posing with a series of dead musicians in the video(Image: @iamslonesteel/TikTok)

A third said, “It’s just in poor taste, not necessarily disrespectful.” A fourth social media user quipped, “Glad they are able to get this footage of Ozzy with everyone, they all look happy.”

A fifth shared, “What a terrible morning to have eyes… the disrespect. This is not how you honor someones life.” The footage comes after Ozzy was laid to rest on Wednesday, July 30, as thousands of fans lined the famous Broad Street in Birmingham, U.K., as his coffin passed by in a ceremonial procession.

His hearse passed by with “Ozzy” spelled out in simple purple flowers, and a hand-tied white bouquet at the back of the vehicle. The simple tributes to Ozzy alluded to his humble roots in the city, as crowds chanted in support and a brass band was heard playing Black Sabbath’s hit Iron Man.

Attendees of the ceremonial procession were seen weeping as the convoy paused for Ozzy’s wife, Sharon Osbourne, and their children, Kelly, Jack, Aimee, and Louis, to lay flowers at a shrine where fans have been placing tributes to honor the Black Sabbath star. The family was seen crying as they took a moment to reflect and raised their hands in peace signs to the crowd to show their appreciation for the outpouring of love for Ozzy.

Sharon was seen being supported by Jack and Kelly as she placed her own floral tribute at the shrine. The former X Factor judge appeared feeble as she struggled with her emotions while taking in the support from the crowd.

Ozzy passed away on July 22, 2025, at the age of 76. His family penned a heartfelt statement on the day of his passing.

Ozzy’s account on X posted, “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. He was with his family and surrounded by love.

“We ask everyone to respect our family’s privacy at this time. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.”