Gene Simmons Reveals What Ozzy Osbourne Taught Him Before ‘Heartbreaking’ Death

Gene Simmons kept his ego in check over the years, thanks to Ozzy Osbourne.

The former Kiss band member, 76, appeared on the Tuesday, September 9, episode of the Fail Better podcast hosted by David Duchovny and reflected on how, despite being a superstar, the Black Sabbath frontman was a down-to-earth person.

“There was a unique human being, a giant, who, no matter what anybody said, was always Ozzy and treated you and the next-door neighbor exactly the same,” Simmons, who referred to Osbourne’s death as “heartbreaking,” revealed. “‘Hey, how are you? Nice to see you,’ No airs about him, no anything.”

The “Forever” singer said he knew the heavy metal singer for “decades” and learned from his humility.

“It’s a good lesson for idiots like me who sometimes, guilty as charged, get full of themselves and say, ‘Wow, I’m Gene Simmons,'” the rockstar confessed. “And if you would have met Ozzy, you know, you’re on your best behavior. You try to, because it is a big deal.”

“It is important to meet somebody like Ozzy who is just himself,” Simmons continued.

While Osbourne was known as the “Prince of Darkness,” Simmons noted his personality didn’t actually match that description.

“Now, of course, when he gets up on stage, it’s more like scream therapy. You get out there, and it’s just all energy coming,” Simmons remarked.

“But strangely, the real Ozzy is supposed to be the Prince of Darkness, and yet in the shows, he blows kisses to the fans and goes, ‘I love you.’ If you were the Prince of Darkness, that’s like anti. That’s kind of like a good guy. He was a giant.”

As Star previously reported, Osbourne tragically passed away in July at 76 years old after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease.