Ozzy Osbourne Once Made a Career Offer to Rick Astley Amid the Latter's Fame

Ozzy Osbourne and Rick Astley's meeting in the 1980s included a surprise offer from the former Black Sabbath rocker.

Astley immediately rose to fame when he dropped his debut studio album, "Whenever You Need Somebody," in November 1987. He then released more hit albums and songs in the years thereafter - from "Never Gonna Give You Up" to "Together Forever."

Amid the height of his fame, he reportedly received an offer from Ozzy after the latter was fired from Black Sabbath.

Ozzy Osbourne Offered Something to Rick Astley

In a new interview with Classic Rock Magazine, Astley looked back at the time he had a busy schedule following the success of his debut. He revealed that Ozzy approached him and gave him a proposal which also shocked Sharon Osbourne.

"He said, 'Are you over here playing?', and I said, 'No, we're just doing promo'. And then went, 'If you want to put a band together, let me know. I've worked with all the greats,'" Astley recalled. "And I knew he had - he'd worked with some of the best guitar players on that planet."

Sharon then intervened and told her husband that the "Cry for Help" singer would not want to sing with his "long-haired, tattooed f------ monsters."

After hearing the offer, Astley was reportedly "gobsmacked" as the Prince of Darkness recognized him and offered him to have a band so he could play "Never Gonna Give You Up."

Rick Astley Quietly Embraced "Never Gonna Give You Up" Success

Decades after the song was released, "Never Gonna Give You Up" brought Astley back to the spotlight as the public also used it as a meme to prank people online. Dubbed "rickrolled," internet users trick people with a link that leads them to the music video.

As of press time, the song's music video has over 1.4 billion views.

"I had 15 years of not singing it," he told BBC North West Tonight. "I can understand some artists would be freaked out about [the success of] it and run a mile, but I've learned to quietly embrace it. I have reconnected with it in a kind of way.

The 57-year-old star also said the song opened many doors for him over the past years. Per Astley, without his old songs and the meme, he would never receive an invite to Glastonbury.

Tags

Rick Astley, Ozzy Osbourne