The Night My Mic Died—For Ozzy Osbourne

OZZY OSBOURNE FOREVER

Ozzy Osbourne

“What does Ozzy Osbourne mean to you?”

I screamed into the phone. But there was no reply.

So I hung up. Blocked the caller. And switched off my phone.

Dramatic? Yes. Justified? I really think so.

You want to know why? Here’s the story.

It was 2007. I was the lead singer of Vayu. We were headlining the annual festival at Ruia College, Mumbai. And despite my repeated requests, the sound vendor did not replace the batteries in my microphone. Then the inevitable happened: it died. Right in the middle of my performance.

I ran to Ravi’s mic—nothing. Then to Crosby’s—nothing. I waved. I screamed. I gestured.

Still nothing.

That was when I slammed the mic onto the stage and watched it shatter into pieces.

The crowd went berserk.

Thousands of college students. Their professors. The opening acts Zygnema and Demonic Resurrection. And my girl from Voronezh, Russia.

They were all on my side. They heard me even though I didn't have a mic.

I gathered myself and apologized.

And from what I saw on MySpace and Orkut later, my faith in rock n’ roll was restored.

But in that moment, I was BEYOND FURIOUS!

It was close to midnight. My phone was still buzzing. (I had a corporate job and midnight was prime time for my clients in the US.)

So with adrenaline still coursing through my veins, I went back to the office.

That’s when the sound vendor called. And that's when I yelled: “What does Ozzy Osbourne mean to you?”

Why?

Because the song I was singing when my mic died was ‘Mama I’m Coming Home.’

I was honoring my hero—telling his story.

“Before the bats, the fame, and the mayhem,” I said, “there was just John—a small-town boy with a dream.”

He grew up to redefine heavy metal. Terrify parents. And inspire generations of misfits, rebels, and small-towners like me.

That’s Ozzy. The original madman of heavy metal. The voice of Black Sabbath. A beacon of light for outliers like us.

For the record, I never charged for that show. I didn't want the vendor to pay.

I just wanted him to learn a lesson.

In hindsight, I could have handled it better. He still couldn’t have answered my question.

But maybe you can.

Now that the Prince of Darkness has closed his eyes forever, tell me...

What does Ozzy Osbourne mean to you?