Life on a 'Crazy Train': A timeline of Ozzy Osbourne's odyssey
His death came just weeks after reuniting with his band Black Sabbath for a final farewell show in England.
Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948, he became one of the most influential rock musicians of the 20th century as both lead singer of Black Sabbath and as a prolific solo artist.
In his five decades of making music, he was awarded five Grammys and Black Sabbath was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.
Ozzy Osbourne through the years
Throughout his life, Osbourne was known for crazy antics like eating a live bat on stage, eating a live dove in a meeting with record executives and being jailed for urinating on the Alamo Cenotaph.
Osbourne also achieved reality TV star fame with 'The Osbournes,' a show that followed his family and aired on MTV for four seasons beginning in 2002.
He also dealt with rampant drug addiction and alcoholism, ultimately achieving sobriety and releasing his penultimate 2020 album: 'Ordinary Man.'
He leaves behind Sharon Osbourne, his wife of more than 40 years, as well as daughters Jessica, Aimee and Kelly and sons Elliot, Louis and Jack.
The news of his passing may be addressed best by Osbourne himself with these lyrics from the 1980 song 'Goodbye to Romance' from his inaugural solo album 'Blizzard of Ozz':
'I say goodbye to romance, yeah
Goodbye to friends, I tell you
Goodbye to all the past
I guess that we'll meet, we'll meet in the end.'
Read more: Rock star Ozzy Osbourne dies at 76, weeks after final Black Sabbath show
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New York Post
21 minutes ago
- New York Post
Ozzy Osbourne revealed one condition for his funeral before death at 76
Legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne said he didn't want his funeral to be a 'mope-fest' — but instead a celebration of his life. More than a decade before his death at age 76 last week, the Black Sabbath icon divulged on wishes for his funeral when the time eventually came. In a Dear Ozzy column for The Times of London in 2011, the 'Crazy Train' hitmaker, who was dubbed the Prince of Darkness, was asked if he had any thoughts on his memorial. 5 Legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne said he didn't want his funeral to be a 'mope-fest.' Ozzy Osbourne/Instagram 'I honestly don't care what they play at my funeral; they can put on a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and We Are the Diddymen if it makes 'em happy,' he said at the time. 'But I do want to make sure it's a celebration, not a mope-fest.' 'I'd also like some pranks: maybe the sound of knocking inside the coffin; or a video of me asking my doctor for a second opinion on his diagnosis of 'death.' There'll be no harping on the bad times.' The 'War Pigs' rock star then addressed the fan's question. 'So to answer your question, yes, a bit of planning is the right thing to do for the family you leave behind.' 5 More than a decade before his death at age 76 last week, the Black Sabbath icon divulged on wishes for his funeral when the time eventually came. Getty Images for The Recording Academy Ozzy added that it's 'worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives. So by any measure, most of us in this country — especially rock stars like me — are very lucky.' 'That's why I don't want my funeral to be sad. I want it to be a time to say 'thanks,'' he added. In 2023, Ozzy said he would 'die a happy man' if he could express his gratitude to loyal fans ahead of his farewell show. Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2023, the musician admitted that his final wish was to feel 'well enough' for one more live performance before his time was up. 5 'I don't want my funeral to be sad. I want it to be a time to say 'thanks,'' Ozzy said. Greg Draven/X 'If I can't continue doing shows on a regular basis, I just want to be well enough to do one show where I can say, 'Hi guys, thanks so much for my life,'' he told the outlet. 'That's what I'm working towards, and if I drop down dead at the end of it, I'll die a happy man.' The rocker's wish came true on July 5 when he took to the stage for the final time at his Black Sabbath farewell concert, titled 'Back to the Beginning,' in Birmingham, England. Ozzy wowed the 42,000-person crowd at Villa Park for what turned out to be his last performance in his lifetime. 5 Ozzy Osbourne died on July 22 aged 76 after battling Parkinsons for years. Redferns via Getty Images Elsewhere in his 2023 interview, the rocker insisted that he 'doesn't fear death' and was well-aware that he had 'at best 10 years left.' 'I don't fear dying, but I don't want to have a long, painful and miserable existence. I like the idea that if you have a terminal illness, you can go to a place in Switzerland and get it done quickly. I saw my father die of cancer.' He went on, 'But look, I said to Sharon [Osbourne] that I'd smoked a joint recently and she said, 'What are you doing that for? It'll f–king kill you!' 'I said, 'How long do you want me to f–king live for?!' At best, I've got 10 years left and when you're older, time picks up speed.' 5 The rocker is survived by his wife, Sharon Osbourne, six children and 10 grandkids. FilmMagic 'Me and Sharon had our 41st wedding anniversary recently, and that's just unbelievable to me,' he added. The rocker is survived by his wife, Sharon Osbourne, six children and 10 grandkids.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Ozzy Osbourne Funeral Procession to Be Held in His Hometown on Wednesday, City Says
When Ozzy Osbourne was an advice columnist for the Sunday Times of London, he detailed what he wanted his funeral to be like. The heavy metal singer and reality TV star wrote in 2011 that he hoped the eventual ceremony would be 'a celebration, not a mope-fest,' and preferably include some pranks — 'maybe the sound of knocking inside the coffin.' On Tuesday, the City Council in the singer's hometown, Birmingham, England, said that a celebration of the singer's life would be held there on Wednesday, with a hearse carrying his body through Birmingham's main street accompanied by a brass band. The procession will culminate at the Black Sabbath Bench, a tourist attraction dedicated to Osbourne and his bandmates in the heavy metal group that has become a focal point for fan tributes since Osbourne's death at age 76 last week. Zafar Iqbal, Birmingham's lord mayor, an honorary position, said in a statement that 'it was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral. We know how much this moment will mean to his fans.' The Osbourne family is covering all costs related to the procession, the lord mayor added. Details of a private family funeral have not yet been announced. A spokesman for the Osbourne family did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. The procession will take place just weeks after Osbourne performed his last ever show, 'Back to the Beginning,' an all-day festival on July 5 that celebrated the singer's life and music. Held at a soccer stadium in Birmingham, the concert also served as a momentary reunion for Black Sabbath, the band that he and three other musicians formed in 1968. Heavy metal and rock bands including Metallica, Slayer and Guns 'n' Roses also played sets and covered Black Sabbath songs at that event, and video tributes from celebrities like Elton John and Dolly Parton were broadcast on large screens at the side of the stage. As Black Sabbath's lead singer, Osbourne was widely considered a forefather of heavy metal music, although he achieved more commercial success in the 1980s and 1990s as a solo musician after his bandmates fired him. In the 2000s, he added reality television success to his résumé thanks to the MTV show 'The Osbournes,' which documented the daily life of the singer and his family. After Osbourne's death, many of his fans traveled to Birmingham to leave tributes. Some also signed a condolence book at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, which has been hosting an exhibition on Osbourne.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ozzy Osbourne Wanted ‘Some Pranks' and 'Justin Bieber' to Be Played at His Funeral in Resurfaced Article
"There'll be no harping on the bad times," Osbourne, who died on July 22, said in a 2011 articleNEED TO KNOW Ozzy Osbourne quipped that he wanted "some pranks" and "Justin Bieber" to be played at his funeral in a response to a fan's question about funeral planning from 2011 Osbourne, who died on July 22, said, "There'll be no harping on the bad times" In 2022, the Prince of Darkness told PEOPLE that "survival" is his legacyOzzy Osbourne had some ideas for his funeral when he mused about it 14 years ago. In a 2011 "Dr. Ozzy Osbourne" column response for The Times, the Prince of Darkness answered a fan's question about what he wanted his funeral to look like. "Is it too morbid to plan your own funeral?" the fan wrote in, "or is it a thoughtful gift for your surviving relatives, like when Peter Sellers asked for Glenn Miller's 'In the Mood' to be played during the service? (His final joke: Everyone knew he hated the song.)" Osbourne, who died on July 22 at 76 years old, had a thoughtful and lighthearted response to the "morbid" question. "I honestly don't care what they play at my funeral; they can put on a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and We Are the Diddymen if it makes 'em happy," he began, "but I do want to make sure it's a celebration, not a mope-fest." "I'd also like some pranks: maybe the sound of knocking inside the coffin; or a video of me asking my doctor for a second opinion on his diagnosis of 'death,' " the Black Sabbath musician quipped. "There'll be no harping on the bad times." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "So to answer your question, yes, a bit of planning is the right thing to do for the family you leave behind. It's worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives." "So by any measure, most of us in this country — especially rock stars like me — are very lucky," he concluded. "That's why I don't want my funeral to be sad. I want it to be a time to say 'thanks.' " In a 2002 interview with Rolling Stone, the publication asked what he'd want on his epitaph when he's gone. "Just 'Ozzy Osbourne, born 1948, died so-and-so,' " he said. "I've done a lot for a simple working-class guy. I made a lot of people smile. I've also made a lot of people go, 'Who the f--- does this guy think he is?' I guarantee that if I was to die tonight, tomorrow it would be, 'Ozzy Osbourne, the man who bit the head off a bat, died in his hotel room…' I know that's coming." "But I've got no complaints. At least I'll be remembered," added Osbourne. More recently, the "Crazy Train" singer spoke about death and how he wanted to be remembered in his final interview with PEOPLE in 2022. "Survival is my legacy," he said at the time. 'I mean, I'm 73. People go, 'Well, you're 70… why don't I throw the towel in?' Why should I? People still want to buy my records. People still want to see me, so why should I? It motivates me to get off my backside and do something." "I mean, if my career had gone down the toilet and I knew it was the end, I'd be pretty miserable." The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! As for what he hoped his legacy would represent for others, Osbourne said, "Never give up. If you've got a passion for something, you've got to find a way around it to carry on the passion." Read the original article on People
