Since Marilyn Manson returned to the stage in the summer of 2024 with the One Assassination Under God tour, pulsating illuminated upside-down double crosses have been a consistent part of the stage design. The double cross itself is nothing new in Manson's work. It has been part of his imagery for many years and became particularly prominent again after the Heaven Upside Down era. What is new since 2024 is the way the symbol has been incorporated into the lighting of the performance. Rather than functioning simply as a static emblem, the crosses now pulsate and change as part of the stage itself, becoming one of the most noticeable elements of every concert. Manson's return to the stage has also involved bringing back many features and images from earlier periods of his career, which has naturally given the performances a nostalgic quality for longtime fans. What interests me for this analysis, however, is what has actually been added during this new period that has not be...
Just a few weeks after what was called the final performance of Black Sabbath, the godfather of heavy metal Ozzy Osbourne passed away at the age of 76 on July 22nd 2025.
Ozzy revealed his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in January 2020, though at this time we don't have an exact cause of his death.
His family shared the following statement:
“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 privacy at this time.”
He identified as a Christian in the Church of England, though it didn't really play much of a role in his life, so it is unknown what kind of funeral he will have.
Marilyn Manson had been a good friend of Ozzy and his family for many years, having toured with him and made many appearances with him. In fact, in November 2019 it was announced that Marilyn Manson would open for Ozzy for his May-July 2020 No More Tours 2 tour. At that time Ozzy said of Manson in a press release: “Marilyn is killer live. He’s so fucking out there, and if I think that, then look out, we’re all fucked." Manson also stated: “I’ve toured with Ozzy many times and it’s always been fucking spectacular. I’m honored to do it again. This is one not to miss.” The tour was unfortunately canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
When the allegations against Manson were made public on February 1, 2021, Sharon Osbourne addressed it on the February 5th episode of her show The Talk: "There's something called a working relationship and that's what I've had with Marilyn for many years. I know nothing about his sexual preferences or the way he treats women. I know how he treats an older woman, which is me. And he's always been respectful." Later the whole family expressed similar sentiments.
At Ozzy's farewell performance on July 5th 2025, Marilyn Manson was invited to perform, but being unable to do so he sent in a video to express his love and admiration for Ozzy. Unfortunately the British media created a fake controversy over Manson's appearance, which prompted Ozzy to comment on social media that people needed to rather focus on the charitable nature of the event where all proceeds are going to Parkinson's research.
When it was announced that Ozzy had passed, Marilyn Manson was among the first to issue a statement on Instagram:
Ozzy revealed his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in January 2020, though at this time we don't have an exact cause of his death.
His family shared the following statement:
“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 privacy at this time.”
He identified as a Christian in the Church of England, though it didn't really play much of a role in his life, so it is unknown what kind of funeral he will have.
Marilyn Manson had been a good friend of Ozzy and his family for many years, having toured with him and made many appearances with him. In fact, in November 2019 it was announced that Marilyn Manson would open for Ozzy for his May-July 2020 No More Tours 2 tour. At that time Ozzy said of Manson in a press release: “Marilyn is killer live. He’s so fucking out there, and if I think that, then look out, we’re all fucked." Manson also stated: “I’ve toured with Ozzy many times and it’s always been fucking spectacular. I’m honored to do it again. This is one not to miss.” The tour was unfortunately canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
When the allegations against Manson were made public on February 1, 2021, Sharon Osbourne addressed it on the February 5th episode of her show The Talk: "There's something called a working relationship and that's what I've had with Marilyn for many years. I know nothing about his sexual preferences or the way he treats women. I know how he treats an older woman, which is me. And he's always been respectful." Later the whole family expressed similar sentiments.
At Ozzy's farewell performance on July 5th 2025, Marilyn Manson was invited to perform, but being unable to do so he sent in a video to express his love and admiration for Ozzy. Unfortunately the British media created a fake controversy over Manson's appearance, which prompted Ozzy to comment on social media that people needed to rather focus on the charitable nature of the event where all proceeds are going to Parkinson's research.
When it was announced that Ozzy had passed, Marilyn Manson was among the first to issue a statement on Instagram:
“Ozzy was a genuine hero and inspiration to me. It was one of the
greatest privileges in my life to have known him as a friend. His
beautiful spirit will remain in my heart forever.”
