Evangelist Reflects on Ozzy Osbourne’s Surprising Reaction to the Gospel
Dylan Novak, youth pastor and founder of Celebrity Evangelist, reflected on how he managed to share the gospel with Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 76. In an interview with Church Leaders, Novak recalled his interaction with the late frontman in 2023, during which he gave him an NLT large-print New Believer's Bible with his name on the cover "because now we put people's names on every Bible," Novak said.
Osbourne, who was considered a pioneer of heavy metal with his band Black Sabbath, delivered his final performance on July 5 in Birmingham, England, where he was seated on a throne due to Parkinson's disease, which took away his ability to walk.
"And I told him, 'The reason I came to meet you today is because I love and care about you and your soul. And he's sitting there, the same chair that everybody has seen [from the] final performance," Novak noted. "That's the chair he was sitting in at this event."
Novak added, "He [was] such a sweet man. And I [told him], 'I got this gift and I'd like to show it to you.' He's like, 'Yeah, show it to me.'"
The evangelist then shared the NLT Bible with him as he previously heard in an interview where Osbourne said he was a Christian but had difficulty reading the Bible because it was hard to understand.
The late singer said, "Well, I still won't be able to understand it just because it has my name on it."
In response, Novak told him, "'No, no, no.' And I showed him. He immediately turned to the gospel. So Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And he starts thumbing through it, and he goes, 'I can understand this.'"
"I mean, just genuine excitement in his face," Novak recounted. "And then he turned it over and goes, 'You actually got my name on it.' And, 'Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much.'"
Family Later Confirmed the Bible's Impact on Ozzy
At a different event two weeks later, Novak got to meet with Ozzy's son, Jack Osbourne, who told him that his father not only cherished the Bible but also shared with guests when visiting his home.
"I just want you to know that had a greater impact on my dad than you know… it's on his bedside table," Jack said.
Novak also addressed the interaction in a post on Instagram in 2023, in which he shared the gospel with Ozzy, his wife, Sharon, their daughter, Kelly, and son, Jack. The post also included a photo with the evangelist and the Osbournes.
In a post following Osbourne's final performance earlier this month, Novak elaborated further on that meeting and Jack's words to him that his father appreciated having the Bible that he received from the evangelist.
The Gospel Is for Everyone
Although people would have written of Osbourne, who was nicknamed the Prince of Darkness, Novak contended that he and others can still be reached with the gospel.
"But we have to remember that everybody is worthy of hearing the gospel because we're all sinners," Novak said. "God sees us one of two ways: saved, not saved; born again or lost. And we have to take our platform, use our platform, and try to tell as many people as we can before it's eternally too late."
"It doesn't matter [the size of your] platform," he added. "God's given you a platform for a specific reason, for a specific person. And if it's just for one person, isn't that one person worth it all?"
He also encouraged Christians to share the Good News with others while they are still alive.
"It should just be an encouragement to us to go, don't wait until it's too late, because right now, the next time you see your friend may be the last time you ever see them. That might be the last opportunity you have," said Novak.
The Broader Ministry of Celebrity Evangelist
Through Celebrity Evangelist, Novak has reportedly shared the gospel with over 2,000 Celebrities, including Ozzy Osbourne, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tom Cruise, and Bill Murray.
Ozzy Osbourne’s Own Words on Faith and God
In past interviews, Osbourne spoke on his belief in God, including professing himself to be a Christian.
"I believe in God. I don't go to church, but I don't think you have to ...go to church to believe in God," he said in an interview clip from 1992 that was shared by Audacy in 2015.
Meanwhile, a 2014 article by The Guardian featured a Spin Magazine interview with Osbourne in 1986 where he said he is a Christian.
"I'm a Christian. I was christened as a Christian. I used to go to Sunday school. I never took much interest in it because …I didn't," he said.
Regarding his thoughts on Heaven, the heavy metal frontman said, "My idea of Heaven is feeling good. A place where people are alright to each other. This world scares the ...out of me. We're all living on the tinderbox."
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Kevin Winter/Staff
Originally published July 25, 2025.
