Ozzy Osbourne

Having been booted out of Black Sabbath (for excessive drug use – being the most wasted among the wasted), Ozzy Osbourne embarked on a remarkable solo career.

Out of the box he had two massively successful records, “The Blizzard Of Ozz,” with “Crazy Train,” and “Diary Of A Madman.” Both albums featured the fiercely brilliant guitar work of ex-Quiet Riot member, Randy Rhoads.

But Osbourne’s ‘82 tour had a shaky start. First, there was the infamous “biting the head off a bat” during a Des Moines, IA, show. Legend has it Osbourne bit the head off a dove at a record label meeting the year before to shock “the suits.”

However, this time around it didn’t go so smoothly. First, animal rights people protested. Second, Osbourne had to undergo painful rabies shots. Later he claimed a fan tossed the bat on stage and he didn’t know it was a live animal. Thought it was a prop.

Also, he performed a duet with Lita Ford, ex-member of The Runaways. Uncharacteristically for both, the song “Close My Eyes Forever,” released in ‘89, was a ballad. It was also the first time either of them landed in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Ozzy story added a long-running chapter with the launch of OzzFest. The mega Metal tours were financially rewarding and served to keep Osbourne in front of the faithful.

After 30 years in Metal and nearly two decades past his prime, Ozzy Osbourne was still active but had just about fallen off the radar. Then MTV got the idea of filming Osbourne’s day to day life. Ozzy became a household name as the befuddled father on MTV’s “The Osbournes.”

Instead of satanic rituals and blood sacrifice, MTV got ma and pa Osbourne and the kids. It became one of the most highly rated programs in cable history with the Osbourne’s contract being extended.

What made the series work was the jaded Rock star colliding with the day-to-day triviality of suburban life. However, the defining moment came when a bubble machine was slated for an Ozzy video. Knowing exactly what was at stake, Ozzy railed “I am the bloody Prince of Darkness! I don’t use any f***ing bubble machine!” Well, of course not.

Success has a downside (it always does). Sharon battled cancer. Sharon and Ozzy’s son, Jack, went into rehab. Ozzy had a near fatal ATV accident in late ’03.

A bit later, the family pulled the plug on their T.V. show and Ozzy joined his original Sabbath bandmates for an Ozzfest run. He also tried sobriety and seemed happier for it.

There was more! Osbourne’s “Black Rain” hit in May, ‘07. “It’s a well-put-together album,” said Ozzy. “I took my time on (it) and (guitarist) Zakk (Wylde) plays some amazing stuff as always.”

“I Don’t Wanna Stop” was the lead single. “People keep saying to me, ‘You’ll be quitting soon, retiring.’ I don’t wanna stop!” claimed Ozzy. “I’d miss the fans. I’d miss the buzz, seeing the crowd going crazy.” The album was recorded at Osbourne’s home studio in L.A.

The Osbourne clan returned to TV in ‘09 when their FOX variety series Osbournes Reloaded premiered. The family show mixed live performances and skits. The series died without a whimper.

After rumors and public statements, Ozzy officially announced in ’09 that he and Wylde had parted company … Wylde’s extensive tour schedule fronting Black Label Society made working together difficult. “He’s got his own thing now, he’s got his own band, he’s got his own career. . . he don’t need me anymore,” explained Ozzy. Firewind’s Gus G stepped in.

Following the “Scream” album (’10), Ozzy focused on another Black Sabbath reunion. Some may have thought it would never happen, while others probably questioned whether it should.

The reunited Black Sabbath (sans drummer Bill Ward who dropped out due to a contractual dispute and was replaced by Rage Against The Machine’s Brad Wilk), released “13.”

The 2013 set was the band’s first album reached #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 155,000 copies in the first week. “There have been so many amazing highlights in our long career,” said a stunned Ozzy. “To finally have our first #1 album in the U.S. is another incredible milestone for Black Sabbath.”

In May, ’16 “reliable sources” stated that Ozzy and Sharon had split. The story was confirmed when Sharon stated that she had kicked Ozzy out of the house after he cheated on her (with his hair stylist) but added that he had now returned and she had moved out.

Two-and-a-half months later, Ozzy told ABC’s Good Morning America that he and Sharon were “back on track” after experiencing “bump in the road.” “Some days are good. Some days are terrible,” he said.

On her own show, The Talk, Sharon countered saying, “He is a dog. He’s a dirty dog. So there we are. He’s gonna pay for it, though, big time.” Sharon added that they were in therapy. Ozzy announced later that he was also in therapy for sexual addiction.

With all that still hanging out there, Ozzy’s former songwriting partner and bassist Bob Daisley sued Ozzy and his company Blizzard Music Limited seeking $2 million in unpaid royalties centering around “Crazy Train.” The song, originally released in ’80, was credited Daisley and Rhoads as the songwriters.

Ozzy’s rep dismissed the suit stating, “He (Daisley) has previously filed lawsuits in the U.K. and the U.S. and has lost on each occasion.” The case was dismissed.

There was a ten-year lapse between “Scream” and “Ordinary Man.” In the interim, Ozzy continued to tour, and in ’17, he reunited with Wylde to mark the 30th anniversary of their first collaboration in ’88. This trek, said to be his last (not at all), marked his first-ever Download headline solo appearance. The following year, Ozzy embarked on the “No More Tours II.” He clarified saying he would still tour just wouldn’t do any more world tours.

“Ordinary Man,” released in ’20 received generally positive reviews as the album debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200. It was Ozzy’s eighth Top 10 album as a solo artist. Wylde played guitar on the effort.

“Patient Number 9” dropped two years later. Though no one knew it at the time it turned out to be Ozzy’s last album. Later, it won two Grammy Awards: Best Rock Album and Best Metal Performance for “Degradation Rules.”

The album featured a stunning array of guitarists including Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi.

For years, especially as Ozzy’s health declined (by ’25, he had lost his ability to walk due to Parkinson’s disease), he repeatedly mentioned a desire to play a final concert with his Sabbath bandmates.

Bringing their concert career to a close Ozzy and his fellow Black Sabbath bandmates headlined “Back To The Beginning,” a massive one-day concert/tribute held at Villa Park in the band’s hometown of Birmingham, U.K. on July 5th, 2025. Over 40,000 were in attendance with millions viewing a delayed Livestream.

Back To The Beginning

Left To Right: Bill Ward (drums), Ozzy, Geezer Butler (bass) and Tony Iommi (guitar)

Ozzy opened with “I Don’t Know,” before launching into “Mr, Crowley,” “Suicide Solution” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” He closed with “Crazy Train.”

In addition to the headliners, “Back To The Beginning” featured Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, Lamb Of God, Anthrax, Mastodon and Rival Sons – with each performing an Ozzy or Sabbath cover in addition to their own material.

Proceeds were donated to three charities – Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Cure Parkinson’s, and Midlands-based Acorns Children’s Hospice.

Just 17 days after the concert, Osbourne died at his home in Buckinghamshire on the morning of July 22nd, 2025.

Select Ozzy Osbourne Tracks:

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