Ozzy Osbourne biographer defends Sharon Osbourne from ‘evil, puppet master' reputation after rocker's death

New York Post

a day ago

Team Sharon.
Daniel Bukszpan, author of the 2023 biography 'Ozzy At 75 : The Unofficial Illustrated History,' exclusively spoke to The Post after Ozzy Osbourne's death and defended his wife Sharon Osbourne from the negative reputation she's had in the music industry.
'Within the heavy metal subculture, Sharon Osborne has a reputation as this evil shrew, puppet master controlling him from off-stage or whatever,' Bukszpan said.
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9 Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne speak onstage at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
Getty Images for The Recording Academy
'The truth of it is she met him after he had been fired from Black Sabbath. He was borderline homeless — could easily be just a couple of months away from walking down the street with a shopping cart barking at people,' Bukszpan recalled. 'She found him in that state and said, 'I think I can turn this guy into a solo artist,' when everyone had completely given up on him.'
9 Biographer Daniel Bukszpan.
Daniel Bukszpan
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Bukszpan pointed out that Sharon, 72, made Ozzy 'more famous' when she became his solo manager in 1979 after he was kicked out of Black Sabbath.
'And due to her ability to corral him and direct him and that sort of thing, she made him one of the biggest stars in the world,' the author said.
9 Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne at their Beverly Hills home.
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Bukszpan also declared of Sharon and Ozzy: 'I believe she kept him alive the whole time.'
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'I sometimes get heavy metal people mad at me because I'll always defend her..It's sort of the way some Beatles fans see Yoko Ono,' the music expert continued. 'Like that she was just this woman interfering. No, she kept him alive and made him one of the biggest stars in the world for over 40 years. And gave him a family who he clearly loves and means everything to him.'
9 Daniel Bukszpan in his interview with The Post.
9 Daniel Bukszpan's biography 'Ozzy at 75: The Unofficial Illustrated History.'
Daniel Bukszpan
Bukszpan added of the hate Sharon's dealt with, 'I think when a public figure is as beloved as he was, people sometimes develop inappropriate attachment to them wherein they feel like, 'That woman's not good for him. He should marry me.' Like that kind of a thing. It's kind of high school cafeteria stuff.'
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But Bukszpan did note that Ozzy's widow — whom the singer married in 1982 and shared kids Aimee, Kelly and Jack with — 'has been known to be unpleasant at times.'
9 Sharon Osbourne hugging Ozzy Osbourne in 2007.
WireImage
'That's not a secret either,' he stated. 'I just think the way she's being characterized is wrong. And the fact that he made it to 76, I give all the credit to her. She kept him going and put up with a lot of stuff you would not put up with for a minute in your own marriage. But she took the marriage vows seriously and stood by him.'
'She saw something most of us did not,' Bukszpan continued about Sharon. 'And again, I don't like the way that she is characterized in a popular sense. And it's not just because she kept him alive this whole time. They clearly loved each other the whole time. And I think we have to give them the benefit of the doubt. That was a good marriage. If it was just about business, she would have stopped a long time ago.'
9 Sharon Osbourne at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on June 25, 2025.
Emma Trimble / SWNS
'So I will always defend her,' Bukszpan added, 'even though I'm fully aware of numerous things she has done that were not that great.'
Bukszpan also told The Post what he thinks Sharon's next steps will be following Ozzy's death.
'Sharon had said before the show, 'I'm done. I'm out of artist management. I am out of doing these events. I just want a quiet life now.' And I can certainly see that if that's what she chooses to do,' he explained. 'I can see how you're out of the game at this point.'
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9 Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' in 2002.
Kevin Winter/ImageDirect
'As far as the rest of his family, I'm sure they're just completely devastated right now,' Bukszpan also said, 'and I think it'll probably be a while before we hear from them, which I get it.'
9 Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne and Jack Osbourne in 2002.
©MTV/Courtesy Everett Collection
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Ozzy's beloved family confirmed he was 'surrounded by love' when he died on Tuesday.
The rock legend spent years fighting several ailments, including Parkinson's disease.