British singer Rod Stewart left fans surprised—and some squirming—during his July 29 concert in Charlotte, North Carolina, when he paid tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne using AI-generated imagery.
The 79-year-old rocker dedicated his 1988 hit “Forever Young” to a video montage that included an AI-rendered Osbourne taking selfies with an all-star cast of late music legends.
Projected on a giant screen behind Stewart, the AI Ozzy was seen posing alongside eerily lifelike digital versions of Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Prince, Kurt Cobain, Tupac Shakur, Freddie Mercury, Amy Winehouse, Aaliyah, Bob Marley, and XXXTentacion.
To add to the awkwardness of the moment, Stewart told the crowd:
“Very sad. A lot of those people died ’cause of drugs … I’m still here, though!”
Uncomfortable? Just a bit.
You can watch the performance below:
To his credit, Stewart posted a more respectful tribute to Osbourne on Instagram shortly after news of his death broke:
Stewart and the Osbourne family have yet to comment on the AI tribute.
Tupac Shakur's mother gave her blessing to the tribute, which is not surprising, especially since this is not the first time Tupac’s image was resurrected. In 2012, Tupac’s hologram appeared on stage with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre during the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Mopreme Shukar, the stepbrother to Tupac Shakur, told TMZ:
“I’m pretty sure we all love Rod Stewart. I’m not sure about the legalities of it, but I have no problem with him memorializing the greats. Personally, I’m good with it.”
Osbourne, whose real name is John Michael Osbourne, died July 22 at 76 from a heart attack following complications from coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s disease, according to a death certificate filed in London.
The former Black Sabbath frontman had been open about his health struggles since announcing his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2020. In a February radio interview, he shared that he was no longer able to walk.
Still, Osbourne gave it his all. His final performance took place on July 5 in Birmingham, where he performed from a black bat-winged throne because of mobility issues at the "Back to the Beginning" concert.
Dedicated to his music, Ozzy talked about how he wanted to keep performing and spending time with his family in an interview with Good Morning America in 2020:
“Coming from a working-class background, I hate to let people down. I hate to not do my job. And so when I see my wife goin’ to work, my kids goin’ to work, everybody’s doing — tryin’ to be helpful to me, that gets me down because I can’t contribute to my family, you know.”
Stewart and Osbourne previously shared the stage at Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee concert in 2002, alongside music royalty like Paul McCartney and Cliff Richard.
Whether the AI tribute will return for Stewart’s next show in Brandon, Mississippi, remains to be seen—but online reactions are already divided.
Some fans appreciated the digital homage. Others found it quite unsettling.
AI tributes to the dead are becoming more common—and more controversial.
Just this week, former CNN White House Correspondent Jim Acosta interviewed a virtual avatar of Joaquin Oliver, a 17-year-old victim of the 2018 Parkland school shooting. That AI version of Oliver, created by his parents in honor of what would’ve been his 25th birthday, was built using his own writings, social media, videos, and public information.
In one case, a family seeks closure. In another, a rocker stirs controversy.
Either way, the age of AI resurrection is here.
You can watch the interview below:
- YouTubeJim Acosta/Youtube
Keith Pedersen/Facebook
