The Independent newspaper and CCM Magazine write about Ozzy Osbourne

THE DEATH of Ozzy Osbourne, rock legend and frontman of Black Sabbath, has been covered in different ways by the mainstream and Christian media. An "Appreciation" by Sarah Carson in the Independent newspaper listed some of the offensive things he had done then continued, "But for all the 'scary' satanic stuff, he will be just as remembered for being a clown - the bumbling, withering, kind and, obviously, mad patriarch on The Osbournes, the MTV series that laid the groundwork for future generations of reality television."

Quite different in tone and content was Nashville's CCM Magazine coverage. Its article, by Logan Sekulow, credits Osbourne for his musical influence on numerous Christian metal bands and also quotes P.O.D. and Stryper who assert that it was Osbourne's sympathetic support in their early years which encouraged them to continue. The article also makes much of the singer's occasional religious assertions to the media. It reads, "Like many kids of his generation, he was raised in the Church of England and that early foundation stuck with him. 'I believe in God,' he once said. 'I don't go to church, but I don't think you have to go to church to believe in God' (Men's Journal). In another interview he reflected, 'I'm a Christian. I was christened as a Christian. I used to go to Sunday school' (The Guardian). He often referred to Jesus as 'the original rock'n'roll star.' These were off-the-cuff remarks from a man who, despite everything, still acknowledged something bigger than himself.