Latest news with #Paranoid
Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
When Ozzy Osbourne ate a bat – and became a heavy metal legend
Black Sabbath frontman John Michael 'Ozzy' Osbourne, father of heavy metal and one of its most enduring and outlandish figures, died on Tuesday at 76. Earlier this month, suffering from Parkinson's and unable to stand without assistance, Ozzy rose from beneath the stage at the jam-packed Villa Park in Birmingham, less than a mile away from his home in Aston, where he grew up, seated on a custom-made throne fashioned like a bat. Forty thousand metalheads, who had gathered for a final hat tip to the metal pioneer, roared to the theatrical nod to that shocking moment from 1982 when Ozzy chewed off the head of a bat thrown on stage. Ozzy's bat bite, while not deliberate — he later said he thought it was a rubber toy — clouded the line between performance and reality. The confusion allowed for the power of the absurd to prevail. Parents were worried if kids lined their eyes with kohl, wore black and blared the music of 'Satan's friends'. Ozzy, the freak, was the children's hero, their 'Prince of Darkness'. He himself grew up on a steady dose of The Beatles. After leaving school, he worked as a labourer and in a slaughterhouse before being recruited by bassist Geezer Butler as the singer for his band Rare Breed in 1967. With guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward, they became Black Sabbath in 1969. The eponymous debut album, followed by Paranoid, Master of Reality and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, shot through the charts. While Ozzy's substance abuse and alcoholism got him fired by the band in 1979, he embarked on a solo career and was off-balance thereafter musically, and otherwise. A strange Act Two came with The Osbournes, a reality-TV peek into his home. It had Ozzy roaming around in a robe, flinging profanities, trying to figure out a TV remote. While it took away the rock star myth, the vulnerability made it work the TRPs. It felt the same during the farewell concert, when he sang 'Mama, I'm coming home', struggling with the notes. The metalheads sang along, letting him feel the last song. Just before it was time to leave.
Express Tribune
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Ozzy Osbourne dies at 76
Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of heavy metal group Black Sabbath, died on Tuesday at the age of 76, his family announced in a statement, as per AFP. "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," read the family's statement. "He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time." The British singer leaves behind his wife Sharon, six children, a host of grandchildren and a permanent legacy in the annals of rock'n'roll. Heavy metal maestro Osbourne will go down in rock history as the "godfather of heavy metal" who fulfilled his hard-living dreams as the frontman of Black Sabbath. After decades of debauchery and more than 100 million albums sold, his death came a little more than two weeks after Black Sabbath played a farewell concert to 40,000 fans at Villa Park, in his native Birmingham. Rock royalty lined up to pay tribute to him including Metallica, Guns N' Roses and members of Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones at the stadium that is the home to his beloved Aston Villa football team. Ozzy, as he was routinely referred to, attracted legions of new fans in the 2000s after appearing as the hard-of-hearing, slightly crazy but doting grandfather in MTV's hit reality show The Osbournes, a far cry from the excesses that defined his 1970s heyday. Until his renaissance, he was best known in the mainstream for biting the head of a live bat during a concert and for urinating in the wine glass of a record-label chief – as well as on the Alamo monument in Texas. But for hard-rock fans he will forever be remembered as the "Prince of Darkness" leading Black Sabbath, the band that helped launch heavy metal, a blend of rock and blues drenched in distortion and dark lyrics. 'Girls ran out screaming' The band enjoyed immediate success on the release of its eponymous debut album in 1970. Hundreds of thousands around the world continued to flock to hear rock hymns such as Paranoid, War Pigs and Iron Man at the band's riotous live shows for almost 50 years, until the band brought down the curtain a first time with a gig in Birmingham in 2017. Ozzy, like many of his contemporaries, suffered from gaps in his memory due to drink and drugs on the road, but few can claim to have such monumental black holes. He said that he had forgotten attempting to strangle his wife Sharon the year their eldest daughter was born, adding that he had very few recollections from the 1990s as a whole. In 2010, scientists even analysed his genome to try to understand how he had survived so much self-inflicted punishment. Ozzy said he could not remember where he performed Black Sabbath's debut album for the first time. "But I can sure as hell remember the audience's reaction: all the girls ran out of the venue, screaming," he recalled in his autobiography I am Ozzy. His wild lifestyle led to run-ins with the law, including visits to court on charges of satanism and encouraging suicide, though his criminal career started before he joined the band, spending time in jail for stealing a television and baby clothes. Born John Michael Osbourne, the singer came from a working-class family in Birmingham on December 3, 1948. He inherited his nickname in primary school. Dyslexic and angry with homework, he left school at 15 before working in manual jobs, including at an abattoir. But he decided he would become a rock star after hearing the Beatles on the radio, a fantasy he realised incredibly quickly. 'Everyone around me is dying' Shortly after meeting guitarist Tony Iommi, the two decided to "stop doing blues and write scary music instead", inspired by horror films. The resulting sound of heavy riffs accompanied by Ozzy's droning voice singing lyrics exploring the dark side of human nature became the template for heavy metal. "Pink Floyd was music for rich college kids, and we were the exact opposite of that," he said. Albums followed at a frantic pace, often shunned by critics but acclaimed by fans. Ozzy left the band in 1979, going on to have a successful solo career and releasing 11 albums while juggling a turbulent personal life. His first marriage to Thelma, with whom he had two children, Elliot and Jessica, was by his own admission a disaster. In 1982 he married Sharon, his manager, who quickly became his rock. They had three children – Aimee, Kelly and Jack – and adopted another boy, Roberto. Despite his seemingly carefree personality, the deaths of his rocker friend Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead and David Bowie left him in a reflective mood. "Everybody's dying around me, but I'm at that age," he told Rolling Stone magazine in 2016. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, with all profits from his last concert on July 5 going to charities including Cure Parkinson's and Birmingham Children's Hospital. The Prince of Darkness clung on for another six years after his diagnosis, before joining his peers in the pantheon of late, great British musicians.
Miami Herald
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne's net worth as metal's greatest frontman passes on
Ozzy Osbourne, prince of darkness and metal's most iconic frontman, passed away on July 22, 2025, after struggling with his health for the previous six years. Osbourne, who first achieved stardom as the vocalist of English metal band Black Sabbath in the early 1970s before launching a longstanding solo career, is survived by Sharon, his wife and manager of over 40 years, as well as his six children. When 76-year-old Osbourne died, "he was with his family and surrounded by love," according to a statement released by his immediate family. While an exact cause of death has not been released, the "Paranoid" vocalist had struggled with his health since early 2019, when he had to cancel a tour due to an extended bout of the flu that advanced to pneumonia. Shortly after this, Ozzy suffered serious injuries from a fall in his home and then received a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, a degenerative neurological ailment that affects motor function. View the original article to see embedded media. Just weeks before deboarding the crazy train for good, however, Ozzy blessed his legions of fans with one last live performance in his hometown of Birmingham, England. The concert saw Osbourne, seated in a skull-clad black throne, sing some of his biggest solo hits like "Crazy Train" before ending his set with four Black Sabbath classics alongside the rest of the Birmingham metal outfit's original lineup - guitarist Tommi Iommi, bassist and lyricist Geezer Butler, and Drummer Bill Ward. Per usual, the show, dubbed "Back to the Beginning," was booked by Ozzy's wife and manager, Sharon. 42,000 metal fans attended Ozzy's sonic sendoff in person, while an additional three million tuned in for the event's online stream. Suffice it to say, Osbourne's impact on his fans-and on the rock genre at large-is the stuff of legend, and the mumbling crooner who brought metal to the masses will not soon be forgotten. Here's a look at what Ozzy was worth at the time of his death, how much Sharon is worth now, and how the pair built and spent their the time of his death in July 2025, Ozzy Osbourne's net worth, which has long been combined with that of his wife, Sharon, was widely estimated to be $220 million. In March of 2024, however, Cosmopolitan reported that Ozzy and Sharon's combined wealth totalled $440-exactly double the current estimate. How the pair's net worth could have halved in little over a year is unclear, casting doubt on the accuracy of both current and previous $220 million sum mentioned above, whether accurate or not, reportedly refers to the shared wealth of the late singer and his longtime wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne. After Ozzy's death, Sharon's net worth likely remains mostly unchanged, pending any payments that may result from expenses, bequests, or donations associated with the late singer's passing. Sharon had been Ozzy's partner, confidant, and biggest supporter for more than 45 years. The two began a romantic and professional relationship in 1979, when Ozzy was kicked out of Black Sabbath (reportedly by the band's manager, who was also Sharon's father) due to unreliability stemming from his substance abuse issues. Once Ozzy set out on his solo career, Sharon became his manager, and the two married in 1982. 20 years after the pair's nuptials, the often-comical home life of the couple and two of their three children was immortalized in the MTV reality show, The Osbournes, which ran from 2002 to 2005. The show shone a playful light on Sharon's loving role in Ozzy's day-to-day life, cementing her stardom alongside her husband's. Related: Kendrick Lamar's net worth in 2025: Drake feud earnings & more Unsurprisingly, much of the wealth Ozzy and Sharon have built over the course of their careers comes from music-album sales, tours, merchandising, licensing, events, and other aspects of Ozzy's legendary musical empire have proved longstanding sources of income for the couple. But Sharon's efforts outside of Ozzy's musical career have also been quite lucrative. In addition to managing Ozzy's solo career (which spanned a remarkable 13 albums) since 1979, Sharon also orchestrated the launch of Ozzfest with her husband in 1996. The event brought together a number of bands spanning the hard rock, heavy metal, and punk genres, and its success led to it becoming a near-annual occurrence through 2018. The festival reportedly sold over 5 million tickets and brought in over $100 million over the course of its tenure. Related: Billie Eilish's net worth: How the pop icon makes her millions Sharon's television career and earnings Since her rise to public prominence with The Osbournes, Sharon has continued to appear on television regularly, and her business acumen, developed over decades working in the entertainment industry, has continued to serve the couple well financially. According to Cosmo, each of the four family members featured in The Osbournes earned $5 million per season of the show beginning with season 2, which would amount to $60 million across three seasons, plus whatever the family earned for season one. According to a no-longer-published article in The Times UK, Sharon earned around $13.5 million for her role in the show. From 2004 to 2007, Sharon served as a judge on the reality singing competition show "X Factor," for which she earned £2 million per season, according to The Sun. From 2010 to 2021, Sharon also cohosted The Talk, reportedly earning $1 million per season plus a severance of between $5 and $10 million for a total of $16 to $21 million. Despite Ozzy's passing, his music remains as relevant as ever, and with the renewed spotlight his death has cast on his career, album and merchandise sales are likely to see a resurgence. His name and music will no doubt continue to be invoked in pop culture and media as they so often were during his life (his cameos in Ghostbusters and Little Nicky are among his fans' favorites), providing additional royalties for his family. As Ozzy's enduring popularity continues to generate revenue, his widow Sharon and celebrity children Jack and Kelly, each of whom has their own successful career, will no doubt do their best to honor Ozzy's impact as a husband, father, and rock-and-roll legend. Related: Miley Cyrus' net worth: A look at the 'Something Beautiful' singer's wealth The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Malay Mail
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
War pig, iron man, madman: Ozzy Osbourne's metal legacy in five tracks
PARIS, July 24 — Britain's Ozzy Osbourne, who died Tuesday at the age of 76, was an pioneer of heavy metal music as lead singer of Black Sabbath, producing songs with a powerful and often sinister mix of distortion and dark lyrics. Here are five of his most memorable songs, three of which are from Black Sabbath's most successful album Paranoid (1970). 'Paranoid' (1970) Often listed as one of the greatest heavy metal songs of all time, Paranoid came about largely by accident, being written at the last minute because the album of the same name was too short. Describing a man's depressed state, the 'rapid-fire chugging' of the song was 'a two-minute blast of protopunk', Rolling Stone has said. After leaving Black Sabbath in 1979 and going solo, Osbourne continued to perform the classic at the end of his concerts. 'War Pigs' (1970) Another icon from Paranoid, this is a classic anti-war protest song often associated with the Vietnam War of the period. It was originally entitled Walpurgis — a reference to a satanist festival — but this was changed on the recommendation of Black Sabbath's record company. Described as 'dense' by Rolling Stone magazine, it compares military commanders to 'witches at black masses' and criticises politicians for starting war and 'treating people like pawns'. 'Iron Man' (1970) Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler said he wrote the lyrics to this piece, also from Paranoid, when Osbourne described a dark riff by guitarist Tony Iommi as sounding 'like a great iron bloke walking about'. It tells of a man who is unable to communicate and feels rejected, and so wreaks revenge on the world. Osbourne 'gave metal a sense of menace during his first 10-year tour of duty with Black Sabbath, approximating the sound of a nervous breakdown on songs like Paranoid and Iron Man,' Rolling Stone wrote in 2018. 'Crazy Train' (1980) After being sacked by Black Sabbath in 1979 because of his abuse of drugs and alcohol, Osbourne reinvented heavy metal during an epic solo career, 'picking up the pace of his songs and injecting them with baroque noir,' Rolling Stone said. Crazy Train, the first single from his debut solo album Blizzard of Ozz in 1980, deals with the Cold War pitting the West against the Soviet Union, and fears of mutually assured destruction. In 2019, Osbourne was reported by US media, as having complained to US President Donald Trump after the Republican used the song unauthorised in a social media video which mocked the 2020 Democratic Party candidates at a debate. 'I Don't Want to Change the World' (1991) Continuing his successful solo run into the 1990s, I Don't Want to Change the World appeared on the multi-platinum winning No More Tears album — his last before retiring for the first time. Osbourne won a Grammy award for his live performance of the piece in 1993. It deals with the attitude of religious-minded people towards him, and his own views of them. The lyrics say, 'Tell me I'm a sinner / I've got news for you / I spoke to God this morning and he doesn't like you'. — AFP
New York Post
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Lefty keyboard warriors try to posthumously cancel Ozzy Osbourne for performing in Israel: ‘Broke the boycott'
Leftists on the internet are attempting to posthumously cancel the late Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne for supporting and performing in the state of Israel. Tributes from all corners of the internet poured in for Osbourne, the father of heavy metal and trailblazer of reality television, who died on Tuesday — but some anti-Israel keyboard warriors tried to spoil the moment. 'Ozzy Osbourne was a supporter of Zionism,' account Antifa Ultras wrote on X, garnering over 95,000 likes and nearly 7 million impressions. 'He broke the boycott by performing in Israel and, during a time when thousands of children in Gaza were being killed, he called on other artists to do the same. Never forget that,' the post concluded. The 'Paranoid' singer twice performed in the Jewish state — first with 2010's Ozzfest in Tel Aviv and then in 2018 as part of his 'No More Tours 2' tour, The Times of Israel reported. Another X account, 'ProudSocialist,' said Osbourne had 'a stain on his legacy' over his stance on the Israel-Hamas war. 'Ozzy Osbourne recently signed a letter to stop the BBC from airing a documentary chronicling Israel's genocide in Gaza,' the user tweeted. 'It's a stain on his legacy and a far cry from his Black Sabbath days when he released the song 'War Pigs', which condemned leaders who initiate wars for profit.' Ozzy Osbourne on the 'No More Tours 2' tour in 2018. Shutterstock A third keyboard warrior slammed the legendary musician's support for Israel — calling him a 'rabid zionist.' 'This is who y'all are celebrating. Ozzy Osbourne was a rabid zionist who just this year was commended by the Israeli government for calling out the 'systematic bias against Israel' by the BBC,' the account dubbed People's City Council – Los Angeles wrote on X. Though not Jewish himself, the one-time 'Black Sabbath' frontman became a fierce opponent of antisemitism due to his Jewish wife, Sharon. Osbourne derived an affinity for Judaism and Israel through his wife, Sharon, who is Jewish. Getty Images 'Ozzy is so confused by it all and just keeps asking me to explain why there is so much hatred of Jews,' Sharon said in an interview with Jewish News in 2023. 'What do I say?' Back in 2024, The Great Ozz publicly turned down rapper Kanye West, who supposedly asked to sample the classic song 'Iron Man' — writing in a tweet he wanted 'no association' with the 'antisemite.'
