Reader here, and this has been a tough week, as we’ve seen a couple of major losses in the world of entertainment.
First, we got word that Malcolm Jamal Warner, best known to the world as Theo Huxtable in the iconic sitcom “The Cosby Show,” tragically drowned over the weekend, while on a family vacation down in Costa Rica.
But he wasn’t just Theo. He had roles other series, such as “Malcolm & Eddie,” “Reed Between the Lines,” and “The Resident.”
Not only that, but he was also a director, poet, podcast host and musician. I honestly had no idea has was an accomplished bass player, even winning a Grammy in 2015, for Best Traditional R&B Performance, as he teamed up with the Robert Glasper Experiment and singer Lalah Hathaway, on a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Jesus Children of America.”
However, Theo Huxtable was the role most of us knew him for. Growing up as a kid in the 80s and a teen in the 90s, “The Cosby Show” was a big part of my viewing habits, and Theo always seemed like the kind of character you wanted to be friends with, someone that would occasionally get into trouble, as we all did, but that ultimately, had a good heart and would always do the right thing.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner left behind a wife and young daughter.
And then just yesterday, we found out that we lost Ozzy Osbourne, at the age of 76.
Ozzy had certainly had his battles over the years, with substance abuse, and more recently Parkinson’s Disease, but through it all, with the support of his wife Sharon and his kids, he’d managed to keep on rolling with his voice and sense of humour intact.
Of course, the world came to know Ozzy as the voice behind Black Sabbath, more or less inventing Heavy Metal, with such supercharged classics as “Paranoid,” “War Pigs,” “N.I.B.,” and “Iron Man.”
When Sabbath gave him the boot, the Ozzman went on to have a successful solo career, with tracks such as “Crazy Train,” “Bark at the Moon,” “Mr. Crowley,” “Dreamer,” “No More Tears,” “Shot in the Dark” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home.”
And then, Ozzy had an unlikely second act as a reality TV star, when “The Osbournes” debuted in 2002.
Move over “Ozzie and Harriet”… make way for “Ozzy and Sharon!”
The show featured the daily exploits of the Osbourne clan, including Ozzy’s memorable exploits bumbling around the house and being a husband and dad. It certainly cast the “Prince of Darkness” in a whole new light, and introduced him to a whole new generation!
Maybe a little untraditional, but the show was a great reminder that ultimately, celebrities aren’t much different than you or I. (Be forewarned, this IS the Osbournes, so there’s the odd bit of bad language!)
It was great to see Ozzy reunite with with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward just a couple of weeks ago to play together one last time at the massive “Back to the Beginning” concert in their hometown of Birmingham, England. Not only that, but so many peers and metal royalty came together to salute Ozzy for his influence, and he got to feel that love one last time.
And now, he’s reunited with pals like Lemmy Kilmister and Randy Rhoads in the great beyond.
Ozzy leaves behind his wife Sharon, his kids, and a legion of fans around the world.
Ozzy Osbourne and Malcolm-Jamal Warner will be remembered fondly. May they rest in peace
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