Rod Stewart’s Ozzy Osbourne Tribute Was Meant To Be Touching — But The AI Images Left Some Fans Calling It ‘Creepy’ And ‘Disrespectful’

Rod Stewart had been dedicating “Forever Young” to his late friend Ozzy Osbourne night after night.

But when the 80-year-old singer took the stage near Atlanta, the tribute suddenly took an unexpected turn.

Behind Stewart, a giant screen began showing AI-generated images of Osbourne apparently taking selfies with other music stars who had died — including Freddie Mercury, Kurt Cobain, Prince, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse and Bob Marley.

The intention appeared to be a playful vision of Ozzy reunited with other departed music legends.

Some viewers, however, found the images anything but comforting.

“I don’t like this tribute it’s too weird,” one wrote after footage reached social media.

Another had an even stronger reaction, calling it “disrespectful.”

Rod Had Been Honoring Ozzy With ‘Forever Young’

Stewart was among the musicians who publicly paid tribute after the Black Sabbath frontman died at 76.

“Bye bye Ozzy,” Stewart wrote.

“Sleep well, my friend. I’ll see you up there – later rather than sooner.”

In the concerts that followed, Stewart began dedicating his 1988 song “Forever Young” to Osbourne.

The tribute continued across several shows.

But during his Friday, August 1 performance at the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre near Atlanta, Georgia, the visual presentation accompanying the song attracted attention of its own.

As Stewart performed, the screens behind him showed a succession of digitally created scenes featuring Osbourne.

Ozzy Appeared To Take Selfies With Late Music Icons

Rather than using conventional photographs from Osbourne’s life and career, the tribute imagined him meeting other musicians who had died.

AI-generated images depicted the Black Sabbath star taking selfies with an extraordinary collection of famous faces.

Freddie Mercury appeared.

So did Kurt Cobain, Prince, Tina Turner, George Michael, Bob Marley and Whitney Houston.

Amy Winehouse, Aaliyah, Tupac Shakur and XXXTentacion were also among those featured.

The concept seemingly presented Osbourne as having joined a gathering of departed music stars.

But when video of the concert began circulating online, the use of artificial intelligence divided viewers.

Some Fans Found The Images ‘Creepy’

One person reacted particularly strongly to the footage.

“This is the craziest most disrespectful s**t I ever saw in my life,” they wrote.

Another said the AI imagery itself made the tribute uncomfortable to watch.

“That AI video has been circulating since the day he passed,” the viewer wrote. “There is just something creepy about these AI videos.”

A third simply commented: “I don’t like this tribute it’s too weird.”

The criticism wasn’t directed at Stewart’s decision to remember Osbourne itself.

Instead, the reactions centered on the unusual choice to create artificial images of deceased musicians appearing together.

For some viewers, that crossed an emotional line.

The Tribute Came From A Place Of Friendship

Whatever some viewers thought about the presentation, Stewart’s earlier message had made his affection for Osbourne clear.

His farewell had mixed sadness with the kind of humor both men were known for.

“I’ll see you up there – later rather than sooner,” Stewart joked while saying goodbye to his friend.

And choosing “Forever Young” as the song accompanying the concert tribute gave Stewart a way to continue acknowledging Osbourne during his US performances.

The controversy came from how that remembrance was visualized.

Instead of simply displaying photographs of Osbourne, the concert screens created scenes that never happened — showing him apparently interacting with musicians from different generations.

That distinction became particularly sensitive because every person depicted in those scenes had died.

Ozzy’s Death Sparked An Outpouring Of Tributes

The reaction to Stewart’s concert came amid a much wider wave of mourning for the Black Sabbath singer.

Thousands of people gathered in Birmingham to pay their respects, lining the streets during Osbourne’s funeral procession.

The city had a uniquely important place in his story.

It was where Black Sabbath formed and where Osbourne’s journey toward becoming one of heavy metal’s most recognizable figures began.

Following his death, fans also began pushing for permanent tributes carrying his name.

One campaign called for Birmingham Airport to be renamed in Osbourne’s honor.

A Change.org petition supporting the proposal attracted more than 5,000 signatures in less than two days and later surpassed 57,000, according to the report.

Fans also called for a stage at Download Festival to be named after him.

AI Has Changed What A Tribute Can Look Like

Stewart’s performance highlighted a complicated new element of celebrity remembrance.

Technology can now create convincing images of artists together even when those moments never occurred.

In this case, the concept imagined Osbourne meeting a long list of late musical icons.

For some fans, it may have represented an affectionate fantasy — Ozzy joining other legends after his death.

For others, seeing artificial versions of deceased stars smiling and taking selfies felt unsettling rather than emotional.

That tension was visible in the reactions once footage escaped the confines of the concert and reached social media.

A Tribute That People Won’t Forget

There was little ambiguity about Stewart’s affection for Osbourne.

He had already publicly called him a friend and continued dedicating “Forever Young” to him in concert.

Yet the AI visuals transformed a musical remembrance into something far more divisive.

Instead of people talking only about the song or Stewart’s farewell, attention shifted to the strange sight unfolding on the giant screen behind him.

Ozzy appeared alongside Freddie Mercury.

Then Kurt Cobain, Prince, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston and others.

It was apparently intended as an imagined reunion of music legends who were gone too soon.

But for some of the fans watching online, artificial intelligence didn’t make that reunion more moving.

It made it feel uncomfortably real.