Ozzy Osbourne

John Michael Osbourne (Marston Green, Birmingham, December 3, 1948), better known as Ozzy Osbourne, is a British musician and composer, recognized for having been the singer of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath and for his solo career.

He participated in the recording of nine studio albums with Black Sabbath, including Paranoid, Master of Reality and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath they achieved million-dollar sales and are considered by specialized critics as pioneers and benchmarks of heavy metal. >Blizzard of Ozz, Diary of a Madman, The Ultimate Sin and No More Tears. During his career he has promoted the career of young musicians such as guitarists Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee and Zakk Wylde.

Known as the "godfather" of heavy metal and the "prince of darkness", Osbourne appears in eighth position on the list of the best metal vocalists according to the magazine Hit Parader. He has been certified by the Recording Industry Association of the United States as multi-platinum for the sales of several of his solo albums. The total sales of his solo albums, added to his productions with Black Sabbath, they reach 100 million copies. As a member of Black Sabbath he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as the UK Hall of Fame, as a solo artist and as a member of the group. He also has a star on Birmingham's Alley of Stars and on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards, Osbourne received the Global Icon award. century, in addition, it acquired a great media repercussion, especially for its appearance on the television program the reality The Osbournes , broadcast by the MTV network and based on the daily life of his family.

In 2023, he appears at number 112 on the list of "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time" from Rolling Stone magazine.

Biography

Early Years

According to his birth certificate, Osbourne was born in the former Marston Green Maternity Hospital, though he grew up in the Aston district, Birmingham, England. His father, John Thomas "Jack" Osbourne (1915–1977), worked night shifts at the General Electric Company.Her mother, Lillian, worked part-time in a factory.She had three sisters named Jean, Iris, and Gillian, and two younger brothers named Paul and Tony. The family lived in a small two-room house. Osbourne is nicknamed "Ozzy" since his elementary school years, when he suffered from dyslexia.

After hearing his first single at age 14, he became a huge fan of British band The Beatles. He claims the song "She She Loves You" inspired him to become a musician.He dropped out of school at fifteen and took various jobs as a plumbing attendant, tool maker, and slaughterhouse clerk. He tried his way into crime, stealing a television, baby clothes and some T-shirts and had to spend six weeks in Birmingham's Winson Green prison after being unable to post bail after being charged with theft. To teach his son a lesson, his father refused to pay said bail. Ozzy himself states in his memoirs: "My father always thought I would do something great: 'I have a hunch, John Osbourne' that I would do something great.", he told me after a few beers. "Either you end up doing something very special or you end up in jail." And he was right: before turning eighteen he was already in jail ».

Black Sabbath

Osbourne (below left) with Black Sabbath in 1972.

In late 1967, musician Geezer Butler formed his first band, Rare Breed, and invited Osbourne to be his singer. The group broke up after doing two shows and Osbourne and Butler joined the Polka Tulk Blues, along with guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. They changed their name to Earth, but had problems with another group of the same name. They finally began using the name Black Sabbath in August 1969, based on the film of the same name. Intrigued by the public's strange fascination with horror movies, they decided to make heavy music with dark and disturbing lyrics.

Despite not having a big budget, the band recorded their first album and achieved unexpected success supported by Iommi's guitar riffs, Geezer Butler's dark lyrics, the work of Ward on drums and the mysterious voice of Osbourne. The album Black Sabbath, released on February 13, 1970, initially failed to impress critics but was a commercial success for the group. Paranoid , released six months after the debut album, cemented the popularity of the band and achieved million-dollar sales.At that time, Osbourne met what would be his second wife, Sharon Arden, daughter of the manager of the group, Don Arden. Ozzy admits that he was interested in her from the get-go, although he believed that "she probably thought he was a lunatic."

Five months after the release of Paranoid the band released Master of Reality, a work that reached the Top 10 in the United Kingdom and the United States, achieving certification Gold in less than two months. Volume 4 was released in September 1972, becoming the fourth Black Sabbath album to sell one million copies in the United States.

In 1971, Osbourne met his first wife, Thelma Malfayr, in the city of Birmingham. They married in 1971 and had two children, Jessica and Louis. Osbourne later referred to his first marriage as a "terrible mistake", as his heavy abuse of alcohol and drugs took a toll on his family life. In the 2011 documentary God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, produced by his son Jack, the musician admitted that he did not remember where Louis and Jessica were born.

In November 1973 Black Sabbath released the album Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. For the first time, the group received good comments from specialized critics, who had been in charge of giving their previous productions negative ratings. Gordon Fletcher of Rolling Stone called the album "a complete success", and Eduardo Rivadavia of Allmusic called it a "work of art, essential in any heavy metal collection. i>.” Sabotage was released in July 1975, again achieving critical acclaim." Technical Ecstasy, released September 25, 1976, did not obtain the expected repercussion and showed a band that was beginning to show signs of fatigue and internal disputes.

Output

In 1977, Osbourne left Black Sabbath due to his continued drug abuse and the death of his father, later focusing on a project titled Blizzard of Ozz, a name suggested by his father. Three musicians from the band Necromandus worked with Ozzy in the studio recording new material. However, Osbourne decided to return to Black Sabbath after singer Dave Walker replaced him for that short period of time. The band spent five months at Sounds Interchange studio in Toronto, Canada, writing and recording what would become the album Never Say Die!. "It took us too long," Iommi commented. "We were too high, we were going to the studios and we had to stop. Nobody was doing anything right, we were all playing something completely different. We had to go to sleep and try again the next day."

The support tour for Never Say Die! began in May 1978 with the band Van Halen as the opening act. Critics called Black Sabbath's performances "tired and uninspired," in contrast to the energy and charisma of the young Californians, who were embarking on a world tour for the first time in their careers. The group recorded a presentation at the Hammersmith Odeon in June 1978, which would be released years later on DVD under the name Never Say Die. The final concert of the tour, held on December 11 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, marked Osbourne's last performance with the band until their reunion years later.

Back in the studio, in 1979 tensions between the musicians flared up again. After Iommi's insistence and with the backing of Butler and Ward, Osbourne was fired on April 27, 1979 because allegedly his addiction to substances was much worse than those of his peers.

Iommi and Osbourne had had conflicts before they were bandmates. In response to a 1969 flyer in which Ozzy offered his services as a singer, Iommi and Ward went to his house to talk to him. When Iommi saw Osbourne he recognized him from his school days, remembering that at that time he did not like him. Iommi admits to having beaten him many times when his alcohol abuse made him unbearable. The guitarist mentioned an incident in the early 1970s in which Osbourne and Geezer Butler were fighting in a hotel room. Iommi pushed Osbourne in an attempt to break up the fight and the singer proceeded to throw a table on him. Iommi responded by punching him unconscious with a fist to the jaw.

Solo Race

Ozzy Osbourne in Cardiff in 1981.

Ozzy was replaced by singer Ronnie James Dio, recently in the band Rainbow. whole alone in a hotel room. Sharon Arden, daughter of Don Arden, convinced him to continue his musical career. Osbourne signed a contract with Jet Records, owned by Don Arden, which sent his daughter Sharon to Los Angeles to attend to the needs of Don Arden. Ozzy, as a way to protect his investment. Initially, Arden wanted Osbourne to return to Black Sabbath, but realizing that the project with Ronnie James Dio was starting to get under way, he tried to persuade Ozzy to start a band called &# 34;Son of Sabbath", something that Osbourne was not interested in. Sharon later tried to convince him to form a supergroup with guitarist Gary Moore. In late 1979, Osbourne resumed the project Blizzard of Ozz which he had started after his first departure from Black Sabbath. The lineup consisted of drummer Lee Kerslake (of Uriah Heep), bassist/songwriter Bob Daisley (of Rainbow and Uriah Heep), keyboardist Don Airey (from Rainbow and Deep Purple years later s) and the young guitarist Randy Rhoads (of Quiet Riot). The company eventually named the album Blizzard of Ozz and released it under the name Ozzy Osbourne. Blizzard of Ozz is one of the few top 100 selling albums on the 1980s that achieved multi-platinum certification without the benefit of a Top 40 single. The album contained songs that would become classics and landmarks in Osbourne's career, such as "Crazy Train", "Goodbye to Romance", "Suicide Solution" and "Mr. Crowley", the latter based on the life of the famous occultist Aleister Crowley. That year the group embarked on a tour called the Blizzard of Ozz Tour that took them to play in Europe and North America.

Diary of a Madman was released on November 7, 1981. This album is best known for the singles "Over the Mountain" and "Flying High Again"; Additionally, Osbourne explains in his memoirs that Diary is his favorite album.Tommy Aldridge and Rudy Sarzo replaced Kerslake and Daisley in the grouping. Aldridge had been Ozzy's first choice as a drummer, but a commitment to Gary Moore kept him from joining the group in the first place. Sarzo had played with the band Quiet Riot with guitarist Rhoads, who recommended him to fill in for Daisley.. For his work on the band's first two albums, Randy Rhoads was ranked 85th on the list of the best guitarists in history published by Rolling Stone magazine in 2003.

Randy Rhoads in 1980.

On March 19, 1982, the band was at an airfield rest area in Florida on the Diary of a Madman Tour, a week away from playing New York's Madison Square Garden. The bus driver, Andrew Aycock, who had an expired plane license, took Randy Rhoads and makeup artist Rachel Youngblood for a ride in a plane. They flew over the band's bus several times, until one of the wings of the aircraft hit it, causing a deflection that led the plane to impact the garage of a nearby mansion, resulting in the deaths of Rhoads, Aycock and Youngblood. Randy's passing was a terrible loss for Osbourne, who fell into a deep depression. The tour had to be canceled for two weeks.

Gary Moore was the first guitarist invited to replace Rhoads, but the musician declined the offer. Ex-Gillan guitarist Bernie Tormé took over the guitar reins once touring resumed. However, Tormé could not bear the pressure of having to learn the songs so quickly and appearing in front of an audience that was still not coming to terms with Randy's death. His involvement with the band lasted just under a month. During a hotel room audition for guitarists, Ozzy discovered Brad Gillis and hired him immediately. The tour continued, culminating in a live performance of Speak of the Devil, recorded at The Ritz, New York City. Years later a live album called Tribute was released, containing live material from the group with Randy Rhoads.

Despite the difficulties, Osbourne recovered from the loss of his friend Randy. Speak of the Devil, released in the UK as Talk of the Devil, was originally planned to contain live material recorded in 1981 featuring mostly Ozzy solo songs. With a live album contract in place, it ultimately ended up as a Black Sabbath cover album recorded with guitarist Brad Gillis, bassist Rudy Sarzo, and drummer Tommy Aldridge. Osbourne later commented (on the lines of the Tribute album): "I'm not the least bit interested in that album. It was just a bunch of horrible Black Sabbath covers."

In 1983 guitarist Jake E. Lee, who had worked in the bands Ratt and Rough Cutt, was hired. The group entered the studio to record the album Bark at the Moon. With the participation of Bob Daisley, Tommy Aldridge and Don Airey, the album was published on December 10, 1983. The video for the song "Bark at the Moon" it was partially filmed at the Holloway Mental Institution, just outside London. Within a few weeks the album was certified gold. To date, it has sold three million copies in the United States. Between 1983 and 1985 the Bark at the Moon Tour took place, which culminated in a performance at the Rock in Rio festival. in Brazil in January 1985, where the band shared the bill with groups and artists such as Queen, AC/DC, James Taylor, George Benson, Rod Stewart, Yes and Iron Maiden.

In 1986 the album The Ultimate Sin was released, this time featuring Phil Soussan on bass and drummer Randy Castillo, backed by keyboardist John Sinclair as a touring musician. At the time, The Ultimate Sin was Osbourne's highest charting album. It was awarded platinum status by the RIAA on May 14, 1986, reaching double platinum status on October 26, 1994. The single "Shot in the Dark" peaked at number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, while in the United Kingdom it reached number 20 on the charts. On August 16, 1986, he headlined the legendary Monsters of Rock, closing a crowded day at Donington Park.

Jake E. Lee left the band in 1987 after The Ultimate Sin Tour and formed the Badlands with musicians Ray Gillen, Eric Singer and Greg Chaisson. Osbourne marked the fifth anniversary of Randy Rhoads' death with the release of the album Tribute, which contained live material from 1981 and the song Dee, an acoustic instrumental piece Rhoads dedicated to his mother, Dolores. In 1988 Osbourne appeared in the documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years by director Penelope Spheeris. Meanwhile, guitarist Zakk Wylde was hired to replace Lee. No Rest for the Wicked was the next record production, with Castillo on drums, Sinclair on keyboards, and Daisley as bassist and songwriter. For the tour in support of the album, Osbourne reunited with fellow Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler. A live EP (titled Just Say Ozzy) featuring Geezer on bass was released two years ago. later. Butler accompanied Ozzy on the next four tours. In 1988, Osbourne sang a duet on the song "Close My Eyes Forever" with Lita Ford, former guitarist for The Runaways. The song peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. In 1989 the band participated in the Moscow Music Peace Festival event held in Russia, sharing the stage with important bands of the time such as Scorpions, Bon Jovi, Skid Row, Gorky Park, Mötley Crüe and Cinderella.

Zakk Wylde, guitarist of Ozzy Osbourne between 1988 and 2009.

In 1991 the band released the album No More Tears, a production that achieved exposure on radio and television, taking advantage of the still popular MTV network that constantly presented the videos for the songs "No More Tears& #3. 4; and "Mama I'm Coming Home". The album was mixed by Michael Wagener and produced by Duane Baron and John Purdell. Osbourne won a Grammy Award for the song "I Don't Want to Change the World" contained in the live album Live & Loud, for best metal performance in 1994.

Wagener also mixed the aforementioned Live & Loud, released June 28, 1993. The album peaked at #10 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Before its publication, Ozzy announced his retirement from music, arguing that the tours had exhausted him. He even named the tour No More Tours (No more tours). Bassist Mike Inez (Alice in Chains) was in charge of playing bass and Kevin Jones keyboards on the aforementioned tour, since Sinclair was giving concerts with the band British The Cult. Taking advantage of his initial interest in retiring from music, Osbourne invited Black Sabbath to play the last two concerts of the No More Tours tour in Costa Mesa, California, leading to a small reunion that would come to fruition years later. The entire Osbourne catalog was remastered and re-released in 1995.

In 1995 Osbourne returned to the recording studios and released Ozzmosis, also returning to the stage, calling his new tour the "Retirement Sucks Tour". Ozzmosis peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified gold and platinum that same year, and double platinum in April 1999. Songs like "Perry Mason", "Ghost Behind My Eyes", "Thunder Underground", "I Just Want You" and "See You on the Other Side" helped the album achieve said popularity.

The lineup at Ozzmosis consisted of Zakk Wylde, Geezer Butler, Steve Vai and Deen Castronovo. Keyboards were played by Rick Wakeman, popular for his involvement with the prog rock band Yes. Butler and Castronovo remained in the band on tour, but guitarist Joe Holmes was introduced. Roses. Unable to wait for a decision from the guitarist, Osbourne had to replace him. In early 1996, Butler and Castronovo left the lineup. Mike Inez (Alice in Chains) and Randy Castillo (Lita Ford, Mötley Crüe) returned as their replacements. Finally, Mike Bordin (Faith No More) and Robert Trujillo (Suicidal Tendencies, later in Metallica) joined the band as drummer and bassist respectively. The following year a compilation album called The Ozzman Cometh was released, containing the most recognized songs of Ozzy's solo career and some demos from his time in Black Sabbath. short promoting the compilation called The Ozzman Cometh Tour in some cities of Japan and Oceania.

Ozzfest

In 1996, Ozzfest began, a festival created by Sharon Osbourne in collaboration with her son Jack. The idea of the event was to unify classical bands with recently formed groups in a single festival. In the first edition of Ozzfest, the groups Slayer, Danzig, Biohazard, Sepultura, Prong, Fear Factory, Earth Crisis, Powerman 5000 and Coal Chamber, among others, met. The headlining act at the event was, of course, the Ozzy Osbourne band. The event was held in Phoenix, Arizona on October 25, 1996 and in San Bernardino, California the following day. Ozzfest became a hit with heavy metal fans, collaborating with the newly formed bands so they could achieve commercial recognition. It also served as a platform for a new Black Sabbath reunion in order to give some concerts.

Ozzfest Scenario in its 2007 edition.

Since its inception, nearly five million people have attended Ozzfest, which has generated nearly $100 million in revenue. In 2005, Osbourne and his wife Sharon starred on MTV in a reality show called "Battle for Ozzfest", where groups still without any signed contract aspired to participate in the 2005 edition of the festival and win a record contract.

The festival was held from 1996 to 2008 without interruption. In 2009 it was not held because Osbourne was recording a new album. In 2010 it was held again, but in 2011 and 2012 it was not held due to the recording of Black Sabbath's album 13 and the corresponding tour. In 2013 the festival was held in Japan with Black Sabbath as the headliner. In 2016 the festival was held again in San Bernardino, with a lineup that included bands such as Megadeth, Suicidal Tendencies, Disturbed, Black Label Society, Opeth, Municipal Waste, Rival Sons, and Black Sabbath.

New Millennium

Down to Earth, Ozzy Osbourne's first studio album in six years, was released on October 16, 2001, followed by the live album Live at Budokan. Down to Earth went gold in 2001 and went platinum in 2003. The ballad "Dreamer" it peaked at number ten on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. In June 2002, Osbourne performed the song "Paranoid" at the Party at the Palace concert at Buckingham Palace, commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee. Between 2001 and 2002, a world tour was held in support of the new album called the Down to Earth Tour.

On December 8, 2003, Osbourne was admitted to Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, England, after he was involved in a four-wheeler accident on his estate in Jordans, Buckinghamshire. According to the medical report, Ozzy had a fractured left clavicle and eight ribs on the left side and a small fracture to one of the vertebrae in his neck. While in hospital, Osbourne achieved his first number one on the UK Singles chart. Chart with a cover of the song "Changes" that he sang a duet with his daughter Kelly. Despite the accident, Ozzy was able to recover and headline the 2004 Ozzfest festival.

Ozzy Osbourne lives in Argentina (2008).

In 2005 he released a box set called Prince of Darkness. The first and second disc contain singles, live songs, demos and B-sides. The third disc contains Ozzy's collaborations with other artists and the fourth contains covers of other bands that were of great influence on Osbourne's musical career such as The Beatles, John Lennon, David Bowie, Mountain and Cream.

In October 2006 it was announced that Tony Iommi, Ronnie James Dio, Vinny Appice and Geezer Butler would tour together again, not as Black Sabbath, but as Heaven and Hell (title of Black Sabbath's first album with Dio as singer). On his official page Osbourne wished the project good luck, making it clear that there was only one true Black Sabbath. Guitarist Zakk Wylde expressed himself in the same way in an interview with the music page SongFacts. Meanwhile, Ozzy was in the studio to record the album Black Rain, the which was released on May 22, 2007. "I thought I would never write music without some kind of encouragement... But you know what? Instead of grabbing the bottle, I was honest and said, 'I don't want my life to fall apart,' Ozzy said in an interview for Billboard magazine.

Osbourne revealed in July 2009 that he was looking for a new guitarist, saying that his relationship with Zakk Wylde was still good, but that he felt his band was beginning to sound too similar to Black Label Society in style. by Wylde) and that he was in need of a sound change. In August 2009, Osbourne appeared at the BlizzCon convention with Greek guitarist Gus G as Wylde's replacement. Later that year, he lent his voice and likeness to create the character. "Guardian of Metal" in the video game Brütal Legend. In November, guitarist Slash (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver) invited Ozzy to sing on his single 'Crucify The Dead'. The song was finally put online on the Amazon site on March 23, 2010, a few days before the release of the album Slash. Also in November 2009, Osbourne and his wife were the guest hosts of the professional wrestling show WWE Raw. In December, Osbourne announced that he would be releasing a new studio album titled Soul Sucka featuring the aforementioned Gus G on guitar., Tommy Clufetos on drums and Blasko on bass. On March 29, 2010, it was announced via the internet that the name of the album would definitely be Scream.

Years 2010

Scream & Meeting with Black Sabbath & Ozzy and Friends Tour: 2010 - 2012

On April 13, 2010 Osbourne announced on his official website that the release date for Scream would be June 15 of that year. This date was eventually pushed to June 22. The single "Let Me Hear You Scream" debuted on April 14, 2010 in an episode of the television series CSI: NY. The song peaked at #7 on the Billboard charts.

Osbourne and Blasko live in 2013.

On August 9, 2010, Osbourne announced the name of the album's second single: 'Life Won't Wait'. He also mentioned that the video clip would be directed by his son Jack. After the release of Scream, Ozzy began an 18-month world tour to promote his new album, taking him to perform for the first time in countries like Ecuador, Peru, Panama and Colombia.

Album 13 with Black Sabbath & Memoirs of a Madman: 2013 - 2015

After completing his Ozzy And Friends tour in 2012, Osbourne dedicated himself to recording Black Sabbath's new album, “13”, which was released in 2013 and was accompanied by a world tour throughout 2013 and 2014.

In October 2014, Osbourne released Memoirs of a Madman, a compilation album of the greatest hits of his solo career. The CD version contains 17 popular singles including "Crazy Train", "Mr. Crowley", "No More Tears" and "Mama, I'm Coming Home". The DVD version contains music videos, live performances, and interviews.

The End & Meeting with Zakk Wylde: 2016 - 2017

At the end of 2015, Black Sabbath announced their farewell tour, called “The End”, which took place between 2016 and 2017, with its final date taking place in Birmingham, the city of origin of the band; That same year, a final live album by the band was released, entitled "The End Live", collecting said final performance.

In April 2017 it was announced that Osbourne and Zakk Wylde would play together on a tour commemorating 30 years since Wylde joined the band. The first concert was held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on July 14, that year. Osbourne is currently working on a new solo album.

No More Tours II & Back Accident: 2018 - 2019

On November 6, 2017, Ozzy was announced as the Sunday seed at Download Festival 2018. After headlining the festival as a singer and member of Black Sabbath, this was the first time the musician he was part of the main bill at Download as a solo artist. It was also announced that participation in said festival would be part of the final tour in Osbourne's career.

On September 6, 2019, Osbourne featured on the song "Take What You Want" by Post Malone, which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the British singer's first Top 10 hit on the US charts after his collaboration with Lita Ford on the song "Close My Eyes Forever" from 1989.

Ordinary Man: 2020 - 2021

On November 8 of the same year, the single "Under the Graveyard" was released, a new song after almost ten years that, according to Epic Records, would be part of Osbourne's next studio album, Ordinary Man, which was scheduled to be released at the beginning of 2020. According to the veteran singer, "this is perhaps the most important album I have made in a long time, possibly since No More Tears". This new work, recorded in Los Angeles, featured Andrew Watt on guitar, Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses) on bass and Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) on drums. The new song was a ballad with heavy guitar riffs that harked back to the darkness of his former band Black Sabbath. On the other hand, it was also reported that the European part of the No More Tours II tour was postponed until the first half of 2021, including its scheduled date in Madrid on March 13, 2020, due to the singer's health problems. In November 2019, a new single by the artist was published, "Straight to Hell", in which he had the collaboration of Guns N' Roses, Slash.

Patient Number 9 & Final Retirement from Touring: 2022 - Present

Years 2020

On January 10, 2020, a new single was released, this time featuring Elton John, entitled "Ordinary Man" and sharing the same title with Osbourne's new album, released on February 21, 2020. Ordinary Man was generally well received by critics, charting in its first week of release. release in tenth position on the Japanese Oricon chart. Days after the album's release, Osbourne stated in an interview with IHeartRadio that his desire is to make a new album with Andrew Watt, main producer of Ordinary Man.

In July 2020, Sharon Osbourne confirmed that her husband was working on a new studio album: “He started his second album with Andrew Watt at the moment. You can't stop him, he's doing it.” Ozzy Osbourne's upcoming studio album will feature an all-star cast of backing musicians, including members of the Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Metallica. Producer and guitarist Andrew Watt says the group is "halfway through" from the 2020 follow-up to 'Ordinary Man' recording.

In February 2023, he announced the permanent cancellation of his tours due to a spinal injury.

Black Sabbath Gathering

Ozzy would reunite with Black Sabbath on several occasions after their expulsion in 1979, meeting occasionally for some concerts, but also to record material and meet permanently.

He would first meet them at the 1985 Live Aid festival, where he would perform only some of the band's most successful songs, and then join them during the last concerts of their farewell tour.

Finally, he would officially rejoin the band along with the other original components in 1997, to participate in concerts and some world tours and also record the singles Psycho Man and Selling My Soul with them, which would be included on their album in straight from the meeting.

The band would stay together with their original line-up for several years and play a few Ozzfest festivals.

Later, Tony Iommi would once again give priority to Black Sabbath to reunite the formation of the album “Mob Rules” with Ronnie James Dio on vocals and Vinny Appice on drums, something that would generate a legal confrontation with Osbourne to prevent them from the band will tour as Black Sabbath.

Eventually, the band would go into inactivity, due to the legal confrontation between Iommi and Osbourne, where it was declared that the rights to the Black Sabbath name belonged to the two in almost equal shares, which caused Iommi and Dio to turn with each other. the name of “Heaven & Hell”, leaving Black Sabbath in a state of inactivity until they decided to meet with Osbourne.

After Heaven & Hell in 2010 due to the death of its vocalist, Dio, Iommi would give statements of a possible Black Sabbath reunion with his original lineup.

Finally, on November 11, 2011, the reunion of the original lineup of Black Sabbath, consisting of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, was announced during a conference at the Whiskey a Go Go club in Hollywood for the undertaking a world tour and the recording of a new studio album to be produced by Rick Rubin. Bill Ward left the project due to contractual issues, being replaced by Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine on the recording of the album as a band musician. session. On May 21, 2012, Black Sabbath gave a concert in Birmingham, their first performance since the reunion began. The album, titled 13, was released on June 11, 2013 and achieved to top the UK Albums Chart and Billboard 200. Following the album's release, the band embarked on a world farewell and retirement tour called "The End".

Other productions

In 2002, MTV began broadcasting the reality show The Osbournes, based on the daily life of Ozzy and his family (his wife Sharon, their children Jack and Kelly and some appearance occasional performance by his son Louis, though his daughter Aimee refused to participate). It premiered on March 5, 2002 and aired until March 21, 2005.

Osbourne (center) and his band in 2011.

The success of The Osbournes led Ozzy and the rest of his family to present the 30th American Music Awards in January 2003. The night was marked by the constant censorship of the off-color statements made by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. Presenter Patricia Heaton left the stage mid-performance in disgust. On 20 February 2008, Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack Osbourne presented the Brit Awards at Earls Court Exhibition Centre.

On January 25, 2010, the autobiographical book I Am Ozzy was released, written by Osbourne with the collaboration of journalist Chris Ayres. The text recounts all the incidents of Ozzy's harsh childhood, as well as his experiences in Black Sabbath and his solo career.

A documentary about the life and work of Ozzy Osbourne, titled God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, premiered in April 2011 at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released on DVD in November 2011. year. The documentary was produced by Jack Osbourne.

On May 15, 2013 Osbourne, along with members of Black Sabbath at the time, appeared in an episode of the series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation titled "Skin in the Game& #34;.

On July 24, 2016, the television show Ozzy & Jack's World Detour on the History channel. During each episode, Ozzy and his son Jack visit different parts of the world to learn about its history and customs.

In August 2020, a new television production titled The Osbournes Want To Believe was released through the Travel Channel, in which Ozzy Osbourne, accompanied by his wife and son Jack, analyze a series of paranormal events. The series, which consists of eight episodes in its first season, was mostly recorded during the quarantine caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Personal life

Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon in 2004.

Following his 1971 marriage to Thelma Malfayr in Birmingham and their subsequent divorce, Osbourne married Sharon Arden on 4 July 1982 and had three children with her, Aimee (2 September 1983), Kelly (27 October 1984) and Jack (November 8, 1985). They also fostered his friend Robert Marcato into his home after his mother passed away, but never legally adopted him. Osbourne has a large number of grandchildren.

The musician wrote a song dedicated to his daughter Aimee, which appears as the B-side of the album Ozzmosis. He divides his time between his mansion in Buckinghamshire and his home in Malibu, California.

The New York Times reported in 1992 that Osbourne was a member of the Church of England and that he said a prayer before leaving for each concert. In 2002, Osbourne and Sharon were invited to a dinner at the White House. The then President of the United States, George Bush, noted Ozzy's presence at the ceremony and referred to him jokingly commenting: "The thing about Ozzy is that he has recorded great songs – "Party with the Animals" ("Party with Animals"), "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" ("Bloody Saturday"), "Facing Hell" ("Facing Hell"), "Black Skies" ("Dark Sky") and "Bloodbath in Paradise" ("Bloodbath in Paradise"). Ozzy, my mom loves your music."

Ozzy and Sharon are one of the richest couples in the UK, according to the Sunday Times newspaper, with an average of £100 million earned from recording records, touring and television shows. Osbourne has around 15 tattoos on his body, the most famous being the one on the knuckles of his left hand with the inscription O-Z-Z-Y. It was his first tattoo and he drew it himself when he was still a teenager.

Ozzy suffered some minor burns in a house fire in 2013. On his 65th birthday, December 3, 2013, he asked his fans to celebrate his special date by making donations to the Royal Marsden Cancer Foundation in London.

On February 6, 2019, Osbourne was hospitalized at an undisclosed location on the advice of his doctor due to flu complications, postponing the European leg of his No More Tours II tour. The problem was described as a "serious upper respiratory infection" following a bout of influenza that her doctor feared could develop into pneumonia, given the physical toll of live performances and an extensive tour schedule across Europe in harsh winter conditions. The pneumonia is respiratory tract-focused and is often fatal in elderly patients, making it necessary to take preventive measures. On February 12, Osbourne was transferred to an intensive care unit. Live Nation Entertainment, promoters of the tour, announced in a public statement that they expected Osbourne to be "fit and healthy" for the upcoming season. and that he could provide tour dates in Australia and New Zealand in March.

The tour was finally canceled after the musician suffered serious injuries in a fall at his Los Angeles home while recovering from pneumonia. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's in February 2019, news Osbourne himself revealed in January of 2020.

Addictions

Osbourne suffered from drug and alcohol addictions for most of his adult life. Tony Iommi, Ozzy's bandmate in Black Sabbath, claimed that although all the band members were addicted, Osbourne's lifestyle he was the least healthy of all. Keyboardist Don Airey admitted that the singer's addictions were what prompted him to leave Ozzy's band.

Osbourne has commented that his first experience with cocaine was in early 1971 in a hotel in Denver, Colorado, after a performance by Black Sabbath with the band Mountain. He claims that Leslie West, guitarist and singer of Mountain, induced him to use said drug. Despite the fact that he has managed to stay clean of substances for some periods in recent years, Osbourne has frequently referred to his dangerous lifestyle and the way in which he has managed to survive forty years abusing of drugs and alcohol. After being expelled from Black Sabbath in 1979, Osbourne spent the next three months locked in a hotel room consuming a large amount of alcohol and drugs. He has assured that if it had not been for the intervention of Sharon Arden would probably have died around this time.

Osbourne states in his autobiography that in 1981 he was invited to a meeting at the CBS premises in Germany. Drunk, he decided to do a striptease on a table and kiss one of the company executives on the mouth. Sharon then told him that during the meeting he had carried out a Nazi march and then urinated in the executive's wine.

In 1982, while wearing a Sharon dress, Osbourne urinated on a cenotaph erected to honor those killed in the Battle of the Alamo in Texas. A police officer arrested him and his entry into the city of San Antonio was banned for a decade. In May 1984, Osbourne was arrested in Memphis, Tennessee, again for scandal and public drunkenness. Bassist Nikki Sixx of the Los Angeles band Mötley Crüe claims in the book The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band that on a tour of his band with Ozzy Osbourne in 1984, the singer snorted a line of ants with a cocaine sniffer and then urinated on the floor and drank his own urine.

Osbourne experienced tremors for a few years and linked it to his drug abuse. In May 2005, he discovered that it was Parkin syndrome, a genetic condition with symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease. He was prescribed daily medication to control the involuntary tremors caused by this condition. He also displayed symptoms of hearing loss, evident on the television show The Osbournes, where he frequently had to ask family members to they repeated what they were told.

Disputes

Osbourne, escorted by Philadelphia police, after signing some copies of his book I Am Ozzy on 27 January 2010.

Throughout his career, Christian groups accused Osbourne of being a negative example to young people, often branding him a Satanist. The single "Mr. Crowley" of their first album generated controversy due to its lyrical content, directed at occultist Aleister Crowley, accused on several occasions of practicing Satanism. In 1981, on the cover image of the album Diary of a Madman it included an inverted cross on the wall, an event that fueled the controversy over Osbourne's alleged Satanism.

In March 1981, at Sharon's request, the two brought a pair of doves as a symbol of peace to a meeting with CBS executives. The birds were to be released at the end of the meeting, but Ozzy bit the head off one of them. live bat on stage and the animal defended itself and bit its face, so it was mandatory to suspend the presentation and take Osbourne to the emergency room to be vaccinated against rabies. In the year 2000 he participated in the movie Little Nicky by Adam Sandler, parodying his incident with the bat.

In 1984, a 19-year-old Canadian named John McCollum committed suicide with a firearm. When picking up the body, he had headphones on with an Ozzy Osbourne cassette playing the song & # 34; Suicide Solution & # 34;, from his first solo album, Blizzard of Ozz . This young man's father sued Ozzy Osbourne for inducing his fans to commit suicide. But Osbourne, conducting his own defense in court, argued that the song was dedicated to the late AC/DC singer Bon Scott, who died of drunken aspiration. The United States Supreme Court acquitted the man. there is no consistent evidence, saying that it was only the lyrics of a song.

In 1989, while intoxicated, he attempted to strangle his wife, Sharon. The police arrested him and charged him with attempted murder. The judge ruled that he would have to spend three months away from his family and go to a rehabilitation center if he wanted to see them again. Sharon filed for divorce after the incident, but months later the couple reconciled.

In lawsuits from 2000 to 2002, musicians Bob Daisley, Lee Kerslake, and Phil Soussan sued Osbourne for breaching royalties from albums in which they participated. To settle future lawsuits, Osbourne's original contributions Daisley and Kerslake were replaced by recordings made by Robert Trujillo on bass and Mike Bordin on drums, forcing a re-release of these productions with new bass and drum tracks.

In July 2010, Osbourne and Tony Iommi decided to end their legal battle over the use of the Black Sabbath trademark. On the Blabbermouth site it was reported that "both parties are satisfied to put this inconvenience behind them and wish to clarify that the lawsuit never occurred for personal reasons, it was simply business matters."

Legacy and influence

Over the years, Osbourne has helped jumpstart the careers of bands still making their way in the music industry. In 1984, the band that accompanied him on the Bark at the Moon tour was Mötley Crüe, who were promoting their second studio album, Shout at the Devil. Some other bands that have accompanied Ozzy on his tours are Metallica, Megadeth, Motörhead, Pantera, Rob Zombie, Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Def Leppard, Korn, Slipknot, Linkin Park, Black Label Society, Coal Chamber, System of to Down, Marilyn Manson, among others. With the creation of the Ozzfest festival, Osbourne has given the opportunity for new bands to achieve greater recognition, as with his "Battle for Ozzfest" competition, which offered a record deal and participation in the festival to the group that will be the winner of the contest.

On the fourth disc of the Prince of Darkness compilation box set, ten covers were included by other bands and artists who have been a major influence on Ozzy Osbourne, such as King Crimson, Mountain, Mott the Hoople, Buffalo Springfield, The Rolling Stones, John Lennon and Eric Burdon. On numerous occasions he has assured that the British group The Beatles was his main inspiration and impulse to become a musician. After the death at the end of 2015 of the musician Lemmy Kilmister, founder of the Motörhead group, Osbourne gave an interview to Rolling Stone where he commented: "Lemmy was my hero, he was a fantastic guy, a good friend. He didn't write good songs, he wrote wonderful songs."

In 2000 the tribute album Bat Head Soup: A Tribute to Ozzy was released, produced by Bob Kulick and Bruce Bouillet, with the participation of musicians such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Tim "Ripper" Owens, Lemmy Kilmister, Dee Snider, Doug Aldrich, Jeff Scott Soto, Paul Gilbert, Vince Neil and Jeff Pilson. On February 21, 2006 another tribute called Flying High Again - The World's Greatest was released. Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, featuring versions recorded by artists such as George Lynch, Lita Ford, Richie Kotzen, Jason Bonham, Eric Singer, Joe Lynn Turner and Alex Skolnick. The Nativity in Black tribute album series pays homage to Black Sabbath, emphasizing the period in which Ozzy Osbourne was the singer of the group. Musicians and bands such as White Zombie, Megadeth, Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, Al Jourgensen, Faith No More, Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford and Type O Negative participated in their recording.

Awards and recognitions

Star Road in Birmingham.

Osbourne has received several awards for his contributions to the music industry. In 1994 he won a Grammy Award for the song "I Don't Want to Change the World"; from the album Live & Loud in the Best Metal Performance category.

In 2002, mainly due to the success achieved with his television series The Osbournes, Ozzy received his star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, located at 6780 Hollywood Boulevard. At the award ceremony, hosted by singer Marilyn Manson, Osbourne declared: "To say this is an honor is not enough. I'm overwhelmed, with all of you leaving the house early in the morning to see my old ass."

In 2005 he was inducted into the UK Hall of Fame as a solo artist and as a musician with Black Sabbath. Additionally, in 2006 he was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath.

In 2007 Osbourne was honored at the second edition of the VH1 Rock Honors ceremony, along with the groups Genesis, Heart and ZZ Top. Additionally, that year he obtained a bronze star on the Way of the Stars in Birmingham, England. Upon attending this tribute, he commented: "I feel really honored, all my family is here and I want to thank you all for this reception. I am absolutely amazed".

In 2008 he was awarded the "Living Legend" award at the Classic Rock Roll of Honor ceremony. The award had been given to musicians such as Alice Cooper, Lemmy and Jimmy Page. Guitarist Slash was in charge of presenting the award. In 2010 Osbourne won the "Literary Achievement" award for his memoir I Am Ozzy, at the Guys Choice Awards at the Sony Pictures studio in Culver City, California. The award was presented by renowned actor Ben Kingsley. The book debuted at #2 on the New York Times best-seller list. Osbourne was also a judge on issues 6, 10 and 11 of the Independent Music Awards that are held in order to support the career of independent artists.

Awards and nominations

Grammies

MTV Europe Music Awards

Members

Current

• Ozzy Osbourne - voice (1979–present)
• Rob "Blasko" Nicholson – bass (2003, 2006–present)
• Adam Wakeman – keyboards, rhythmic guitar (2004–present)
• Zakk Wylde – Leading Guitar (1987-2009, 2017-present)
• Tommy Clufetos – drums, percussion (2010–present)

Previous

Guitar

• Randy Rhoads - (1980-1982)
• Bernie Tormé - (1982)
• Brad Gillis - (1982)
• Jake E. Lee - (1983-1987)
• Joe Holmes - (1995-2000)
• Jerry Cantrell - (2005)
• Gus G - (2009-2017)

Low

• Bob Daisley - (1980-1981) / (1982-1989)
• Rudy Sarzo - (1981-1982)
• Pete Way - December 1982
• Don Costa - 1983
• Phil Soussan - (1986-1988)
• Geezer Butler - (1988-1989) / (1994-1995)
• Mike Inez - (1990-1993)
• Robert Trujillo - (1994-2003)
• Jason Newsted - (2003-2005)

Battery

• Lee Kerslake - (1980)
• Tommy Aldridge - (1981-1985)
• Carmine Appice - (1983-1984)
• Randy Castillo - (1985-1993)
• Deen Castronovo - (1994-1995)
• Mike Bordin - (1996-2009)

Keyboards

• Don Airey - (1979-1985)
• Lindsey Bridgewater - (1980-1983)
• Mike Moran - (1985)
• John Sinclair - (1986-1991, 1995-2003)
• Kevin Jones - (1991-1992)
• Rick Wakeman - (1995)

Timeline

Discography

Studio Albums

With Black Sabbath

As a solo artist

Release date	Album	Lists		RIAA	Discographic
20 September 1980	Blizzard of Ozz	11	7	4xPlatin (USA)	Jet Records
7 November 1981	Diary of a Madman	6	14	3xPlatin (USA)	Jet Records
10 December 1983	Bark at the Moon	19	24	3xPlatin (USA)	Epic Records
22 February 1986	The Ultimate Without	6	8	2xPlatin (USA)	Epic Records
22 October 1988	No Rest for the Wicked	13	23	2xPlatin (USA)	Epic Records
17 September 1991	No More Tears	7	17	4xPlatin (USA)	Epic Records
23 October 1995	Ozzmosis	4	22	2xPlatin (USA)	Epic Records
16 October 2001	Down to Earth	4	19	Platinum (USA)	Epic Records
1 November 2005	Under Cover	134	67		Epic Records
22 May 2007	Black Rain	3	8	Gold (US)	Epic Records
22 June 2010	Scream	4	12	Gold (US)	Epic Records
21 February 2020	Ordinary Man				Epic Records
9 September 2022	Patient Number 9				Epic Records

Tours

Filmography

• Trick or Treat (1986) - Reverend Aaron Gilstrom
• The Jerky Boys: The Movie (1995) - gang manager
• South Park (1998) - Voice
• Little Nicky (2000) - himself
• Moulin Rouge! (2001) - Voice
• Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) - himself
• Dame Edna Live at the Palace (2003)
• Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind (2007) - Voice
• Brütal Legend (2009) (Videogame) - The Guardian of Metal, Dadbat (Voz)
• Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) -Voz
• Fish Hooks (2011) - Voice
• Howard Stern on Demand (2013) - Himself
• Bubble Guppies (2015) - Voice
• Ghostbusters (2016) - Rock Star
• The 7D (2016) - Voice
• Trolls World Tour (2020) - Voice
• One of those Days (2022) - Voice