Fired from Black Sabbath in 1979, Ozzy Osbourne released his first solo album, Blizzard of Ozz, in the UK the following September. "Mr. Crowley" became its second single after "Crazy Train," and in October 2025 Kim Hyuk Gun (김혁건) and THE CROSS BAND shared their cover in memory of Osbourne.
This piece is for anyone coming to THE CROSS BAND's "Mr. Crowley" cover for the first time. It covers Ozzy Osbourne, the original song and the musicians who played on the cover.
01.Ozzy Osbourne after Black Sabbath
Ozzy Osbourne was the singer who founded Black Sabbath with Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler in Birmingham, England, in 1968. Fired from the band in 1979, he went solo; his first album, Blizzard of Ozz, came out on Jet Records on 12 September 1980 in the UK and 27 March 1981 in the US. Recorded at Ridge Farm Studio in England, it is certified 5× Platinum by the RIAA.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted Osbourne as a solo performer in 2024, describing Blizzard of Ozz as "gleefully dark, yet commercially successful." It was the first of two studio albums he made with guitarist Randy Rhoads, who died in 1982.
02.Aleister Crowley and Randy Rhoads' solo
"Mr. Crowley" is about the English occultist Aleister Crowley. The music is by Osbourne, Randy Rhoads and Bob Daisley, and Daisley wrote the lyrics. The studio line-up was Osbourne (vocals), Rhoads (guitar), Daisley (bass), Lee Kerslake (drums) and Don Airey (keyboards), who also plays the opening keyboard solo. The studio version runs 4 minutes 55 seconds.
Rhoads' first solo is among the best known in metal; Guitar World readers ranked it 28th in 2011. The song is certified Gold by the RIAA, and in 2025 it charted again at No. 22 on the US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
A 1981 live performance, broadcast on TV from Rochester, New York, is on Osbourne's official channel.
03.In memory of Ozzy Osbourne
THE CROSS BAND released its "Mr. Crowley" cover on the official YouTube channel, THE CROSS OFFICIAL, on 6 October 2025. It was made as a tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne.
On this video Kim Hyuk Gun sings with Han Seung-ju (한승주) on guitar, Moon Jin-young (문진영) on bass and Kang Sun-woo (강선우, LumiKaos) on drums; Choi Yun-young of Y2film directed. At 4 minutes 56 seconds, the cover runs the full song, almost exactly the length of the 4:55 studio original.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Original | Ozzy Osbourne, "Mr. Crowley" |
| Album | Blizzard of Ozz (first solo album) · Jet Records |
| Released | UK 12 September 1980 · US 27 March 1981 |
| Writers | Music: Osbourne · Randy Rhoads · Bob Daisley / Lyrics: Daisley |
| Original line-up | Osbourne (vocals) · Rhoads (guitar) · Daisley (bass) · Lee Kerslake (drums) · Don Airey (keyboards) |
| Certification & charts | RIAA Gold · US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs No. 22 (2025) |
| Cover musicians | Kim Hyuk Gun (vocals) · Han Seung-ju (guitar) · Moon Jin-young (bass) · Kang Sun-woo (drums) |
| Cover video | 6 October 2025 · 4:56 · THE CROSS OFFICIAL |
04.Five old-school rock covers
"Mr. Crowley" is one of five old-school rock covers by THE CROSS BAND. The 1980 song Black Sabbath made with Ronnie James Dio after Osbourne left continues in Black Sabbath's "Heaven and Hell" cover, and Deep Purple — grouped with Black Sabbath in the "unholy trinity" of British hard rock — in Deep Purple's "Burn" cover.
The series also includes covers of Jimi Hendrix's 1967 song "Little Wing" and Prince's 1984 song "Purple Rain". The full list is in THE CROSS BAND's Rock Covers.
05.Listen again
The "Mr. Crowley" cover and THE CROSS BAND's other cover videos are on the official YouTube channel, THE CROSS OFFICIAL. The band is introduced on the THE CROSS BAND page, and live bookings go through the Booking page.
A song from Ozzy Osbourne's first solo album of 1980 became, in the autumn of 2025, Kim Hyuk Gun's tribute to him.