When Ozzy Osbourne came to NZ he had just one wild request

The music promoter who brought Black Sabbath to New Zealand in 1973, Barry Coburn said - despite Osbourne's wild reputation - the singer was "calm and jovial" but with one unusual request.

Coburn said he was called to the group's caravan shortly before they took to the stage at the Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival.

"He said 'listen when we go onstage at midnight we want to have a huge burning cross up on the hillside. When we come on stage suddenly this big cross burns up on the hillside behind where they are'," Coburn said.

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Coburn said a cross made of wood and wire - wrapped in petrol soaked rags - was hastily erected and set alight as the band began to play.

The Black Sabbath frontman and solo artist died just weeks after a massive farewell concert in his hometown of Birmingham, aged 76.

Coburn said Osbourne and Black Sabbath laid the foundations for heavy metal and - 50 years after the band first played New Zealand - he still saw and heard the singer's influence in hard rock music all over the world.

"To think that two weeks after the final shows he's gone - it seemed like - did he want to hang on and do these final shows? But he's just this iconic figure that's so singularly unique. There'll never be another Ozzy Osbourne," Coburn said.

Speaking to RNZ from his home in Nashville, Coburn said - despite the band's ominous image and Osbourne's wild, drug fueled reputation - the band were affable and "jovial" on their first New Zealand visit.

"They were decent, they were just young English guys. They didn't cause any of the grief that John Bonham and Led Zeppelin caused. Televisions thrown in the swimming pool at the White Heron Hotel and the like.

"I don't have any memories of Ozzy and the guys being anything other than jovial and amused by everything. They just seemed to be in good humour and I've got great memories of that," Coburn said.

Coburn said he still went to heavy metal shows - his son performs in American sludge metal band, Thou - and said Osbourne and Black Sabbath's influence were still as strong as ever.

"They were such a primary foundation of what became heavy metal. I've been to so many shows and there's still always people wearing Black Sabbath T-Shirts.

"They really were the beginning of it all - of the whole metal scene. When I go to see bands it's [still] not unusual to hear 'Paranoid' or something," Coburn said.

Marty Duda, founder of New Zealand music publication 13th Floor, said Osbourne's impact was "immense" and would continue after his death.

Duda remembered first hearing the band on a cassette recording of 'Paranoid' while at a Boy Scouts' camp and "it changed everything - blew my mind".

Osborne's voice was exactly what a teenager wanted wanted to hear: "He nailed it."

He went on to create a strong persona for himself, later making the transition to a solo career.

He said wife Sharon needed to be given credit for the role she played in his career because he had many problems, including drug addiction, but she saw his potential as a solo artist.

Duda recalled being present when Osborne was preparing for a concert, wanted to gargle and then consumed a whole bottle of mouthwash.

"He drank the whole thing, almost choked to death, puked all over the place and then went on stage - he didn't even know how to gargle. He needed to be watched."

Duda said on his TV hit reality show, The Osbournes, Osborne was "loveable".

"You wanted him to be your dad ... and knowing that he had this background as the guy who helped start heavy metal didn't hurt at all. Those Black Sabbath albums hold up very well today."

The president of the NZ Promoters Association Layton Lillas was shocked to hear of Osbourne's death.

He told RNZ's Morning Report it was "horrible news" to wake up to, coming so soon after Osborne's farewell concert at Villa Park in Birmingham just two weeks ago.

Lillas recalled becoming a fan of Osborne when he launched a solo career.

He had "amazing guitar players" and "a unique voice".

"The guy was the Godfather of hard rock and heavy metal - just an amazing life from a guy who started in the poor suburbs of Birmingham after the war and to do what he did and achieved, amazing."

Lillas said the singer had a unique voice with "an incredibly high range".

"No-one sounds like Ozzy Osborne... the range was something to behold and for a guy that abused his body like he did for so many years..."

He last saw Osborne perform in Wellington in 2008 and "he was certainly on fire that night".

Concert promoter, Phil Sprey brought Osbourne to Wellington as a part of the Rock2Wellington concerts in 2008.

He said - at that stage - any signs of frailty from a hectic rock and roll lifestyle disappeared when the singer took the stage.

"He was quite slow off-stage. He was sometimes a little bit distant but - as soon as he got on that stage with a mic in his hand - he was that stage performer. It was like he jumped back to an earlier generation," Sprey said.

Sprey said he was instructed by Osbourne's wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne that - to protect his sobriety - Osbourne was to be kept at a distance from his guitar player, Zakk Wylde - who was a heavy drinker at that time.

He said the singer's addictive personality nearly derailed his attempts to book the singer's band after a gift of Black Knight liquorice fell foul of Sharon.

"I'd organised a shopping trolley full of liquorice. Packaged it up and sent it to him the three months before the concert and the first thing I got was an email from Sharon saying 'Phil don't do that. You've given him the sh..ts," Sprey said.

Sprey said - when Osbourne arrived in Wellington - he wasted no time in raiding a gift basket and could be seen shuffling around back stage with a strap of liquorice hanging out of his mouth.

In the late 90s Lillas had a habit of popping out to Auckland Airport to try and obtain the autographs of famous rock stars.

All he wanted was a photo of Osborne but he ended up with a photograph of his late wife with Osborne and it takes pride of place in his music room.

The Black Sabbath frontman was apologetic but said he couldn't do any more as he needed to board his flight.