Sir Rod Stewart has sparked fierce criticism after displaying an artificial intelligence-generated video during his American tour performances, showing recently deceased rock legend Ozzy Osbourne taking selfies with other dead musicians in heaven.
The 80-year-old singer’s concerts in Charlotte, North Carolina on 29 July and Atlanta, Georgia on 1 August featured the controversial footage whilst he performed his 1988 hit “Forever Young” as a dedication to the Black Sabbath frontman, who died on 22 July at age 76.
Concert attendees and social media users have condemned the digital tribute as “tacky,” “bizarre,” and “disrespectful,” with the negative response overshadowing what Stewart apparently intended as a heartfelt homage.
AI Video Shows Osbourne With Selfie Stick
The controversial footage depicted Osbourne wielding a selfie stick whilst posing alongside computer-generated representations of numerous deceased entertainers in what appeared to be a bright, cloudy heaven-like setting. The AI-created sequence showed the late rocker appearing to take photographs with musicians including Prince, Tina Turner, Bob Marley, Kurt Cobain, George Michael, Amy Winehouse, Freddie Mercury, Aaliyah and XXXTentacion.
The digital montage also featured hip-hop artists Tupac Shakur, pop icon Michael Jackson, and singer Whitney Houston amongst others. These artificial images were projected onto massive screens behind Stewart during his dedication of “Forever Young” to Osbourne.
The footage has been traced to a TikTok account called Eternal Stars, which specialises in creating AI videos of deceased celebrities. Stewart’s team has not responded to requests for comment about who authorised the use of the video.
Stewart’s Comments Add to Controversy
According to audience reports and the Charlotte Observer, Stewart concluded the Charlotte tribute by stating: “Very sad. A lot of those people died ’cause of drugs… I’m still here, though!” The comment drew additional criticism for its perceived insensitivity.
At his Atlanta performance on 1 August at the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, Stewart continued using the AI tribute, prompting audience members to share recordings online that quickly went viral.
“I’ve seen some s***ty AI visuals in concerts but this is a new low,” one social media user wrote on platform X (formerly Twitter). Another observed: “We are truly in the end times.”
Prince Fans Particularly Outraged
Critics highlighted the impersonal nature of the tribute, with particular outrage from Prince fans. One attendee noted: “Prince didn’t even want his music on Spotify and changed his name to a Symbol to protect his intellectual property. I’m 100% sure he wouldn’t have signed off on Rod Stewart puppeteering his face for this tacky.”
The inclusion of controversial figures like Michael Jackson, who faced multiple allegations of child molestation during his lifetime, and XXXTentacion, who had a history of domestic violence charges, also drew criticism from viewers who questioned the appropriateness of their inclusion.
Personal Connection Ignored
Many pointed out the bizarre choice given Stewart’s actual relationship with Osbourne. “This is bizarre for many reasons, not the least of which being the fact that Rod Stewart has performed with Ozzy Osbourne,” one critic commented. “Instead of blasting AI images of Ozzy in heaven, they could show this real & quite lovely picture of Rod Stewart with his arm around the actual Ozzy Osbourne.”
Another social media user wrote: “So Rod Stewart has been on tour dedicating Forever Young to Ozzy and now he’s showing the AI generated video of him in heaven taking selfies with all these dead artists. Ooh that’s heinous!”
“This is so f***ing disrespectful to all these artists,” another fumed.
Some Defend Stewart’s Intentions
However, not all reactions were negative. Some fans defended Stewart’s intentions, with one writing: “I understand that some people might not like this, but I disagree. If I were a painter and created a picture of my beloved rock artists who passed away, along with Ozzy as a tribute, I don’t think that’s weird. Now that we have AI, why not make use of it?”
Another supporter commented: “If this is Rod’s way of showing respect to those people that passed away that’s his way. Everyone is gonna show respect their own way everyone is different everyone isn’t gonna do it the same way.”
Timing Criticised
The timing of Stewart’s AI tribute has drawn particular criticism, coming merely nine days after Osbourne’s burial on 31 July. Osbourne was laid to rest in the grounds of his mansion in Buckinghamshire, England, following a public funeral procession through Birmingham that drew tens of thousands of fans.
Stewart had previously offered more conventional tributes. On the day of Osbourne’s death, he posted on Instagram: “Bye bye Ozzy. Sleep well, my friend. I’ll see you up there – later rather than sooner.”
During a 26 July performance in Mansfield, Massachusetts, Stewart dedicated “Forever Young” to Osbourne, telling the audience: “We lost a really, true legend this week in Ozzy… I knew his family very well.”
He added: “I’ll be with you soon… but not too soon,” before performing the song with colourful postcard-style images of his band members on screen – a stark contrast to the AI-generated afterlife scenes that would follow.
Osbourne’s Final Days
The controversy emerged less than three weeks after Osbourne’s final public appearance with Black Sabbath on 5 July in Birmingham, where bandmate Geezer Butler described him as “frail” but “thrilled” to perform one last time at the “Back to the Beginning” concert.
The event, witnessed by 45,000 fans at Villa Park stadium and 5.8 million viewers worldwide, saw Osbourne performing seated due to his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis but still delivering iconic tracks including “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” and “Paranoid.”
Stewart, who is continuing his “One Last Time” tour across the United States through early October before heading to Europe, has not addressed the criticism publicly. The veteran performer has been dedicating “Forever Young” to Osbourne at each show since the metal legend’s death, but the AI addition has transformed what began as a touching tribute into a source of controversy.
Broader AI Concerns
The incident has reignited debates about the use of AI to recreate deceased celebrities without their consent, particularly when some, like Prince, were known for their strict control over their image and intellectual property during their lifetime.
As one critic summarised: “Rod Stewart knowing who XXXTentacion is, is really the most surprising part,” highlighting the disconnect between Stewart’s generation and some of the younger artists featured in the AI montage.
The controversy serves as a reminder of the ongoing tensions between technological capabilities and artistic respect, particularly when it comes to posthumous representations of musicians who can no longer consent to their image being used.
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