Latest news with #OzzyAt75:TheUnofficialIllustratedHistory
New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Ozzy Osbourne biographer defends Sharon Osbourne from ‘evil, puppet master' reputation after rocker's death
Team Sharon. Daniel Bukszpan, author of the 2023 biography 'Ozzy At 75 : The Unofficial Illustrated History,' exclusively spoke to The Post after Ozzy Osbourne's death and defended his wife Sharon Osbourne from the negative reputation she's had in the music industry. 'Within the heavy metal subculture, Sharon Osborne has a reputation as this evil shrew, puppet master controlling him from off-stage or whatever,' Bukszpan said. Advertisement 9 Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne speak onstage at the 2020 Grammy Awards. Getty Images for The Recording Academy 'The truth of it is she met him after he had been fired from Black Sabbath. He was borderline homeless — could easily be just a couple of months away from walking down the street with a shopping cart barking at people,' Bukszpan recalled. 'She found him in that state and said, 'I think I can turn this guy into a solo artist,' when everyone had completely given up on him.' 9 Biographer Daniel Bukszpan. Daniel Bukszpan Advertisement Bukszpan pointed out that Sharon, 72, made Ozzy 'more famous' when she became his solo manager in 1979 after he was kicked out of Black Sabbath. 'And due to her ability to corral him and direct him and that sort of thing, she made him one of the biggest stars in the world,' the author said. 9 Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne at their Beverly Hills home. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Bukszpan also declared of Sharon and Ozzy: 'I believe she kept him alive the whole time.' Advertisement 'I sometimes get heavy metal people mad at me because I'll always defend sort of the way some Beatles fans see Yoko Ono,' the music expert continued. 'Like that she was just this woman interfering. No, she kept him alive and made him one of the biggest stars in the world for over 40 years. And gave him a family who he clearly loves and means everything to him.' 9 Daniel Bukszpan in his interview with The Post. 9 Daniel Bukszpan's biography 'Ozzy at 75: The Unofficial Illustrated History.' Daniel Bukszpan Bukszpan added of the hate Sharon's dealt with, 'I think when a public figure is as beloved as he was, people sometimes develop inappropriate attachment to them wherein they feel like, 'That woman's not good for him. He should marry me.' Like that kind of a thing. It's kind of high school cafeteria stuff.' Advertisement But Bukszpan did note that Ozzy's widow — whom the singer married in 1982 and shared kids Aimee, Kelly and Jack with — 'has been known to be unpleasant at times.' 9 Sharon Osbourne hugging Ozzy Osbourne in 2007. WireImage 'That's not a secret either,' he stated. 'I just think the way she's being characterized is wrong. And the fact that he made it to 76, I give all the credit to her. She kept him going and put up with a lot of stuff you would not put up with for a minute in your own marriage. But she took the marriage vows seriously and stood by him.' 'She saw something most of us did not,' Bukszpan continued about Sharon. 'And again, I don't like the way that she is characterized in a popular sense. And it's not just because she kept him alive this whole time. They clearly loved each other the whole time. And I think we have to give them the benefit of the doubt. That was a good marriage. If it was just about business, she would have stopped a long time ago.' 9 Sharon Osbourne at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on June 25, 2025. Emma Trimble / SWNS 'So I will always defend her,' Bukszpan added, 'even though I'm fully aware of numerous things she has done that were not that great.' Bukszpan also told The Post what he thinks Sharon's next steps will be following Ozzy's death. 'Sharon had said before the show, 'I'm done. I'm out of artist management. I am out of doing these events. I just want a quiet life now.' And I can certainly see that if that's what she chooses to do,' he explained. 'I can see how you're out of the game at this point.' Advertisement 9 Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' in 2002. Kevin Winter/ImageDirect 'As far as the rest of his family, I'm sure they're just completely devastated right now,' Bukszpan also said, 'and I think it'll probably be a while before we hear from them, which I get it.' 9 Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne and Jack Osbourne in 2002. ©MTV/Courtesy Everett Collection Advertisement Ozzy's beloved family confirmed he was 'surrounded by love' when he died on Tuesday. The rock legend spent years fighting several ailments, including Parkinson's disease.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Ozzy Osbourne was ‘frail and suffering' at Black Sabbath farewell concert: biographer
Daniel Bukszpan, who wrote a biography about Ozzy Osbourne in 2023, couldn't bring himself to watch the rocker's farewell concert that took place less than three weeks before his death. 'I couldn't watch it. I mean, Ozzy was so frail and just so obviously suffering,' the 'Ozzy At 75 : The Unofficial Illustrated History' author exclusively told The Post. 'I really had a hard time with it,' Bukszpan admitted. 'I feel like it's something I still have to confront.' Advertisement 8 Ozzy Osbourne during his farewell concert with Black Sabbath on July 5. Ozzy Osbourne/Instagram On July 5, Osbourne reunited with his former Black Sabbath bandmates for their 'Back to the Beginning' concert at Villa Park in the band's hometown of Birmingham, England. The Prince of Darkness, who was battling Parkinson's, performed for the 42,000-person crowd in what turned out to be the final concert of his life. Advertisement 8 Ozzy Osbourne backstage at his farewell concert. Ozzy Osbourne/Instagram 'At the time I sort of felt like, oh, they're making this poor man go on stage when clearly he's not up to it, and how can they do that to him?' Bukszpan told The Post. 'But that was before he died. Now that he died, and especially since he died so soon after, it's like, no, that was exactly the point.' 8 Daniel Bukszpan wrote a biography about Ozzy Osbourne in 2023. Daniel Bukszpan 8 Daniel Bukszpan's biography 'Ozzy at 75: The Unofficial Illustrated History.' Daniel Bukszpan Advertisement 'That was what he wanted,' the author continued. 'He wanted basically a big Irish wake. That's what that was. But it was before he was dead. So I did not recognize it as a big Irish wake until he passed. And then it was like, oh, okay, all right.' Bukszpan also pointed out that Osbourne was deteriorating from other issues, including a severe spinal injury, before his death. 8 Ozzy Osbourne with Sharon Osbourne and Jason Momoa at his final show. Ozzy Osbourne/Instagram 'He was in a lot of physical pain for that last part of his life,' Bukszpan said. 'And I'm certainly glad he's not dealing with that anymore. He was in chronic pain for about the last 20 years of his life. He had pain throughout his entire body for 20 years and he still was like, 'But when can I go back on stage?'' Advertisement 'I really respect that. He knew what he needed to do and he knew what he wanted to do. And he did it for as long as he possibly could.' 8 Daniel Bukszpan in his interview with The Post. New York Post Bukszpan noted that while the 'Crazy Train' singer 'was ailing for a long time,' he 'didn't want pity' from fans or for the public 'to think of him as this frail old man.' The author also said that Osbourne always owned up to his mistakes, including in his marriage to wife Sharon Osbourne and in his career. 8 Ozzy Osbourne speaks onstage at iHeartRadio Theater in California in Feb. 2020. Getty Images for iHeartMedia 'He took responsibility for the things he did. I never saw him blame anyone for anything,' Bukszpan told The Post. 'When he was fired from Black Sabbath… there are a lot of musicians who, when they leave their original bands, make this whole career out of talking about how much that band sucked. He never did that. He copped to pretty much everything.' 8 Ozzy Osbourne photographed for the Los Angeles Times in 2020. Contour RA Advertisement In hindsight, he's 'not surprised' Osbourne passed so quickly after his final concert. 'I think he really just took his whole job, all of it, very seriously,' Bukszpan said. 'He had a real work ethic about my job is to show up for people, give them a good time, and at my concerts they'll forget their troubles for two hours. I think he had an absolute diehard, utter commitment to that for his entire life. And that was how he lived.'
