Courtney Hadwin has never shied away from bold choices on stage, and her latest UK tour proved no exception. During her Birmingham show, the 20-year-old powerhouse vocalist paid tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne with a stirring rendition of Black Sabbath’s ballad “Changes.”
What began as a soulful dedication quickly grew into one of the night’s most emotional moments, Hadwin’s raw, heart-on-sleeve delivery left the room in stunned silence before she closed with a surprise twist that drew rapturous applause.
For Hadwin, who first rose to fame at 13 with a viral America’s Got Talent audition that now boasts more than 310 million views, the tribute marked another leap forward in her evolution from viral sensation to fully-fledged artist.
Fans have long compared her raspy, explosive tone to Janis Joplin, but in Birmingham, she revealed a softer, more vulnerable side, echoing the emotional weight Ozzy himself brought to the original.
The choice of “Changes” carried added poignancy. Written in 1972 during Black Sabbath’s Vol. 4 sessions, the track was born out of Tony Iommi’s late-night piano playing in a Bel Air mansion, with Ozzy humming a melody over Geezer Butler’s lyrics about drummer Bill Ward’s crumbling marriage.
Though never released as a single, the song became a cult favorite for showing a different dimension of Sabbath’s sound. Ozzy would later revisit it decades on, recording a 2003 duet with his daughter Kelly at the height of The Osbournes’ pop-culture fame.
Performing the song in Birmingham—just miles from where Osbourne himself first shaped heavy metal—Hadwin tapped into that deep history while honoring the “Prince of Darkness” in the city he once called home.
The tribute also arrives at a pivotal moment in Hadwin’s career. She’s preparing the release of her debut album Little Miss Jagged, a fearless mix of pop, rock, blues, and soul that captures her dynamic vocal range. The lead focus track “Electric” sets the tone with its defiant lyric, “Let the power of the music take me away!”—a mission statement for an artist forging her own path.
Hadwin’s Birmingham set was also part of a three-date UK headline run, with stops in London and Manchester. Each show has showcased her ability to reinterpret classics while unveiling her own work with unfiltered energy.
And though the night belonged to Hadwin, the shadow of Ozzy’s immense legacy loomed large. From Sabbath anthems like “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” and “Iron Man” to solo staples like “Crazy Train,” “Mr. Crowley,” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” Osbourne left behind a catalog that redefined heavy metal while still revealing unexpected tenderness in songs like “Changes.”
For fans, Hadwin’s cover was more than a performance—it was a bridge between generations of rock. It reminded the Birmingham crowd that the spirit of Ozzy Osbourne still resonates today, carried forward by artists unafraid to take risks and bare their souls on stage.