Ozzy Osbourne Donates $10,000 to Louisville Kids Band
Two and a half years after a video of a band of Louisville teens posted an all-percussion version of Ozzy Osbourne‘s “Crazy Train” on YouTube – racking up over 800,000 views in the process – the Black Sabbath singer has finally gotten around to watching the video. Osbourne was so moved by the performance that instead of simply hitting “like” on the unique version of his Blizzard of Ozz single, he sent a $10,000 check to support the Louisville Leopard Percussionists, The Courier-Journal reports.
Founded in 1993, this Louisville musical project is a non-profit community organization that provides roughly 60 students aged seven to 14 with extracurricular music activities and teaches them how to work together to create the clever covers they’re now known for. The kids also recently earned some Facebook praise from Jimmy Page for their renditions of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir,” “Immigrant Song” and “The Ocean,” and now Osbourne is the latest rocker to recognize the Leopards’ skills (even though the “Crazy Train” video was posted in December 2012).
In a typewritten letter dated April 24th, Osbourne tells the Louisville Leopard Percussionists, “Myself, my whole family and my fans all loved your rendition of ‘Crazy Train.’ Keep up the good work.” The letter was accompanied by a $10,000 check for the group, who are supported entirely by donations, album royalties and performance fees; the Louisville Leopard Percussionists have appeared onstage with My Morning Jacket.