Sir Rod Stewart shocked fans with an unexpected AI-generated video that depicted the late Ozzy Osbourne taking selfies with other deceased musicians in the afterlife.
The rocker took to the stage in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 29 to pay tribute to Ozzy, who passed away just seven days prior.
Contentious tribute
Rod dedicated his song “Forever Young” to the Black Sabbath star, with the AI video playing in the background as he sang.
The clip saw Ozzy posing with musicians such as Prince, Tina Turner, Freddie Mercury, Tupac, Michael Jackson, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse.
According to the Charlotte Observer, Rod said from the stage that Ozzy’s death was “very sad“, adding that “a lot of those people died ’cause of drugs”.
© InstagramMany fans found this move distasteful and offensive, while others shared that it was done with good intentions and was a sweet way to honor Ozzy’s legacy.
Instagram user @iamsloanesteel posted a video from the concert, and the comment section became divided over whether using AI to recreate the likeness of a deceased person was ethical or not.
“Prince was 100% against this type of technology. He made that very clear while he was alive. This is all very much so in poor taste!” wrote one commenter, while another added, “It’s extremely weird and disrespectful to use AI to create fake videos of people, especially dead people, and especially as part of a paid concert on a giant screen.”
© Getty Images“It just doesn’t sit right,” another chimed in, while a fourth commenter shared that they didn’t see the harm.
“I think it’s done with great respect,” they said, as another added, “No harm was meant and knowing Ozzy like I do, he would love this and not think anything of this!”
Gone too soon
© Getty Images for iHeartMediaOzzy passed away aged 76 in July, with his family receiving an outpouring of love from both his fans and his peers alike. Rod shared his own tribute to the heavy metal pioneer, taking to Instagram to write: “Bye, bye, Ozzy. Sleep well, my friend. I’ll see you up there — later rather than sooner.”
Ozzy’s funeral took place in his hometown of Birmingham, with his wife Sharon and four of his six children leading the procession.
His coffin was laiden with purple flowers that spelled out his name, and each of Ozzy’s family members wore a tribute to him embedded in their outfits.
© Anadolu via Getty ImagesThe family announced his passing in an emotional statement on July 22, sharing that he had died after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease.
“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,” they shared. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
His death came just weeks after Ozzy’s final performance at the Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham, which featured an incredible lineup of rock stars including Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax.
To learn more about Ozzy’s emotional funeral, watch below…
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