Latest news with #IAmOzzy
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ozzy Osbourne Will Administer His Own ‘Last Rites' in New Memoir
Fresh off his triumphant final concert, Ozzy Osbourne has announced a new memoir, Last Rites, which will be published Oct. 7 via Grand Central Publishing. The book will be centered around the various health issues and ailments the metal legend has battled over the past seven years, and which precipitated his decision to finally stop performing live. But the book will also find Osbourne reflecting on many other aspects of his life and career, from his tumultuous marriage with Sharon Osbourne, to the preparations for his all-star farewell concert. More from Rolling Stone Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath Raise a 'Ton of Money' in Charity Aid Watch Dolly Parton's Message to Ozzy Osbourne at Metal Icon's Final Show Billy Corgan Reflects on Black Sabbath's Final Show: 'We Have Them in Our Hearts' Additionally, Last Rites will feature stories of Osbourne's encounters with fellow rock legends like Slash, Bon Scott, John Bonham, and Keith Moon. He'll also tell the story of the final moments he spent with Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister, who died in 2015. In a statement, Osbourne said of the book, 'People say to me, if you could do it all again, knowing what you know now, would you change anything? I'm like, fuck no. If I'd been clean and sober, I wouldn't be Ozzy. If I'd done normal, sensible things, I wouldn't be Ozzy. Look, if it ends tomorrow, I can't complain. I've been all around the world. Seen a lot of things. I've done good… and I've done bad. But right now, I'm not ready to go anywhere.' Last Rites will be Osbourne's second book, following his 2009 memoir, I Am Ozzy. Osbourne's farewell show — dubbed Back to the Beginning — took place this past weekend in Birmingham, England. Along with a final performances from Osbourne, including a short set with Black Sabbath, the show featured sets from Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Slayer, Tool, Lamb of God, and more, with Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello serving as musical director. According to reports, the show also raised nearly $200 million for various charitable organizations. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword
Toronto Star
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Why Ozzy Osbourne was the prince not just of darkness but of pop culture
Recently, I came across a bit of screenwriting advice that goes something like this: all endings should be both surprising and inevitable. These words crept to mind on Tuesday, when I learned of the passing of Ozzy Osbourne at age 76. News of the death of Osbourne, a pioneering heavy metal singer who redefined pop culture (at least twice over and maybe three times), brought a sense of a shock and acceptance. Ozzy lived both hard and well. He too was surprising and inevitable. Born in 1948 in the English industrial town of Birmingham as John Michael Osbourne, Ozzy's beginnings were inauspicious. As a working class 'Brummie,' his career prospects were limited to tool maker, meat packer or car-horn tuner — the latter being about as close as someone of his stock could imagine to a career in the music biz. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW An encounter with the Beatles changed that. A teenage Osbourne hooked up with local musicians Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Terrance 'Geezer' Butler to found the group Black Sabbath — and heavy metal itself. Pulling equally from the paranormal and the predominant English blues rock sound — new listeners to the band's 1970 debut might be surprised to hear just how much honking harmonica it contains — Sabbath turned the flower power vibes of '60s rock upside down. Peace, love and smiling on one's brother were replaced by doom, gloom and a sinister vibe that (at least in hindsight) offered a more honest appraisal of the nuclear era. They were counter-counterculture. 'Who gave a dog's arse about what people were doing in San Francisco, anyway?' Osbourne wrote in his 2009 memoir 'I Am Ozzy.' 'I hated those hippy-dippy songs, man.' With Ozzy's wailing, urgent lyrics juxtaposed against Iommi and Butler's heavy riffing, Black Sabbath set a new template for rock 'n' roll. They were the fathers of heavy metal, whether they liked it or not (Osbourne himself rejected the term). The form was harder, weightier and altogether darker. It was further honed in the U.K. by bands like Witchfinder General, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, and in America by the likes of Metallica, Slayer and Pantera. Ozzy sang (or howled) about the apocalypse, drug abuse and shadowy figures lurking at the edge of the bedside — topics that inspired generations of heavy metal fans and practitioners, and raised the ire of just as many generations of concerned parents and church groups. Osbourne himself would long hold the moniker 'Prince of Darkness,' a nickname he shared with no less than Lucifer himself. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Ozzy was arguably as legendary for his music as the antics surrounding it. A prodigious consumer of alcohol and illegal narcotics, his erratic behaviour drove tension in the group. By 1979, Osbourne was dismissed from Sabbath. Undaunted, he began a lucrative solo career. If Sabbath defined the sound of '70s heavy metal, Osbourne's solo band brought it into the '80s: bleached hair, dive-bomb guitar solos and all. The music made Osbourne a superstar of the MTV era and one of the select few artists to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, alongside his heroes, the Beatles. Naturally, this new fame bred more controversy. In 1982, Ozzy drew headlines after biting the head off a bat while performing onstage. In '85, he and his label were sued by grieving parents, who claimed their 19-year-old son took his own life after listening to Osbourne's 'Suicide Solution' (a judge ruled that the lyrics were protected speech under the U.S. First Amendment). An appearance in the 1988 documentary 'The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years,' showed a jittery Osbourne, wide-eyed and wiped out, struggling to make breakfast in his kitchen. Ozzy's chemical dependencies would become the stuff of not only heavy metal myth, but pop culture fodder. In 2002, MTV premiered 'The Osbournes,' an early reality-TV hit that followed Ozzy and his family: wife (and manager) Sharon, daughter Kelly and son Jack. (Sharon and Ozzy's eldest daughter refused to participate.) A smash, the show offered a fly-on-the-wall look at the Prince of Darkness's relatively humdrum life. Here was the debauched metal icon who bit the head off a bat struggling with the satellite remote. Even judging by the standards of a debased medium like reality television, 'The Osbournes' seems gallingly exploitative today. His music made Ozzy an icon. The TV show made him a punchline. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Such ignominies did little to diminish Osbourne's reputation in musical circles, however. Ozzy eventually committed to sobriety. For years he had suffered tremors, which were written off as the effects of alcohol abuse. As it turned out, they were likely symptoms of Parkinson's disease, a diagnosis he revealed in 2020. Just a few weeks ago, Black Sabbath reunited for a final show in Birmingham, joined by a cohort of heavy metal and hard rock icons — members of Metallica, Slayer, Judas Priest, the Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, Guns N' Roses and more — who paid their respects to the group. It was billed as a final farewell. Now it seems like a living wake. Onstage at Birmingham's Villa Park Stadium, a considerably diminished Osbourne sat in a throne befitting rock 'n' roll royalty, performing several solo songs and numbers with his Sabbath bandmates. He closed the concert — and, as it would turn out, his storied musical career — with 'Paranoid' from Sabbath's 1970 album of the same. Listening to it now, the track is at once urgent and sorrowful, surprising and inevitable. Its final lines ring like a cri de coeur from an artist whose altogether untimely passing is betrayed by the fact that he lived, in his 76 years, the lifetimes of several more men: And so as you hear these words Telling you now of my state I tell you to enjoy life I wish I could, but it's too late
The Star
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Remembering Ozzy Osbourne's style: From stolen shirts to the Prince of Darkness
His journey from small-time criminal to heavy metal's comic Prince of Darkness started with clothes. Growing up in Birmingham, England, Ozzy Osbourne didn't see much of a future for himself, so he decided to give it a go as a cat burglar. His main target, according to his 2009 memoir, I Am Ozzy , was a clothing shop not far from home. On his third attempt, he recalled, 'I managed to nick some shirts.' But he was arrested soon afterward and sent to Winson Green Prison, a century-old facility that looked like a medieval fortress. His six-week jail stint caused him to reconsider his plan to become a career criminal. He took jobs in an auto parts factory and a slaughterhouse. Inspired by the Beatles, he wanted more than anything to join a rock-n-roll band. The first step he took toward this unrealistic-seeming goal was to change his appearance. 'I didn't even know anyone who could play a musical instrument,' he recalled. 'So, instead, I decided to grow my hair long and get some tattoos. At least I'd look the part.' Read more: Music you can 'see'? Rhythm and beats are now visible through fashion He was the same age as many of the young people who wore bright, flowing garments during the so-called Summer of Love, but he detested flower power. When he finally joined up with some old schoolmates to form Black Sabbath, he made his way toward a style that represented a dramatic departure from the cheerful hues favoured by the tie-dye crowd. The hippies liked soft fabrics that reflected an innocent view of a world, where peace and love would win out in the end. Osbourne favoured capes and heavy boots. He had gone to jail, not college. It took him a while to find a style that worked, especially before the money rolled in. Ozzy Osbourne poses for a photo in Los Angeles on Dec 21, 1981. Photo: AP 'I'd walk around in an old pyjama top for a shirt with a hot-water tap on a piece of string for a necklace,' he wrote in his memoir. 'You had to use your imagination. And I never wore shoes – not even in winter. People would ask me where I got my 'fashion inspiration' from and I'd tell them: 'By being a dirty broke (expletive) and never taking a bath.'' All the members of Black Sabbath came from Aston, the same blue-collar Birmingham neighborhood as Osbourne, parts of which were reduced to rubble by German air attacks during World War II. The members' look was as much an expression of their background as their music. A metal cross that Osbourne's father, a toolmaker, made in his spare time for him became a key Black Sabbath accessory. Osbourne, who died Tuesday (July 22) at age 76, would wear cross pendants for the rest of his life. There was always a touch of irony to the look and sound of Black Sabbath, and when he performed live, Osbourne was a light-spirited presence, a friendly ringleader for his audience of misfits. So he was surprised when some actual Satanists asked the band to perform during a ritual at Stonehenge. Black Sabbath made use of the trappings of horror in the manner of George Romero and other film directors who understood that people are entertained by grim fantasies. The clothing was part of the act. With its hard, sludgy sound, and songs like War Pigs and Paranoid , Black Sabbath frightened parents and made very little sense to the critics who had sung the praises of Bob Dylan and the Beatles. But there was an upside to the lack of approval from the establishment. It meant that the young rock fans of the 1970s had Black Sabbath all to themselves, and the band's horror-inspired look became a style staple of teenagers from the Midlands of England to the American Midwest. Some of those fans would start heavy metal bands of their own, and the style pioneered by Osbourne inspired the fashions of Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Marilyn Manson and any other heavy metal act with a sense of the theatrical. In 1979, Osbourne was kicked out of Black Sabbath, with his bandmates saying that his substance abuse had made him unreliable. In the next decade, he embraced the Gothic look with a sense of camp, making black his main colour as he became known as the Prince of Darkness. That nickname seemed especially apt when he bit the head off a bat during a concert in 1982, even if he had been under the mistaken impression that it was a toy, rather than an actual animal. Read more: Through adversity, a new aesthetic: The Princess of Wales' fashion evolution As Osbourne's solo career continued, tinted round eyeglasses joined his ever-present cross as his signature accessories. That look continued to serve him well when he became an unlikely reality television star in the early 2000s, playing a befuddled father and husband on MTV's The Osbournes . For four memorable seasons, he looked as if he had just stepped out of the underworld, a style made all the funnier when he had trouble operating the remote. Osbourne dressed evil. But he was in on the joke. – ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Sharon Osbourne breaks silence as she responds to touching Ozzy tributes after her beloved husband's death aged 76
SHARON Osbourne has broken her silence by responding to touching tributes paid to her beloved late husband Ozzy. The iconic singer - dubbed the - passed away after a long battle with Parkinson's disease, it was confirmed yesterday. 10 Ozzy with his wife Sharon Credit: Rex 10 Sharon responded to Jack Saunders' tribute Credit: Instagram 10 The pair married in 1982 Credit: Corbis 10 Ozzy and Sharon in 1986 with their three kids Jack, Kelly & Aimee Credit: Getty - Contributor Now, his loving wife Sharon has responded to fans sending their condolences on social media. She replied to one message shared by musician Gavin Rossdale. The Bush singer posted a picture of himself with Ozzy on Instagram, with the caption: "RIP OZZY - a great man - a true legend - I met Ozzy through Jack just a few times, but he was so warm and kind and funny and I love that memory. "Sending much love to his family at this difficult time. Rest in power." Read More on Ozzy Osbourne Sharon wrote underneath "bless you" in acknowledgement of the tribute. The late rock star's wife also replied to BBC Radio 1 DJ Jack Saunders' message of support. "Jack thank you for your tribute to Ozzy tonight, bless you," she commented. Most read in Celebrity Thames Valley Air Ambulance confirmed Sharon — married for 43 years — said in a joint statement that he had been 'surrounded by love'. Ozzy Osbourne top five greatest moments Ozzy's life changed forever when Sharon Levy turned up at the door in 1970. He later said of the woman who became his second wife: 'If it weren't for her, without a shadow of a doubt, I would be dead.' Sharon, then 27, was the daughter of Black Sabbath's manager Don Arden. They'd first met when she was 18 and working as her dad's receptionist. 10 Ozzy on tour in Las Vegas in 2002 with his beloved Sharon by his side Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 10 Sharon and Ozzy as youngsters Credit: Getty - Contributor 10 Ozzy and Sharon pictured in Brazil in 1985 The singer wrote in his autobiography I Am Ozzy: 'I fell for Sharon so badly, man.' Sharon convinced the wreck that he could be a solo star, and that she should be the one to manage him. 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.' Not only did she become mother to his three children , and Jack but she also got things back on track. 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'.' Debut solo album Blizzard of Ozz, with big numbers like Crazy Train, Suicide Solution and Mr Crowley, appeared in September 1980, and eventually sold more than five million copies. Sharon also amped up his satanic image, encouraging stage antics such as flinging animal entrails into the audience. Sharon and Ozzy wed in Hawaii on July 4, 1982. However, in 1989 Ozzy's hardcore partying lifestyle took a sinister turn Although the couple have famously spoken about how they both gave as good as they got, the incident saw Ozzy seek help for his drug use. She agreed not to press charges if he went to rehab - a decision that allowed the artist to continue performing and become the icon he is remembered as today. Along with Sharon and his kids, they became global TV sensations through their groundbreaking fly-on-the-wall documentary The Osbournes. It was such a smash hit that it paved the way for similar reality shows featuring Paris Hilton and later The Kardashians. Sharon was also by Ozzy's side throughout his health battles over the years, He was sadly The singer told Good Morning America at the time that he couldn't hide his Explaining the condition, Sharon said: "It's Parkin 2 which is a form of Parkinson's. There are so many different types of "It's not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination but it does affect the nerves in your body. "It's like you'll have a good day, then a good day and then a really bad day." Ozzy added: "A year ago I was in a terrible state. I'm on a host of medication, mainly for the surgery. "I've got numbness down this arm and my legs are going cold. I don't know if it's the Parkinson's or what. That's the problem." Following a spate of nasty injuries in 2022 Ozzy was also But the star still with his band mates at Villa Park in Birmingham earlier this month. Only three weeks ago, the Prince of Darkness who brought light into so many lives gave us one last hurrah when The Back to the Beginning gig ended with him - seated on a giant black throne because he could not stand - The icon vowed, however, that it would be due to his deteriorating health . 'HE SECURED HIS PLACE IN THE PANTHEON OF ROCK GODS' And yesterday friends said many big names wanted to salute the bat-munching, self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness, who became a national treasure. Such a service would be held ahead of a smaller private funeral. A source told The Sun: 'There are conversations about a celebration of his life in Birmingham, the city that meant so much to him. 'Artists like Yungblud, who was seen by Ozzy as a musician who could carry on the mantle of what he started all those years ago, is expected to have a role in it. 'There are hundreds of big names who will want to pay their respects and celebrate his life and legacy, as well as thousands of fans who would line the streets to say goodbye.' A Tributes poured in for the legendary singer from across the music world. Sir Elton John shared a photo of himself alongside Ozzy with the message: "So sad to hear the news of Ozzy Osbourne passing away. "He was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods - a true legend. "He was also one of the funniest people I've ever met. I will miss him dearly. "To Sharon and the family, I send my condolences and love. Elton xx" Singer-songwriter Yungblud wrote on X: "I didn't think you would leave so soon the last time we met you were so full of life and your laugh filled up the room. "But as it is written with legends, they seem to know things that we don't. "I will never forget you - you will be in every single note I sing and with me every single time I walk on stage. "Your cross around my neck is the most precious thing I own. "You asked me once if there was anything you could do for me and as I said then and as I will say now for all of us the music was enough. "You took us on your adventure - an adventure that started it all. I am truly heartbroken. You were the greatest of all time." Ozzy Osbourne's iconic career The singer then pursued his love of music after hearing The Beatles hit She Loves You in 1963, aged 15. After appearing in a handful of school plays, Ozzy joined Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler in their first group Rare Breed in 1967. When that band split, the pair reunited in Polka Tulk Blues alongside Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. The group later became known as Black Sabbath and went onto shatter the music world with their whining guitar solos, Occult-based lyrics and Ozzy's screeching vocals. In 1970, the group gained a cult following in both the US and UK after releasing their eponymous first album. Black Sabbath saw incredible success with hit tracks such as Paranoid but discord in the group saw most of the original line-up leave. Ozzy himself quit the band in 1978, with a spiral into drug abuse leading to a divorce from first wife Thelma Mayfair, who he had two children with. It was then he first met a young Sharon Arden, who Ozzy at first wrote off as he believed she would think he was a "lunatic". But the singer could not be more wrong and the pair married in Hawaii in July 1982 before going on to have three children together, Aimee, With Sharon's encouragement and help from her music manager dad Don, he began to carve out a successful solo career. His seminal first album Blizzard of Ozz in 1980 became a multi-platinum success thanks to Ozzy's howling vocals and macabre laugh on hit Crazy Train. Coupled with the Prince of Darkness' insane tour that saw him bite the head off a live bat, a string of successful tracks followed - cementing Ozzy as a rock legend around the world. In 1992, the singer announced his retirement but four years later created the beloved annual music festival Ozzfest with Sharon, which featured heavy metal acts touring the US and some of Europe. Ozzy returned to Black Sabbath in 1999, with the band winning a Grammy for best metal performance for the song Iron Man. They later earned the same award in 2013 after releasing single God Is Dead? from album 13. Queen icon Sir Brian May also paid tribute, saying Ozzy's final concert earlier in the month "was a glorious way to say goodbye" to the heavy metal vocalist. The guitarist said on social media: "So sad to hear of Ozzie's passing. "His last appearance at Villa Park was a glorious way to say goodbye - the love in that place for him was gigantic. "I'm grateful I was able to have a few quiet words with him after the show. And happy to know he passed peacefully with his loving family close by." He added: "But the world will miss Ozzie's unique presence and fearless talent. My heartfelt consolations to Sharon and their great family. "And to Bill (Ward) and Geezer (Butler) and my dear friend Tony (Iommi) - for this is family - I know only too well. REST IN PEACE dear Ozzie. Bri." 10 The Osbourne Clan remained a solid unit throughout the decades Credit: PA 10 Ozzy credited Sharon with saving his life in interviews over the years Credit: Getty 10 Ozzy with Sharon and their three kids Credit: Getty
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Sharon Osbourne breaks silence as she responds to touching Ozzy tributes after her beloved husband's death aged 76
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SHARON Osbourne has broken her silence by responding to touching tributes paid to her beloved late husband Ozzy. The iconic singer - dubbed the Prince of Darkness - passed away after a long battle with Parkinson's disease, it was confirmed yesterday. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 10 Ozzy with his wife Sharon Credit: Rex 10 Sharon responded to Jack Saunders' tribute Credit: Instagram 10 The pair married in 1982 Credit: Corbis 10 Ozzy and Sharon in 1986 with their three kids Jack, Kelly & Aimee Credit: Getty - Contributor Now, his loving wife Sharon has responded to fans sending their condolences on social media. She replied to one message shared by musician Gavin Rossdale. The Bush singer posted a picture of himself with Ozzy on Instagram, with the caption: "RIP OZZY - a great man - a true legend - I met Ozzy through Jack just a few times, but he was so warm and kind and funny and I love that memory. "Sending much love to his family at this difficult time. Rest in power." Sharon wrote underneath "bless you" in acknowledgement of the tribute. The late rock star's wife also replied to BBC Radio 1 DJ Jack Saunders' message of support. "Jack thank you for your tribute to Ozzy tonight, bless you," she commented. Ozzy died at the family mansion in Buckinghamshire with his wife Sharon, 72, and four of his six children by his side. Thames Valley Air Ambulance confirmed an air ambulance was dispatched to 'provide advanced critical care'. Sharon — married for 43 years — said in a joint statement that he had been 'surrounded by love'. Ozzy Osbourne top five greatest moments Ozzy's life changed forever when Sharon Levy turned up at the door in 1970. He later said of the woman who became his second wife: 'If it weren't for her, without a shadow of a doubt, I would be dead.' Sharon, then 27, was the daughter of Black Sabbath's manager Don Arden. They'd first met when she was 18 and working as her dad's receptionist. 10 Ozzy on tour in Las Vegas in 2002 with his beloved Sharon by his side Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 10 Sharon and Ozzy as youngsters Credit: Getty - Contributor 10 Ozzy and Sharon pictured in Brazil in 1985 The singer wrote in his autobiography I Am Ozzy: 'I fell for Sharon so badly, man.' Sharon convinced the wreck that he could be a solo star, and that she should be the one to manage him. 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.' Not only did she become mother to his three children Aimee, Kelly and Jack but she also got things back on track. 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'.' Debut solo album Blizzard of Ozz, with big numbers like Crazy Train, Suicide Solution and Mr Crowley, appeared in September 1980, and eventually sold more than five million copies. Sharon also amped up his satanic image, encouraging stage antics such as flinging animal entrails into the audience. Sharon and Ozzy wed in Hawaii on July 4, 1982. However, in 1989 Ozzy's hardcore partying lifestyle took a sinister turn when he tried to strangle Sharon. Although the couple have famously spoken about how they both gave as good as they got, the incident saw Ozzy seek help for his drug use. She agreed not to press charges if he went to rehab - a decision that allowed the artist to continue performing and become the icon he is remembered as today. Along with Sharon and his kids, they became global TV sensations through their groundbreaking fly-on-the-wall documentary The Osbournes. It was such a smash hit that it paved the way for similar reality shows featuring Paris Hilton and later The Kardashians. Sharon was also by Ozzy's side throughout his health battles over the years, The rockstar suffered a spinal injury after an accident at his LA home in 2019 that required him to undergo surgery on his neck. He was sadly diagnosed with Parkinson's the same year and revealed the sad news a year later in an emotional joint interview with Sharon. The singer told Good Morning America at the time that he couldn't hide his health struggles any longer. Explaining the condition, Sharon said: "It's Parkin 2 which is a form of Parkinson's. There are so many different types of Parkinson's. "It's not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination but it does affect the nerves in your body. "It's like you'll have a good day, then a good day and then a really bad day." Ozzy added: "A year ago I was in a terrible state. I'm on a host of medication, mainly for the surgery. "I've got numbness down this arm and my legs are going cold. I don't know if it's the Parkinson's or what. That's the problem." Following a spate of nasty injuries in 2022 Ozzy was also forced to cancel an upcoming tour after revealing he was "not physically capable" of the travel required. But the Black Sabbath star still took to the stage one final time with his band mates at Villa Park in Birmingham earlier this month. Only three weeks ago, the Prince of Darkness who brought light into so many lives gave us one last hurrah when heavy metal royalty descended on Villa Park, to pay their respects. The Back to the Beginning gig ended with him - seated on a giant black throne because he could not stand - joining his Black Sabbath muckers on the songs that took him to the world stage. The icon vowed, however, that it would be his final performance due to his deteriorating health. 'HE SECURED HIS PLACE IN THE PANTHEON OF ROCK GODS' Ozzy's death on Tuesday drew condolences from stars including Sir Rod Stewart, Noel Gallagher and Sir Elton John. And yesterday friends said many big names wanted to salute the bat-munching, self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness, who became a national treasure. Such a service would be held ahead of a smaller private funeral. A source told The Sun: 'There are conversations about a celebration of his life in Birmingham, the city that meant so much to him. 'Artists like Yungblud, who was seen by Ozzy as a musician who could carry on the mantle of what he started all those years ago, is expected to have a role in it. 'There are hundreds of big names who will want to pay their respects and celebrate his life and legacy, as well as thousands of fans who would line the streets to say goodbye.' A new documentary, No Escape From Now, is set to air on Paramount+ later this year, following his life since a fall in 2019 — before his Parkinson's diagnosis — left him needing a series of ops on his back and neck. Tributes poured in for the legendary singer from across the music world. Sir Elton John shared a photo of himself alongside Ozzy with the message: "So sad to hear the news of Ozzy Osbourne passing away. "He was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods - a true legend. "He was also one of the funniest people I've ever met. I will miss him dearly. "To Sharon and the family, I send my condolences and love. Elton xx" Singer-songwriter Yungblud wrote on X: "I didn't think you would leave so soon the last time we met you were so full of life and your laugh filled up the room. "But as it is written with legends, they seem to know things that we don't. "I will never forget you - you will be in every single note I sing and with me every single time I walk on stage. "Your cross around my neck is the most precious thing I own. "You asked me once if there was anything you could do for me and as I said then and as I will say now for all of us the music was enough. "You took us on your adventure - an adventure that started it all. I am truly heartbroken. You were the greatest of all time." Ozzy Osbourne's iconic career The singer then pursued his love of music after hearing The Beatles hit She Loves You in 1963, aged 15. After appearing in a handful of school plays, Ozzy joined Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler in their first group Rare Breed in 1967. When that band split, the pair reunited in Polka Tulk Blues alongside Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. The group later became known as Black Sabbath and went onto shatter the music world with their whining guitar solos, Occult-based lyrics and Ozzy's screeching vocals. In 1970, the group gained a cult following in both the US and UK after releasing their eponymous first album. Black Sabbath saw incredible success with hit tracks such as Paranoid but discord in the group saw most of the original line-up leave. Ozzy himself quit the band in 1978, with a spiral into drug abuse leading to a divorce from first wife Thelma Mayfair, who he had two children with. It was then he first met a young Sharon Arden, who Ozzy at first wrote off as he believed she would think he was a "lunatic". But the singer could not be more wrong and the pair married in Hawaii in July 1982 before going on to have three children together, Aimee, Kelly and Jack. With Sharon's encouragement and help from her music manager dad Don, he began to carve out a successful solo career. His seminal first album Blizzard of Ozz in 1980 became a multi-platinum success thanks to Ozzy's howling vocals and macabre laugh on hit Crazy Train. Coupled with the Prince of Darkness' insane tour that saw him bite the head off a live bat, a string of successful tracks followed - cementing Ozzy as a rock legend around the world. In 1992, the singer announced his retirement but four years later created the beloved annual music festival Ozzfest with Sharon, which featured heavy metal acts touring the US and some of Europe. Ozzy returned to Black Sabbath in 1999, with the band winning a Grammy for best metal performance for the song Iron Man. They later earned the same award in 2013 after releasing single God Is Dead? from album 13. Queen icon Sir Brian May also paid tribute, saying Ozzy's final concert earlier in the month "was a glorious way to say goodbye" to the heavy metal vocalist. The guitarist said on social media: "So sad to hear of Ozzie's passing. "His last appearance at Villa Park was a glorious way to say goodbye - the love in that place for him was gigantic. "I'm grateful I was able to have a few quiet words with him after the show. And happy to know he passed peacefully with his loving family close by." He added: "But the world will miss Ozzie's unique presence and fearless talent. My heartfelt consolations to Sharon and their great family. "And to Bill (Ward) and Geezer (Butler) and my dear friend Tony (Iommi) - for this is family - I know only too well. REST IN PEACE dear Ozzie. Bri." 10 The Osbourne Clan remained a solid unit throughout the decades Credit: PA 10 Ozzy credited Sharon with saving his life in interviews over the years Credit: Getty
