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CTV News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Fans recall Ozzy Osbourne's performance in Kitchener 44 years ago
Al Ridley posed with an autographed program from the Ozzy Osbourne 'Blizzard of Ozz' tour stop in Kitchener, Ont. (Colton Wiens/CTV News) As people around the world mourn the loss of the 'Prince of Darkness,' people in Waterloo Region are fondly remembering a stop he made in Kitchener exactly 44 years ago. On Tuesday, Ozzy Osbourne's family confirmed the death of the music icon and frontman of Black Sabbath. On July 23, 1982, shortly after he had been kicked out of the band, Osbourne made a solo appearance at Centre In the Square for his 'Blizzard of Ozz' tour. 'He was you and me. He wasn't this big huge rock star – he didn't hold court with his people,' Al Ridley recalled. 'Seeing this guy out on stage who suddenly became somebody else, with the white jumpsuit and the white tassels off the arms and the screaming – and this was Centre In the Square!' 'I was thinking, Centre In The Square - everyone sits in their chairs and they're comfortable and they listen to the KW Orchestra or cultural events. And here's this rock 'n roll mad man,' he said. Ridley can still picture the crowd holding up their fists and flashing devil horns as the deafening music enveloped the crowd. 'It was a fantastic evening of theater,' Ridley said. Ridley was just 15-years-old at the time and was part of a catering group for the event. He still has an autographed program from the performance. Al Ridley Ozzy Osbourne signed program Kitchener, Ont. Al Ridley posed with an autographed program from the Ozzy Osbourne 'Blizzard of Ozz' tour stop in Kitchener, Ont. (Colton Wiens/CTV News) Ridley told CTV about an experience few others can lay claim to: in the green room, he watched his friend's mom ask Osbourne to stop swearing so much. Later, he had a more personal moment with the musician. 'At the far end of the hall, Ozzy Osbourne and his manager come walking out, and they walk down the hall towards us. I thought this is the opportunity. So I said, 'Hey Ozzy can you sign my program?' 'Yeah, sure mate, sure.' And he signs the program, gave me a pat on the shoulder and walked on,' Ridley said. While Ridley didn't think too much of it at the time, it's a memory he cherishes to this day. Al Ridley Ozzy Osbourne signed program Kitchener, Ont. Al Ridley posed with an autographed program from the Ozzy Osbourne 'Blizzard of Ozz' tour stop in Kitchener, Ont. (Colton Wiens/CTV News) Sean Jasmins was 16-years-old when he saw the show in Kitchener. Jasmins said the performance was amazing and included Randy Rhoads on guitar. 'I remember our seats were front row balcony, Ozzy and Randy rocked the house!' Jasmins said in an email. 'I was a big fan and expectations were high. Ozzy delivered with a blistering show!' Jasmins told CTV News it may have been the first rock act to play at Centre In The Square, and he recalls hearing the venue didn't book any rock shows for quite awhile after that. Mark Logan, who is now the owner of Encore Records Ltd., was also there in 1981. He was 17-years-old at the time and stood at the front of the packed crowd. 'It was amazing. At the time, we didn't know. It was his first tour before he did big rooms. It was sort of testing things out. Band was great. [We] got to see Randy Rhoads,' Logan said. 'Ozzy, I remember, came out across the stage, shook hands. His hands were really sweaty, and I remember him standing at centre stage, shaking and not really moving as he's known now for running around and clapping and 'go crazy.' He was pretty scared.' Mark Logan Ozzy Osbourne Kitchener, Ont. Mark Logan carried Ozzy Osbourne albums at Encore Records Ltd. in Kitchener, Ont. on July 23, 2025. (Colton Wiens/CTV News) Logan calls Osbourne's passing incredibly bittersweet after he performed with Black Sabbath earlier this month. 'For him to get to experience that level of adoration that normally you see after you pass, I think it was really special,' Logan said. 'It was one of those things where you wouldn't be shocked if you heard it. But yet, conversely, never expected to hear it because he just kept going no matter what happened to him.' Logan said customers are now looking for Black Sabbath and Ozzy albums at the store. Industry experts say Ozzy's legacy will always live on. Ozzy Osbourne records Ozzy Osbourne records were seen at Encore Records Ltd. in Kitchener, Ont. on July 23, 2025. (Colton Wiens/CTV News) 'The influence of that music led every other rock band to follow, from Guns N' Roses to Metallica to Motley Crue and Poison right up until Green Day, and every 16-year-old kid that picks up a guitar now is eventually going to get into Black Sabbath and Ozzy. That's just the power of the influence that they have,' Eric Alper, a music industry expert said.
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Ozzy Osbourne's story of success with Black Sabbath before axe and solo stardom
Rock icon Ozzy Osbourne certainly had a story of success from his Birmingham roots to superstardom with his band Black Sabbath as one album put them on the map The Black Sabbath story started when four boys from Birmingham got together to form a band in 1968, releasing a self-titled debut album in 1970. But it was their second album, Paranoid, released in September that year, that really put them on the map – the title track became their most famous anthem and is heralded as one of the greatest heavy metal songs of all time. By 1976, Black Sabbath were international stars with seven albums and hundreds of sold-out gigs under their belts. And these shots showing the band gleefully posing with gold discs (for record sales of more than 500,000) were starting to become a regular feature for the foursome. Ozzy recalled: 'We started off as four guys from Aston who had a dream, and it became true beyond our wildest dreams. 'And with the success came all the trappings and we tried every one of them. The drugs, the travel, the women. Our lives were forever changed!' Lead guitarist Tony Iommi said their success came because they ignored the critics' damning verdicts on their music in the early years. He said: 'We believed in what we did, and that was the way life went for us, right from the beginning. We had to get over a lot of fences, but we just forged ahead. You can't just fall apart because of what other people say. You've got to believe in what you do. And we certainly did.' Black Sabbath - End of an Era magazine Unofficial, unauthorised and unseen – the untold story of the band that founded heavy metal Don't miss this picture celebration as Ozzy Osborne and Black Sabbath reunite for one last show Bassist and lyricist Terry 'Geezer' Butler recalled: 'The early years were a whirlwind for us. In the 70s you were lucky to have five or six albums out and lots of bands disappeared before that. But we built up a strong following around the world.' Drummer Bill Ward added: 'We were a pretty tough band then. We had tours under our belts, we'd travelled all over the world and we had millions of fans behind us. We had a lot going for us.' However, Ozzy's erratic behaviour due to alcohol and drugs led to the band firing him in 1979. But he bounced back and scored solo chart success with the likes of Blizzard Of Ozz, Diary of a Madman and Bark at the Moon and enjoyed sell-out tours. And he made global headlines in 1982 for biting the head off a live bat during a stage performance Ozzfest, a festival in the US and Europe created with wife Sharon to showcase new metal bands, was a huge hit, running from 1996 to 2018. By 2024, it was claimed Sabbath had sold more than 75,000,000 albums over their career. The Paranoid album has now sold some 12 million copies and last year the single Paranoid joined Spotify's exclusive 'Billions Club' – meaning the track had surpassed one billion streams.
The Irish Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Inside Ozzy & Sharon's wild marriage – drugs, fights, affairs… and what she told him after he attempted to murder her
IT was the craziest start to a love affair that survived against the odds for more than 40 years. Superstar rocker Ozzy Osbourne had been given an envelope stuffed with cash to hand over to Sharon Arden, daughter of his band Black Sabbath's manager. 6 Drugs, fights, affairs - Ozzy Osbourne and wife Sharon Osbourne's marriage survived against all odds Credit: Getty 6 Ozzy and Sharon pictured in Brazil in 1985 Instead, Ozzy blew the money on cocaine — which he was working his way through when Sharon arrived at his hotel. Despite being completely off his head, Ozzy, who He recalled: ''No, I don't think so', I said, all innocent. 'But it didn't take Einstein to work out what had happened. READ MORE ON OZZY OSBOURNE 'There was a massive bag of coke on the table next to a ripped-up envelope with 'Sharon' written on it in felt-tip pen. 'Sharon gave me a monumental bollocking when she saw it, shouting and cursing and telling me I was a f***ing disaster. 'Drunkest and loudest' 'I guess I won't be shagging her any time soon, then, I thought. 'But she came back the next day, to find me lying in a puddle of my own p**s, smoking a joint. Most read in Celebrity 'She said, 'Look, if you want to get your s**t together, we want to manage you'.' That ill-fated meeting led to an incredible marriage that lasted 33 years — despite Ozzy's drug and sex addiction and even his attempt to strangle Sharon. Inside Ozzy Osbourne's final days after historic last show 'took huge toll' on his health He admitted: ' In one of his last interviews, Ozzy described the reality TV star and X Factor judge as his 'soulmate'. He said: 'Sometimes I love her, sometimes I don't love her, sometimes I'm angry with her, sometimes I'm crazy about her, sometimes I'm very jealous of her, sometimes I wanna f***ing kill her. 'But through it all, at the end of the day, I love her more than anything in the world.' As Sharon took over running Ozzy's professional life, the Brummie lad quickly realised that he had never met a woman like her before. In his 2009 biography, I Am Ozzy, he revealed: 'I'd never come across a girl who was like me. 'Wherever we went, we were always the drunkest and the loudest. 'I learned that when Sharon is on a mission, she'll throw herself at it, lock, stock and barrel, and not stop fighting until well after the bell's rung. 'I trusted Sharon like I'd never trusted anyone before on the business side of things.' Me and Sharon were bonking all over the place. We couldn't stop. Some nights Sharon would go out of one door and [first wife] Thelma would come in the other Sharon When Sharon was relaunching Ozzy as a solo star with a new album, Blizzard Of Ozz, and a tour following his firing from Black Sabbath in 1979, the star's private life was falling apart. He was married to Thelma Riley, had adopted her son Elliot from an earlier marriage and they had two kids of their own, Jessica and Louis. After months of trying, Ozzy finally bedded Sharon after leaping into her bath at a hotel near Shepperton Studios. He recalled: 'Me and Sharon were bonking all over the place. 'We couldn't stop. 'Some nights, Sharon would go out of one door and Thelma would come in the other. 'I was knackered all the time, having two women on the go. 'I don't know how those French blokes do it. 'When I was with Sharon, I'd end up calling her 'Tharon', which earned me more than a few black eyes. 'I'd never known what it was like to fall in love before I met Sharon. 'We were inseparable. 'I realised that when you're in love, it's not just about the messing around in the sack, it's about how empty you feel when they're gone. And I couldn't stand it when Sharon was gone.' But when he split up with Thelma in 1981, Sharon bore the brunt of Ozzy's anger. He said: 'I was a wreck. 'I was in love with Sharon, but at the same time I was cut to pieces by losing my family. 'I'd get drunk and try to hit her, and she'd throw things at me. 'Wine bottles, gold discs, TVs — you name it, it would all come flying across the room. 'I ain't proud to admit that a few of my punches reached their target.' 6 Ozzy on tour in Las Vegas in 2002 with his beloved Sharon by his side Credit: Shutterstock Editorial But the following year, Ozzy and Sharon married in Hawaii on the way to a gig. The rocker didn't make it back to their hotel room after the ceremony. Sharon recalled: 'The manager called and said, 'Your husband is lying in the hall, will you come and get him' and I said, 'No I won't'.' While Sharon managed Ozzy's soaring solo career, the couple welcomed their three children Aimee, 41, But she could not curb her husband's appetite for booze, illegal drugs and prescription pills. 'Slumped in corridor' When he got violent, Sharon would take her revenge like the time she took a hammer to all his gold records. But seven years after their wedding, Ozzy tried to strangle Sharon while high on drugs and Russian vodka, at their 17th Century home in Little Chalfont, Bucks. The family had gone to their bedrooms after returning from a local Chinese restaurant to celebrate Aimee's sixth birthday. Before lunging at Sharon, Ozzy stripped naked and told her: 'We've had a little talk and it's clear that you have to die.' She pressed the panic button, alerting the police. Ozzy woke up in a cell the next morning with no recollection of the attack, to find he had been charged with attempted murder. Three months later, ahead of his court case, Sharon visited the rehab centre where Ozzy had been sent to dry out. In his autobiography, Ozzy recalled how she told him: 'I'm going to drop the charges. 'I don't believe you're capable of attempted murder, Ozzy. People keep asking, 'How come you and Sharon have stayed together all this time?' Ozzy 'You're a sweet, gentle man. 'But when you get drunk, Ozzy Osbourne disappears and someone else takes over. 'I want that other person to go away. 'I don't want to see him again.' But Ozzy instead developed a prescription pill addiction. Sharon almost died from colon cancer during the making of their Noughties fly-on-the-wall MTV show, The Osbournes. While she was still undergoing chemo, the couple retook their vows on New Year's Eve 2002. Ozzy revealed: 'People keep asking, 'How come you and Sharon have stayed together all this time?'. 'My answer was the same then as it is now. 'I've never stopped telling my wife that I love her; I've never stopped taking her out for dinner; I've never stopped surprising her with little gifts'. 6 Animal-lovers Ozzy and his wife campaigning against trophy hunting last year Credit: Ban Trophy Hunting /Animal News Agency 'Unfortunately, I'd never stopped drinking and taking drugs, so the ceremony ended much the same as our original wedding — with me slumped in a corridor, p*ssed out of my brains.' A year later, Ozzy had a near-fatal quad bike accident on their estate that required multiple surgeries and affected his long-term mobility. In the aftermath of the crash, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, only going public with the condition in 2020. Meanwhile, Sharon — who described their life together as 'a Shakespeare play' — slipped Ozzy extra sleeping pills in 2016 to extract a confession that he had been having an affair with his hairdresser. It was also revealed that there were more mistresses. Devastated, Sharon tried to kill herself but was found by a cleaner. Jessie Breakwell, who worked as their nanny, said: 'Ozzy was obsessed with her. 'They'd giggle and make jokes. 'It was genuine love.' After Ozzy went to rehab for sex addiction, the couple reconciled and renewed their vows in Las Vegas in 2017. Sharon admitted: 'I love him. 'I can leave if I want, take half of everything and go. I don't want to.' 6 Ozzy was obsessed with his wife Credit: Getty 6 Sharon and Ozzy as youngsters Credit: Getty - Contributor Wild and hilarious Ozzy stories 1. Ozzy once told Sharon: 'Don't cremate me, whatever you do. 'I want to be put in the ground, in a nice garden somewhere, with a tree over my head. 'A crabapple tree, preferably, so the kids can make wine out of me and get pissed out of their heads. 'As for what they'll put on my headstone, I ain't under any illusions. 'If I close my eyes, I can already see it: 'Ozzy Osbourne, born 1948 'Died, whenever. 'He bit the head off a bat.' 2. Ozzy decided to stop using acid while recording Black Sabbath album Vol 4. He said: 'I took ten tabs of acid then went for a walk in a field. 'I ended up standing there talking to this horse for about an hour. 'In the end, the horse turned around and told me to f**k off. 'That was it for me.' 3. The rocker began tattooing himself as a teenager while growing up in Birmingham. He said: 'I even put a smiley face on each of my knees to cheer myself up when I was sitting on the bog in the morning.' Decades later he had 'thanks' tattooed on his right palm. He said: 'It seemed like a brilliant idea at the time. 'How many times do you say 'thanks' to people during your lifetime? 'Tens of thousands, probably. 'Now all I had to do was raise my right hand.' 4. The Osbournes had a donkey called Sally, who used to sit in the living room with Ozzy and watch Match Of The Day. 5. Former slaughterhouse worker Ozzy claimed to have killed his family's cats while high. He recalled: 'I was taking drugs so much I was a f***ed. 'The final straw came when I shot all our cats. 'We had about 17, and I went crazy and shot them all. 'My wife found me under the piano in a white suit – a shotgun in one hand and a knife in the other.' 6. The Prince of Darkness was interested in the Bible. He said: 'I've tried to read it several times. 'But I've only ever got as far as the bit about Moses being 720 years old, and I'm like, 'What were these people smoking back then?'' 7. Ozzy met the late Queen at the Royal Variety Performance. He recalled: 'I was standing next to Cliff Richard. 'She took one look at the two of us, and said, 'Oh, so this is what they call variety, is it?' then cracked up laughing. 'I honestly thought Sharon must have slipped some acid into my cornflakes that morning.' 8. Ozzy loved putting hidden messages in songs. He said: 'On No Rest For The Wicked, if you play Bloodbath In Paradise backwards, you can clearly hear me saying, 'Your mother sells whelks in Hull'.'
Scottish Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Inside Ozzy & Sharon's wild marriage – drugs, fights, affairs… and what she told him after he attempted to murder her
IT was the craziest start to a love affair that survived against the odds for more than 40 years. Superstar rocker Ozzy Osbourne had been given an envelope stuffed with cash to hand over to Sharon Arden, daughter of his band Black Sabbath's manager. 6 Drugs, fights, affairs - Ozzy Osbourne and wife Sharon Osbourne's marriage survived against all odds Credit: Getty 6 Ozzy and Sharon pictured in Brazil in 1985 Instead, Ozzy blew the money on cocaine — which he was working his way through when Sharon arrived at his hotel. Despite being completely off his head, Ozzy, who died on Tuesday age 76, never forgot that first meeting when Sharon asked, 'Do you have anything for me?'. He recalled: ''No, I don't think so', I said, all innocent. 'But it didn't take Einstein to work out what had happened. 'There was a massive bag of coke on the table next to a ripped-up envelope with 'Sharon' written on it in felt-tip pen. 'Sharon gave me a monumental bollocking when she saw it, shouting and cursing and telling me I was a f***ing disaster. 'Drunkest and loudest' 'I guess I won't be shagging her any time soon, then, I thought. 'But she came back the next day, to find me lying in a puddle of my own p**s, smoking a joint. 'She said, 'Look, if you want to get your s**t together, we want to manage you'.' That ill-fated meeting led to an incredible marriage that lasted 33 years — despite Ozzy's drug and sex addiction and even his attempt to strangle Sharon. Inside Ozzy Osbourne's final days after historic last show 'took huge toll' on his health He admitted: 'I fell for Sharon so badly, man . . . she saved my life every day.' In one of his last interviews, Ozzy described the reality TV star and X Factor judge as his 'soulmate'. He said: 'Sometimes I love her, sometimes I don't love her, sometimes I'm angry with her, sometimes I'm crazy about her, sometimes I'm very jealous of her, sometimes I wanna f***ing kill her. 'But through it all, at the end of the day, I love her more than anything in the world.' As Sharon took over running Ozzy's professional life, the Brummie lad quickly realised that he had never met a woman like her before. In his 2009 biography, I Am Ozzy, he revealed: 'I'd never come across a girl who was like me. 'Wherever we went, we were always the drunkest and the loudest. 'I learned that when Sharon is on a mission, she'll throw herself at it, lock, stock and barrel, and not stop fighting until well after the bell's rung. 'I trusted Sharon like I'd never trusted anyone before on the business side of things.' Me and Sharon were bonking all over the place. We couldn't stop. Some nights Sharon would go out of one door and [first wife] Thelma would come in the other Sharon When Sharon was relaunching Ozzy as a solo star with a new album, Blizzard Of Ozz, and a tour following his firing from Black Sabbath in 1979, the star's private life was falling apart. He was married to Thelma Riley, had adopted her son Elliot from an earlier marriage and they had two kids of their own, Jessica and Louis. After months of trying, Ozzy finally bedded Sharon after leaping into her bath at a hotel near Shepperton Studios. He recalled: 'Me and Sharon were bonking all over the place. 'We couldn't stop. 'Some nights, Sharon would go out of one door and Thelma would come in the other. 'I was knackered all the time, having two women on the go. 'I don't know how those French blokes do it. 'When I was with Sharon, I'd end up calling her 'Tharon', which earned me more than a few black eyes. 'I'd never known what it was like to fall in love before I met Sharon. 'We were inseparable. 'I realised that when you're in love, it's not just about the messing around in the sack, it's about how empty you feel when they're gone. And I couldn't stand it when Sharon was gone.' But when he split up with Thelma in 1981, Sharon bore the brunt of Ozzy's anger. He said: 'I was a wreck. 'I was in love with Sharon, but at the same time I was cut to pieces by losing my family. 'I'd get drunk and try to hit her, and she'd throw things at me. 'Wine bottles, gold discs, TVs — you name it, it would all come flying across the room. 'I ain't proud to admit that a few of my punches reached their target.' 6 Ozzy on tour in Las Vegas in 2002 with his beloved Sharon by his side Credit: Shutterstock Editorial But the following year, Ozzy and Sharon married in Hawaii on the way to a gig. The rocker didn't make it back to their hotel room after the ceremony. Sharon recalled: 'The manager called and said, 'Your husband is lying in the hall, will you come and get him' and I said, 'No I won't'.' While Sharon managed Ozzy's soaring solo career, the couple welcomed their three children Aimee, 41, Kelly, 40, and Jack, 39. But she could not curb her husband's appetite for booze, illegal drugs and prescription pills. 'Slumped in corridor' When he got violent, Sharon would take her revenge like the time she took a hammer to all his gold records. But seven years after their wedding, Ozzy tried to strangle Sharon while high on drugs and Russian vodka, at their 17th Century home in Little Chalfont, Bucks. The family had gone to their bedrooms after returning from a local Chinese restaurant to celebrate Aimee's sixth birthday. Before lunging at Sharon, Ozzy stripped naked and told her: 'We've had a little talk and it's clear that you have to die.' She pressed the panic button, alerting the police. Ozzy woke up in a cell the next morning with no recollection of the attack, to find he had been charged with attempted murder. Three months later, ahead of his court case, Sharon visited the rehab centre where Ozzy had been sent to dry out. In his autobiography, Ozzy recalled how she told him: 'I'm going to drop the charges. 'I don't believe you're capable of attempted murder, Ozzy. People keep asking, 'How come you and Sharon have stayed together all this time?' Ozzy 'You're a sweet, gentle man. 'But when you get drunk, Ozzy Osbourne disappears and someone else takes over. 'I want that other person to go away. 'I don't want to see him again.' But Ozzy instead developed a prescription pill addiction. Sharon almost died from colon cancer during the making of their Noughties fly-on-the-wall MTV show, The Osbournes. While she was still undergoing chemo, the couple retook their vows on New Year's Eve 2002. Ozzy revealed: 'People keep asking, 'How come you and Sharon have stayed together all this time?'. 'My answer was the same then as it is now. 'I've never stopped telling my wife that I love her; I've never stopped taking her out for dinner; I've never stopped surprising her with little gifts'. 6 Animal-lovers Ozzy and his wife campaigning against trophy hunting last year Credit: Ban Trophy Hunting /Animal News Agency 'Unfortunately, I'd never stopped drinking and taking drugs, so the ceremony ended much the same as our original wedding — with me slumped in a corridor, p*ssed out of my brains.' A year later, Ozzy had a near-fatal quad bike accident on their estate that required multiple surgeries and affected his long-term mobility. In the aftermath of the crash, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, only going public with the condition in 2020. Meanwhile, Sharon — who described their life together as 'a Shakespeare play' — slipped Ozzy extra sleeping pills in 2016 to extract a confession that he had been having an affair with his hairdresser. It was also revealed that there were more mistresses. Devastated, Sharon tried to kill herself but was found by a cleaner. Jessie Breakwell, who worked as their nanny, said: 'Ozzy was obsessed with her. 'They'd giggle and make jokes. 'It was genuine love.' After Ozzy went to rehab for sex addiction, the couple reconciled and renewed their vows in Las Vegas in 2017. Sharon admitted: 'I love him. 'I can leave if I want, take half of everything and go. I don't want to.' 6 Ozzy was obsessed with his wife Credit: Getty 6 Sharon and Ozzy as youngsters Credit: Getty - Contributor Wild and hilarious Ozzy stories 1. Ozzy once told Sharon: 'Don't cremate me, whatever you do. 'I want to be put in the ground, in a nice garden somewhere, with a tree over my head. 'A crabapple tree, preferably, so the kids can make wine out of me and get pissed out of their heads. 'As for what they'll put on my headstone, I ain't under any illusions. 'If I close my eyes, I can already see it: 'Ozzy Osbourne, born 1948 'Died, whenever. 'He bit the head off a bat.' 2. Ozzy decided to stop using acid while recording Black Sabbath album Vol 4. He said: 'I took ten tabs of acid then went for a walk in a field. 'I ended up standing there talking to this horse for about an hour. 'In the end, the horse turned around and told me to f**k off. 'That was it for me.' 3. The rocker began tattooing himself as a teenager while growing up in Birmingham. He said: 'I even put a smiley face on each of my knees to cheer myself up when I was sitting on the bog in the morning.' Decades later he had 'thanks' tattooed on his right palm. He said: 'It seemed like a brilliant idea at the time. 'How many times do you say 'thanks' to people during your lifetime? 'Tens of thousands, probably. 'Now all I had to do was raise my right hand.' 4. The Osbournes had a donkey called Sally, who used to sit in the living room with Ozzy and watch Match Of The Day. 5. Former slaughterhouse worker Ozzy claimed to have killed his family's cats while high. He recalled: 'I was taking drugs so much I was a f***ed. 'The final straw came when I shot all our cats. 'We had about 17, and I went crazy and shot them all. 'My wife found me under the piano in a white suit – a shotgun in one hand and a knife in the other.' 6. The Prince of Darkness was interested in the Bible. He said: 'I've tried to read it several times. 'But I've only ever got as far as the bit about Moses being 720 years old, and I'm like, 'What were these people smoking back then?'' 7. Ozzy met the late Queen at the Royal Variety Performance. He recalled: 'I was standing next to Cliff Richard. 'She took one look at the two of us, and said, 'Oh, so this is what they call variety, is it?' then cracked up laughing. 'I honestly thought Sharon must have slipped some acid into my cornflakes that morning.' 8. Ozzy loved putting hidden messages in songs. He said: 'On No Rest For The Wicked, if you play Bloodbath In Paradise backwards, you can clearly hear me saying, 'Your mother sells whelks in Hull'.'
Glasgow Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Lady Gaga, Coldplay and Alice Cooper honour Ozzy Osbourne during concerts
The death of the music star, who fronted heavy metal band Black Sabbath, was announced in a statement to the PA news agency saying he was 'with his family and surrounded by love'. His Black Sabbath band mates – Terence 'Geezer' Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward – led tributes to Osbourne alongside fans from his home city of Birmingham and celebrity friends including Kiss star Gene Simmons and Queen guitarist Sir Brian May. His death at the age of 76 comes just weeks after Osbourne took to the stage for a farewell concert at Villa Park in Birmingham – a stone's throw from where the band was formed in 1968. The Back to the Beginning concert featured performances from Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N' Roses, with Osbourne's Black Sabbath bandmates the last to appear on stage. Lady Gaga Lady Gaga paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, wearing a t-shirt and playing his debut solo single Crazy Train (Ian West/PA) US pop star Lady Gaga took to the stage in an Ozzy Osbourne t-shirt as she ended her first Mayhem Ball show in San Francisco on Tuesday. 'We'll miss you Ozzy', she said, as Osbourne's song Crazy Train played in the background. Crazy Train was released in 1980 as Osbourne's debut solo single, which featured on his debut solo album, Blizzard Of Ozz. The Bad Romance singer, 39, is currently touring her latest studio album, Mayhem, across the US and Canada. Coldplay Chris Martin performed a rendition of Black Sabbath's Changes during a show at Nashville in tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne (Aaron Chown/PA) During a concert in Nashville, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin led a rendition of Changes by Black Sabbath in tribute to the heavy metal star. 'Okay Ozzy we love you, wherever you're going, thank you for everything', he said after playing the tune on a piano. The song was originally released in 1972 as part of the Vol4 Black Sabbath album, and was re-released in 2003 as a duet with Osbourne's daughter, Kelly, containing revised lyrics. Singer Yungblud, who has hailed Osbourne as 'the greatest of all time', played the song during his farewell concert on July 5. Alice Cooper US rockstar Alice Cooper described Osbourne as an 'unmatched showman and cultural icon' in a social media post that said the band had found out about his death 'minutes before going on stage in Cardiff, Wales'. Cooper and his band dedicated the show to Osbourne and posted a clip of them shouting 'Ozzy' before going onto the stage. Following the show, Cooper summed up his thoughts and said: 'The whole world is mourning Ozzy tonight. Over his long career, he earned immense respect among his peers and from fans around the world as an unmatched showman and cultural icon. 'I always saw Ozzy as a cross between the prince of darkness, which is the persona his fans saw, and the court jester. That was the side that his family and friends saw. 'He was and will continue to be a rock n roll legend. Rock n Roll is a family and a fraternity. When we lose one of our own it bleeds. I wish I would have gotten to know my brother Ozzy better. 'Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and the rest of the Ozzy brood – our prayers are with you tonight. A titanic boulder has crashed, but rock will roll on.' Ghost Swedish rock band Ghost dedicated their New York show at Madison Square Garden to Osbourne. In a video posted to social media, frontman Tobias Forge said: 'We're going to dedicate tonight's show to the memory of the life and laughter of Ozzy Osbourne. 'For being the Prince of Darkness, he sure gave us a lot of light. So we're going to tap into that tonight and take it forward.'
