After shredding a self-made Ozzy Osbourne medley on tour with Extreme, Nuno Bettencourt teamed up with Joe Perry, Steven Tyler and Yungblud for a fresh mash-up of Prince of Darkness classics at the VMAs over the weekend.
Ozzy passed away in July mere weeks after his final, history-making show. His death prompted an outpouring of tributes, including those from the likes of Wolfgang Van Halen, and Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp. During the MTV Video Music Awards ceremony, Bettencourt and an all-star cast of music greats offered a tribute of their own.
Starting with a rambunctious Crazy Train, complete with Bettencourt's dazzling guitar solo exploits, it smoothly segues into another tender, hair-rising take of Changes, which Yungblud so masterfully handled at Back to the Beginning. That portion is iced with some tasty licks from the Portuguese guitar hero as well.
The pair then peel off stage as Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and Steven Tyler waltz on from either side, with Perry donning a reverse headstock Stratocaster for Mama I’m Coming Home.
Aerosmith were forced to retire from touring last year amid Tyler’s ongoing health issues, and while Perry hopes the band can play at least one more show, Back to the Beginning marked Tyler’s first big show since the announcement, having previously linked up with Bettencourt at a charity show in January.
As a collage of photos of Ozzy flickers on the screens behind the pair, Yungblud – one of the voices of the new generation of rock musicians – returns to duet with Tyler, with Perry serving up one last solo for good measure. It’s a rousing end to a very classy tribute.
“Ozzy forever, man!” beckons Yungblud as Bettencourt wraps things up on a 12-string acoustic guitar.
“They’ve asked me to pay tribute to you at the @vmas on Sunday night,” Yungblud posted to social media prior to the performance, along with a picture of him and Ozzy. “I’ll try my best to do you proud Oz. Tune in from up there. I love you forever.
Yungblud's stock has been rapidly rising in recent months, with his tradition of jamming songs on stage with young fans part of a legacy that resonates with Ozzy's working-class, man-of-the-people ethos.
He's also recently spoken about his “voodoo” ES-330, which he wants to turn into a signature guitar, following the success of his signature Epiphone SG Junior.
And while Perry has hit the road with members of Stone Temple Pilots and Black Crowes, Bettencourt has reflected on the time he broke the golden rule of the Freddie Mercury tribute concert in 1992 to honor his favorite band.
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