VIDEO: Yungblud Talks Rising Career and Being Labeled the Future of Rock & Roll in Stern Show Debut

You can call him Yungblud. You can call him Dom. Just don’t call him Dominic. Making his Stern Show debut Monday morning to promote his Grammy-nominated album, “Idols,” and record the all-new Howard 101 special Howard Stern Presents: Yungblud, the rising rock star told Howard how he’s never quite clicked with his birth name. “That’s what my mum calls me when I’m naughty,” he joked. “I didn’t hate it. I just thought Dominic Harrison was a bit polite for the music I was making.”

And that music made a big splash in 2025. First, there was his performance of Black Sabbath’s “Changes” at Ozzy Osbourne’s final show in July — just weeks before his passing. As a massive fan of Osbourne’s going back to early childhood, it meant a lot to Dom. “I was riddled with ADHD, angry, full of energy, like my teachers didn’t know what to do with me, so I immediately identified with this character who was celebrated for his individuality and his madness,” he said of the late frontman.

“I can never be more thankful to Sharon and Ozzy for giving me that moment to show the world what I can do,” Yungblud continued. “When you feel Osbourne’s arms around you, you have to try your fucking best to honor that moment and honor him forever.”

In fact, it was Ozzy who urged Yungblud to put that performance on “Idols,” his fourth studio album. “He was like, ‘Hey … have you seen the reviews of your cover of “Changes?” You’ve got to fucking put it out, man,” the rocker recalled.

The advice paid off as the track earned him a Best Rock Performance nomination for the upcoming 68^th Annual Grammy Awards to go along with two more he received for Best Rock Song (“Zombie”) and Best Rock Album.

The Rise of Yungblud

Rock royalty ranging from Ozzy to Dave Grohl have anointed Yungblud the future of rock and roll. Howard imagined any young musician might feel the weight of the world on them after hearing something like that. “Sometimes it is like that — like, you don’t want to mess with the voodoo,” Yungblud admitted.

But with guitarist Adam Warrington by his side from the very beginning, the rocker has been able to stay true to his artistic vision. “We’ve been together since I was like, what, 16 years old, and we’ve kind of just done the same shit,” he noted. “I remember our first gig in front of a lot of fucking record executives — I went to the toilet and threw up.”

“I’ll never forget [Adam] just came out and was like, ‘A gig’s a fucking gig,’” Yungblud continued. “And I think that’s kind of what you’ve got to do.”

That attitude perhaps came in handy when an unsigned Yungblud eventually crossed the pond for a showcase in Los Angeles. Having booked a songwriting session at the Universal Music Group building, he had a friend ride the elevator all day hyping Dom to each and every one of his fellow passengers. “‘Yo, you heard about this fucking Yungblud kid? He’s blowing up outside the U.K.,’” he recalled his friend saying before adding that it resulted in plenty of industry attention when it was time to play the showcase. “You’ve got the fucking head of Epic Records [and] Interscope Records and whatever just by my Irish mate riding an elevator.”

Rock & Roll Isn’t Dead

With all the torchbearer talk comes the question: is rock & roll dead? Not according to Yungblud. “It’s such a sacred genre,” he declared. “Every fucking dad says to his kid, ‘I don’t like that – it sounds like what I knew,’ and it always happens.”

“People always put so much pressure on one person bringing it back … That’s a load of bullshit,” the rocker continued before referencing current bands like Turnstile, Amyl & the Sniffers, Geese, and Knocked Loose.

With his own work, Yungblud is unafraid to take chances – including with his latest album, “Idols.”

“What I wanted to do was bring a sense of theater and showmanship and adventure and nine-minute songs in a 2025 way,” he explained. “It was a fucking risk … [but] we have a fanbase that will go with us.”

“Changes”

Before wowing Howard, co-host Robin Quivers, and the Stern Show’s listeners with his version of “Changes,” Yungblud revealed that while he was honored when Sharon Osbourne asked him to sing at the Black Sabbath farewell concert, he was concerned about the song selection.

“‘Changes’? At a metal concert? Everyone else is going to be ripping solos — I’ve got to walk out with a piano, nowhere to hide,” he remembered thinking at first. After his nerves settled, he set his sights on putting on a great show. “The only thing that went through my head was ‘I just want to show [Ozzy] and let him know how much he has helped me and means to me.’”

Yungblud told Howard that one of the most memorable moments from Ozzy’s farewell show — the 50,000 person crowd singing along with him to the final notes of “Changes”  — wasn’t originally part of his plan. The idea came to him after he learned the Prince of Darkness was getting nervous leading up to the show. “I wanted him to hear the crowd scream for him,” he said, adding, “To let him know ‘You know what, man? Tonight’s going to be fucking insane and it’s going to be alright.’”

Yungblud’s “Idols” is out now. Catch Howard Stern Presents: Yungblud on Friday, Dec. 19 on Howard 101.