Remembering Ozzy Osbourne: How ‘The Osbournes' made him more palatable for awards voters
"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning," the family said. "He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time."
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Born Dec. 3, 1948, in Marston Green, Warwickshire, England, Osbourne rose to fame in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He departed the group in 1979 due to substance-abuse issues, but continued to reunite with them through the decades. Osbourne launched a solo career in 1980, eventually releasing 13 successful studio albums. Dubbed the "Prince of Darkness," he rose to infamy in 1981 when he bit the head off a dove after meeting with music executives in Los Angeles. Then in 1982, he bit the head off a bat, which he allegedly thought was a rubber toy.
Osbourne's controversial early career was almost entirely ignored by major awards bodies. Midway through his career, he won two Grammys for Best Metal Performance for "I Don't Want To Change The World" (1994) and "Iron Man" (2000). It wasn't until MTV's celeb-reality show The Osbournes debuted in 2002 that he became much more palatable to awards voters.
The Osbournes was a docuseries loosely inspired by 1950s sitcoms, with Ozzy fitting into the role of the oddball dad, Sharon Osbourne as the kooky mom, and Kelly Osbourne and Jack Osbourne as the rebellious teens. Ozzy went viral — or, at least, the 2002 version of viral — every time he mumbled something outlandish, and for his frequent guttural shouts of "Sharon!"
The reality show followed the foul-mouthed family members as they moved into their expensive Beverly Hills home, and America was transfixed every time they verbally clashed with each other or those around them. In one classic scene, the Osbournes threw a ham across the fence at their neighbors. "This is a picture of his wife's c--t," Sharon laughed maniacally. Lucy and Desi, they were not.
Following the enormous success of The Osbournes, which ran for four seasons on MTV between 2002 and 2005, Ozzy Osbourne became a beloved member of society and was suddenly no longer seen as the standoffish musician who bit the heads off winged creatures.
He was finally inducted into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — twice — first with Black Sabbath in 2006, and then as a solo artist in 2024. Would those inductions have ever happened if Osbourne's personality hadn't first received a massive overhaul in front of millions of TV fans?
The artist also received 10 additional Grammy bids in the post-The Osbournes era, winning for Best Metal Performance for "God Is Dead?" (2014) and "Degradation Rules" (2023), plus Best Rock Album for "Patient Number 9" (2023). And he was even awarded the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Osbournes itself was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, winning for Best Non-Fiction Program (Reality). Since Ozzy and family weren't producers, they didn't get to share in that victory. But he did claim a surfboard at the 2002 Teen Choice Awards for Choice Personality.
Buoyed by the success of the TV show, Osbourne received his long-awaited star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame about a month after it premiered. The star can be found in front of Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum — a fitting location that serves as a testament to his truly unbelievable life.
What turned out to be Osbourne's final on-stage performance took place on July 5 at Villa Park. This milestone "Back to the Beginning" concert, shared with rock giants Metallica and Guns N' Roses, featured Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward singing with Osbourne for the first time in 20 years.
Ozzy Osbourne is survived by Sharon, Kelly, Jack, and their third child, Aimee. He also had three children from his previous marriage to Thelma Riley.
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NEWS OF THE WEEK: Ozzy Osbourne's family overcome with emotion as they visit tributes during funeral procession
Ozzy Osbourne's wife and children were overcome with emotion as they visited the vast sea of tributes to the rocker during the funeral procession in Birmingham, England on Wednesday. The Black Sabbath rocker's wife Sharon and their three children Aimee, Jack and Kelly travelled behind his hearse as it made its way along Broad Street, which was lined with thousands of mourning fans. A purple crucifix sat on top of the hearse, and a purple floral tribute reading "Ozzy" rested against his coffin.
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