Ozzy Osbourne's fans made him 'come alive': 'Bolt of lightning'

New York Post

25-07-2025

One thing Ozzy Osbourne loved more than music was his fans.
The Black Sabbath frontman, who died on Tuesday at 76, released a documentary five years before his death titled 'Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne.'
Directed by 'The Osbournes' executive producer Greg Johnston, 'Nine Lives' focused on the 'Crazy Train' singer's legendary life and music career.
11 Ozzy Osbourne in 'Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne' (2020).
Cameron Glendenning
11 Ozzy Osbourne during a concert in December 1981.
MediaPunch/Shutterstock
The doc was filmed after Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2003 (although he would not reveal his startling diagnosis to the world until January 2020).
Cameron Glendenning, who also worked on 'The Osbournes' and served as the cinematographer of 'Nine Lives,' has opened up about filming the doc in the wake of Osbourne's passing.
'I don't even remember where we were, but one of the first times I ever shot him live, Ozzy felt frail, and he felt frail even back then, and he would walk around gingerly,' Glendenning exclusively told The Post.
11 Ozzy Osbourne and Cameron Glendenning during a break from filming ' The Osbournes.'
Cameron Glendenning
11 Ozzy Osbourne and Cameron Glendenning recreating a photo from behind the scenes of 'The Osbournes.'
Cameron Glendenning
But despite the 'Shot in the Dark' rocker's battle with the debilitating disease, Osbourne miraculously 'came alive' once on the stage in front of his thousands of fans.
'The moment he walked out on stage, it was just like he was shot with a bolt of lightning and he came alive,' Glendenning recalled. 'I didn't even think it was physically possible for a person that existed day to day the way he did to have that much energy and to turn on that much and to be that much of a showman.'
'When I say showman, I mean it in the most authentic way possible, like the thing that I will take away is that energy,' he continued. 'What I eventually learned is that the energy that he got to be there in that moment, he was getting that from his fans, who he so genuinely loved that it brought him alive.'
11 Ozzy Osbourne in 'Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne.'
Cameron Glendenning
11 Thousands of fans gathered to watch Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath's final gig in Birmingham, England, on July 5, 2025.
AFP via Getty Images
'That's something I'll never forget,' Glendenning added.
As for the doc itself, Glendenning suggested that Osbourne was relieved to have it completed.
'The shooting dates had been spread out for a number of different complications,' the Hollywood cinematographer said, 'and I think he was really just happy to get it over with.'
11 Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne attend the Pride of Britain Awards at the Grosvenor House in London on October 30, 2017.
WireImage
11 Ozzy Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne and Jack Osbourne during a red carpet event.
Juan Rico / BACKGRID
Still, the documentary will forever remain a remnant of Osbourne's life and legacy for his millions of fans after his death.
The 'Miracle Man' singer's family announced his passing in a heartfelt statement.
'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,' his family said to The Post on Tuesday.
11 Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne during an event at the Hollywood Palladium in LA on May 12, 2016.
Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
11 Ozzy Osbourne holds a replica of his new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as he poses with his family during the LA ceremony on April 12, 2002.
AP
'He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time,' they added.
Tributes have continued to pour in for the 'Mama, I'm Coming Home' crooner, and a series of remarks Osbourne made years before his death have resurfaced in the wake of his passing.
'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 Rolling Stone in 2023.
11 Ozzy Osbourne arrives with his family for the 54th annual Emmy Awards in LA on September 22, 2002.
REUTERS
'That's what I'm working towards, and if I drop down dead at the end of it, I'll die a happy man.'
Osbourne got his wish. His passing came less than three weeks after his final show with Black Sabbath in the band's hometown of Birmingham, England.
Osbourne is survived by his wife, Sharon; their three children, Aimee, Kelly, and Jack; and his three children, Jessica, Louis, and Elliot, from his first marriage to Thelma Riley. The late Prince of Darkness also had 10 grandchildren.