The grunge movement changed Rock music in late 80’s and the early 90’s, especially with Nirvana, led by Kurt Cobain finding mainstream success with their 1991 album “Nevermind”. They were invited by many famous bands at the time to be their opening act but they refused as Kurt Cobain revealed in an interview with Gilbert Blecken back in 1991 in which he gave his opinion on Ozzy Osbourne that invited the band to tour with him.
What was Kurt Cobain’s opinion on Ozzy Osbourne
“I can understand Ozzy liking us, because we have at least some similarities with his former band. Sure, I respect the man, I have always loved his music except for his last five albums or whatever. I didn’t pay attention to most of his solo stuff besides ‘Bark At The Moon‘, whenever that one was. Ozzy was also in the same mixing studio that we were in for our last record and we met each other in the hall sometimes.”
“We didn’t speak, but there were a few times where we were coming towards each other and I had to move up against the wall and wait for him to stumble past me ’cause he was so fucked up. He also asked us to go on tour with him, but we turned it down. It would have been fun and kind of exciting to be part of his last shows, but we don’t really wanna play in huge arenas supporting someone.”
In an interview with Mojo Magazine (Recovered by Foo Archive) back in 2007, Dave Grohl recalled that Kurt was an Ozzy fan: “Kurt really liked Ozzy. Growing up in a town like Aberdeen [in Washington state] and hearing a band like Black Sabbath – it’s a sweet release. Suddenly there’s something outside your small-town world you can relate to – when you can hear that alienation in someone else’s music. The first Nirvana record, Bleach, which I don’t play on but I love, you listen to some of those songs and it’s a guitar line, a bass line, a vocal and thundering drums. There’s a lot of Black Sabbath in that, for sure.”
What was Ozzy Osbourne’s opinion on Nirvana and Kurt Cobain
Black Sabbath singer, Ozzy Osbourne revealed in an interview with Lauch Radio Networks back in 2007 his favorite Hard Rock bands and one of them were Nirvana. “Apparently, I met (late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain), ’cause I was talking to Dave Grohl and he said, ‘You probably don’t remember this, but when you were in Devonshire Studios in the (San Fernando) Valley, me and Kurt were in the room where they had a pool table. When you walked in we were like, ‘F***ing hell,” Ozzy said.
In his biography “I Am Ozzy“, released back in 2009 he also talked about the singer, saying: “It had a huge impact on me, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ – and I was very proud when I found out that Kurt Cobain was a fan of mine. I thought he was awesome.”