Biography of Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy Osbourne

In 2001, Ozzy's album " Down to Earth"demonstrated an even heavier sound and excellent quality of material, so that the new release, perhaps, even surpassed Ozzmosis. There were also lyrics - even pop radio stations eagerly played the song “Dreamer”.

In 2005, the album “ Under Cover"with cover versions of songs that influenced Ozzy (among them songs by Lennon and the Beatles took a special place). A 4-disc Prince of Darkness box set is also being released, which, in addition to the collection and covers, also includes Ozzy’s duets with various musicians.

In 2007, a new album “ Black Rain" Ozzy is not afraid to experiment with sound, but overall the album is inferior to its predecessor. Ozzy himself admitted that this is “my first album that I recorded while sober.”

On June 22, 2010, the tenth solo album “ Scream", as reported on the official website. Its release was preceded by an advertising campaign held at Madame Tussauds in New York. Ozzy sat motionless on a couch in one of the halls of wax figures, and when fans of his work approached him to take pictures, Osbourne stood up abruptly or simply scared the visitors with a scream.

In October 2010, Osbourne recorded a cover of John Lennon's "How?" in honor of the ex-Beatle's 70th birthday. The song originally appeared on Lennon's second solo album, 1971's Imagine. All proceeds from the sale of the composition are donated to the human rights organization Amnesty International.

Ozzfest is a festival founded by Ozzy Osbourne. He tours around the world, and the traveling festival Ozzfest 2004 featured Judas Priest, along with Black Sabbath, Linkin Park, Slayer, Superjoint Ritual, Dimmu Borgir, System of a Down, KoRn, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Metallica, Godsmack and other “heavy” bands. A significant role in the development of the festival was played by Ozzy's young son Jack Osbourne, who from a certain point began to serve as program director.

The story of a teenager's suicide in 1981 In 1986, Ozzy was arrested on a plane at Los Angeles Airport. The allegations presented to the singer were that a 19-year-old teenager shot himself after being inspired by the song "Suicide Solution". The prosecution argued that the song itself contained special noises that affected the subconscious and hypnotized the listener. Osborne's lawyers were able to prove that there were no extraneous sounds on the recording, and the lyrics of the song themselves could not be the subject of a lawsuit, since they fall under the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech.

By the way, it should be noted that the lyrics of the song itself do not call for suicide: the song compares excessive addiction to alcohol to suicide. According to Ozzy, he wrote the song “Suicide Solution” under the influence of reports about the death of Bon Scott, lead singer of AC/DC, who choked on vomit as a result of severe alcohol intoxication. Bob Daisley, who claimed to be the author of this song, stated that the lyrics were written due to the fact that Ozzy himself had serious problems with alcohol abuse at the time.

In 1998, former members of Ozzy Osbourne's solo musical project: bassist Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles District Court against Osbourne and his wife, accusing them of financial fraud in the payment of royalties to musicians. Question judicial trial concerned the payment of royalties for the first two albums: Blizzard of Ozz - 1980 and Diary of a Madman - 1981. The court of first instance left this claim unsatisfied, which served as a reason for the musicians to file an appeal to the Federal Court of Appeal, which in 2003 upheld the decision of the lower court.

On May 19, 2002, MTV in England and Ireland began showing the documentary television series “The Osbournes” about Ozzy Osbourne and his family. In form, this film was a staged and real filming of the life of the characters in the “Osborne family”, filled with everyday troubles and joys. There was a carefully hidden scenario (in the last episode of the last season you can see how they are holding signs with words). The Ozzy family appeared to be similar to the Simpson family. According to Ozzy himself, “one broadcast destroyed millions of fantasies,” because the “Godfather of Metal” appeared as a henpecked husband and unlucky dad, unable to cope with his offspring.

Over time, more attention began to be paid to the disgusting physical condition of Ozzy, who moved around the house with the “dexterity” characteristic of an old man rather than a man of his age. Ozzy demonstrated complete inadequacy to his surroundings, once again frightening the public. Muttering under the breath, obvious deafness, shuffling gait, hand tremors and other symptoms of a serious illness demonstrated live to millions of viewers is an unpleasant sight, but the enterprise is very profitable. In absentia, Ozzy was given a bunch of medical diagnoses - mostly ranging around Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis.

Subsequently, Osborne's terrible condition during the filming of the series was explained by the effects of drugs. Having brought Ozzy out of another binge, the doctors prescribed Osbourne a lot of psychotropic pills, doing this many times (antidepressants alternated with stimulants so that he would not fall asleep from the antidepressants), the number of pills the show actor took daily reached 40.

It may seem implausible, but the sharp improvement in the singer’s condition in subsequent years (in particular, at his Russian concerts in 2007, Ozzy appeared as a completely sane person in good physical shape, in no way reminiscent of the shuffling wreck of 2003), suggests that the “story with pills” most likely the truth. The series itself added to Osborne's popularity.

Personal life.
At the age of 21, Ozzy Osbourne married Thelma Riley and has two children from this marriage. Osborne also adopted Thelma's son from her first marriage. Divorced in 1981. On July 4, 1982, he married Sharon Osbourne, who handles all of her husband's affairs and schedule. Married to Sharon, he has three children - Amy, Kelly and Jack. groups from 1970 to 1978.

Although for his antics, both on stage and off it (for example, biting off the heads of a pigeon and a bat), this vocalist earned the fame of the “Great and Terrible”, his musical merits and the title of “godfather of heavy metal” are no less valuable. metal" belongs to him by right. John Michael Osborne, nicknamed "Ozzy" at school, was born in Birmingham on December 3, 1948. His family was not particularly prosperous, and at the age of 15 the boy, having dropped out of school, went to earn money. A construction worker, a trainee plumber, a tool maker's assistant, a cattle slaughterer, an auto mechanic - all these professions provided a small income, and Ozzie decided to steal. The theft, however, was discovered, and young Osborne learned a good lesson after serving some time in prison. Once free, he decided to try the safer and less tedious profession of a musician, and in the late 60s he found himself in the same company as Tomi Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler. After some renaming, their team received the name "Black Sabbath", and its dark, slow-heavy sound brought the musicians to commercial success and made them an example to follow for subsequent rock generations. However, the ascent to the metal Olympus was accompanied by a riotous lifestyle, which led to the deterioration of internal relations and Osborne's expulsion from the group.

Ozzy was idle for a while, but his future wife Sharon, who took on managerial responsibilities, persuaded the musician to put together another team, which included Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoads, bassist Bob Daisley and Uriah Heep drummer Lee Kerslake. The debut album "Blizzard Of Oz" had the same ingredients as "Black Sabbath": occult lyrics and loud, heavy guitars, although the level of technicality in the new project was, perhaps, higher. Accompanied by the hit singles "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley", the disc rose to seventh place in the British charts, and took 21st position in the United States.

If earlier there were doubts about Ozzy’s solo career, then with his second album the “prince of darkness” really proved that he was not going to give in to his former colleagues. Featuring the powerful opener "Over The Mountain" and the drug-fuelled ode "Flying High Again", Diary Of A Madman beat out Sabbat rival Mob Rules in the charts. Along the way, Ozzy replaced the rhythm section with Tommy Aldridge and Rudy Sarzo, but fate soon intervened in personnel matters - Rhoads died. Due to the death of a friend, Ozzy became depressed, and he changed his plans to release a live album - the original recordings with Randy did not appear there, and instead, tracks from the Sabbath repertoire, performed with the participation of Brad, were placed on "Speak Of The Devil" Gillis from Night Ranger. Recovering from the loss, Osbourne placed Jake E. Lee, whose debut on "Bark At The Moon" next to him. The album, although inferior in power to the first two works, was met with approval and, like "Blizzard Of Oz" and "Diary Of A Madman", had strong sales. A different picture was observed after the release of “The Ultimate Sin” - a rise in the charts with a decline in consumer demand and a negative reaction from critics who blamed the overly soft and polished sound and the poverty of musical ideas. In 1987, Ozzy honored the memory of his first guitarist by releasing the "Tribute" album with recordings from the early 80s, and at the same time fired Lee without any explanation.

Osbourne's next collaborator was the young and talented Zakk Wylde, who helped the vocalist turn to a harder sound (although some touch of soft metal still remained on "No Rest For The Wicked"). The fifth studio album with a worthy response to Ozzy's longtime enemy televangelist Jimmy Swaggart in the form of "Miracle Man" and the emtivish hits "Crazy Babies" and "Breakin' All The Rules" testified to a return to form, but after the release of the even more successful "No More Tears" Osbourne began to get tired of concerts, and the title of the album was transformed into the motto “No More Tours”.

However, Ozzy only temporarily retired and after a long break returned to studio work. His comeback album "Ozzmosis", featuring Wylde, Butler, Rick Wakeman and drummer Dean Castronovo, received the "made in 90s" label and mixed press, but still had solid sales and a spot in the top ten. Soon after, Osbourne formed personal festival "Ozzfest", and in the late 90s he took part in the reunion "Black Sabbath". However, he stayed in the team only for the duration of the tour, and at the beginning of the 2000s he returned to solo work, releasing an even heavier and even more modern than "Ozzmosis" full-length "Down To Earth". In 2002, MTV launched the documentary series "The Osbournes", which showed the life of the star family. And although Ozzy appeared in this peculiar answer to "The Simpsons" he was far from in the best shape and more reminiscent of an old pea buffoon than a metal icon, in addition to a solid monetary income, the idea brought the artist additional popularity. In 2005, Osborne released a collection of covers with things that influenced his tastes from "

Ozzy Osbourne's real name is John Michael Osbourne. Ozzy was born on December 3, 1948 in the UK, in Birmingham. Contrary to popular belief, John Osbourne received the nickname “Ozzy” back in school years: This is the nickname his classmates gave him for his love of the book “The Wizard of Oz.”

Ozzy Osbourne went to the same school as Tony Iommi, but at that time they were not friends. Their creative union, which laid the foundation for the Black Sabbath group, was formed a little later.

At the age of 15, Ozzy was kicked out of school, and, due to the difficult financial situation in the family (he was the fourth of six children), the future rock musician got a job as a plumber's assistant. Subsequently, Ozzy tried to work as a mechanic's assistant, a slaughterman at a slaughterhouse, an auto mechanic, a painter, and even a gravedigger. Unable to find himself in the field of honest labor, young John Osborne tried to earn his living by theft. Having been caught, he was unable to pay the fine and served (according to various sources: one and a half or three) months in a Birmingham prison. It was in prison that Ozzy got his famous “OZZY” tattoo on the phalanges of the fingers of his left hand. After leaving prison, Ozzy decided to try himself as a musician. Just in time, the band “Music Machine” turned up, looking for a vocalist, and Ozzy took his place at the microphone.

Subsequently, having decided to found his own group, Osborne advertised in a local newspaper looking for like-minded people. Terence Butler (later Geezer Butler), who by that time had been learning to play the electric guitar for six months, came in response to the announcement. A little later, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward joined them - according to the same announcement. With the arrival of Iommi, Butler retrained as a bassist. The joint group was named simply and without any pretense: “Earth”.

The band's first song was "Black Sabbath", written under the influence of the 1935 horror film of the same name. Before this, the group played exclusively cover versions of songs by other artists. From 1969 to 1970, the group played in various clubs while simultaneously working on their own material. One day, someone noticed the Birmingham four-piece's own song, "Black Sabbath", sparking thoughts about the first record. The young people also found out that there was already a group called “Earth”. Therefore, they changed their name to “Black Sabbath” - after their first song. In January 1970, the group managed to record their first album, which took good places in the English and American charts.

In 1971, Ozzy married for the first time - to a certain Thelma Riley. In 1975, the group decides to change their manager. Don Arden, the father of Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy's future wife, becomes the new manager of Black Sabbath.

After the release of Never Say Die in 1978, which coincided with the death of Ozzy's father, he became depressed, heavily abusing alcohol and hard drugs. After Osbourne failed to show up for rehearsals for a month, Tony Iommi decided to get rid of him. Iommi already had sketches of the next album, “Heaven And Hell”, in addition, he managed to meet Ronnie James Dio, who had recently left Rainbow and did not have his own band at that time. The task of informing Ozzy that the band no longer wished to work with him was carried out by Bill Ward. Both Ozzy and Tony Iommi admitted in subsequent interviews that this was precisely a dismissal. However, Osbourne admitted that parting with Black Sabbath was a relief for him.

After leaving Black Sabbath, Ozzy spent his time idle until Sharon Arden, the daughter of his former band's manager, persuaded him to start a new group. Osborne put an ad in the newspaper looking for musicians. One of the guitarists who auditioned was Randall William Rhoads. As Rhoads said in one of his few interviews, he did not know who he would have to work with. Arriving at the audition studio with his amp and electric guitar, he was ushered into an empty room. There Randy connected his equipment and began to “warm up”. Suddenly, Ozzy appeared in the room and pronounced the verdict “accepted!” and ignored the guitarist’s objections that he had not yet started playing. Bassist Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake also joined the band. With this lineup, they released their first album, “Blizzard of Ozz,” and went on a concert tour, the first performance of which was a concert on September 12, 1980 in Glasgow.

To release his solo album, Ozzy Osbourne needed a record deal. After numerous refusals, Ozzy eventually managed to reach an agreement with CBS, which, however, did not treat the project with the degree of seriousness that Osbourne had expected, considering the latter to be just another minor event. To change your impressions of yourself better side, Ozzy, on Sharon's advice, brought two pigeons to the company's office - with the initial intention of releasing them in front of an astonished public and thus attracting public attention. The trick worked, although not quite as intended. Having released the first pigeon - as expected, Osborne unexpectedly bit off the head of the second. This action was captured by a studio photographer, and soon the photographs appeared in most newspapers. This is unlikely to have affected positive side) to the management of a record company, however, it generated understandable interest in Osbourne among young people. It is unknown whether this action was planned this way from the very beginning: neither Sharon nor Ozzy himself clarified the motives for this act. The only comment the singer made about this was to admit that he was very drunk at the time.

A year later, Ozzy and his band recorded their second album, The Diary of a Madman. According to Osborne himself, this album turned out better than the previous one. However, the musicians themselves looked back at the charts: competitors in the form of Black Sabbath with the album “Mob Rules” reached only 29th position, while Diary of a Madman spent some time in the Top-15.

During the tour, Ozzy amused himself by throwing raw meat at the audience who came to his concerts. However, this was part of the contract: during the concert, Osborne had to throw about ten kilograms of veal liver and pork offal into the hall. Sometimes this part of the show took unexpected turns: for example, after one of the concerts, someone called the band’s management and asked how to wash off raw blood.

However, the public quickly picked up the idea. Soon, in response to Ozzy's antics on stage, dead cats, frogs, snakes and other material that had once been living creatures began to fly at him. One time someone threw a (life-size) doll onto the stage. Ozzy was shocked, initially mistaking her for a real baby. On January 20, in Iowa, during a concert, someone threw a real live bat from the audience onto the stage. Stunned by the light, the animal lay quietly on the stage, fluttering slightly. Ozzy, mistaking the bat for a rubber one, decided to provoke the audience by biting a gift that unexpectedly flew to him. In reply bat bit Osborne himself. As a result, the concert ended with the vocalist being immediately taken to the hospital for the purpose of vaccination against rabies. Ozzy walked into the emergency room barking like a dog. When the American nurse asked him what was wrong, Ozzy barked at her, explaining that he had contracted rabies. When the anti-tetanus injections began, repeated every 4 days, the patient had no time for jokes. This story made it into the newspapers and incredible things began to happen at Osbourne’s concerts: white mice and birds with their legs tied were thrown onto the stage. One of the spectators was caught trying to smuggle a dead cat into the hall. Others still managed to smuggle in a dead dog. Then there was the case of the snake and the huge Louisiana toad, which the little tormentors killed by tearing off its skin. In the city of Cincinnati, a group of teenagers obtained the head of a freshly slaughtered bull from a local meat processing plant. They were, however, stopped in time.

In March 1982, the band lost its guitarist, Randy Rhoads, whose last show took place on Thursday, March 18, 1982 in Knoxville at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. On March 19, the group was heading to the festival in Orlando. After a long overnight drive, the musicians stopped near the town of Leesburg in Florida. To pass the time, the bus driver invited the group members to take a ride on his plane. The band's keyboardist Don Airey was the first to fly with him, and this time everything went smoothly. Airi then convinced Randy to fly next.

During the flight, Ozzy, his wife Sharon and bassist Rudy Sarzo were asleep on the bus and the pilot made three sharp descents to wake them up. During the fourth, the plane was flying about three meters above the ground and its left wing touched the back of the bus. Most of the plane flew over the bus and crashed into a large pine tree before crashing onto the north wall and roof of the garage on the west side of the house. The plane crashed into a house and immediately exploded. All three passengers died.

Randy Rhoads is buried in the same cemetery as his parents in San Bernardino, California.

In 1986, Ozzy was arrested while leaving a plane at Los Angeles Airport. The allegations presented to the singer were that a 19-year-old teenager shot himself after being inspired by the song "Suicide Solution". The prosecution argued that the song itself contained special noises that affected the subconscious and hypnotized the listener. Osborne's lawyers were able to prove that there were no extraneous sounds on the recording, and the lyrics of the song themselves could not be the subject of a lawsuit, since they fall under the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech. By the way, it should be noted that the lyrics of the song itself do not call for suicide: the song compares excessive addiction to alcohol to suicide. According to Ozzy, he wrote the song "Suicide Solution" under the influence of reports about the death of Bon Scott, the lead singer of AC/DC, who choked on vomit as a result of severe alcohol intoxication. Bob Daisley, who claimed to be the author of this song, stated that the lyrics were written due to the fact that Ozzy himself had serious problems with alcohol abuse at the time.
Randy Rhodes and Ozzy worked on the idea for the band's third album, "Bark At The Moon". Ozzy said that despite the death of his comrade, he will continue to work. To fulfill his contractual obligations, Osbourne had to release a live album. There was recorded material from concerts with the participation of the late Rhodes, but Ozzy considered it unethical to release this disc immediately after the death of his friend (the album entitled "The Rhandy Roads Tribute" was released in 1987). But true to his contractual obligations, Ozzy recruited guitarist Brad Gillies into the lineup and recorded a live album, Talk of the Devil (in the American version, Speak of the Devil), consisting entirely of Black Sabbath material. But it was not possible to avoid accusations of unethicality - Ozzy was criticized by Tony Iommi, who believed that Ozzy was not the author of most of the songs presented on the album, although his name was indicated as such on all the group’s albums from 1970 to 1978.

The new guitarist is Jake E. Lee. Jake Lee, half-Japanese by birth, studied piano as a child, but his youthful passion for the guitar gradually overpowered him and he left classical music. What remains from Jake's classics is a serious professional attitude towards the instrument, that is, daily multi-hour lessons developed his guitar playing technique.

The album's title track, "Bark at the Moon", is about a living being (a werewolf) who has returned, seeking revenge on those who despised him and brought him to the grave. In the video for this song, Ozzy plays a mad scientist imprisoned in an insane asylum. From the window he sees a werewolf watching him. This song, like others, could set listeners up for negative thoughts. We read: "Rock Violence Outbreak", Canadian Press Association: Halifax, Canada, 09/26/1984.

"...according to the Canadian Telegraph Press Service, the influence of heavy metal rock music on the young Canadian James Jollimore was so strong that on New Year's Eve 1983 he went out and stabbed someone to death. A friend of the defendant testified that Jollymore, a 20-year-old Canadian man charged with the first-degree murder of a 44-year-old woman and her two sons, enjoyed stabbing people to death after he started listening to music like "Bark at the Moon." Ozzy Osbourne." "Jimmy said in court that every time he heard the song he got a strange feeling, and when he heard it again on New Year's Eve, he went out and stabbed someone."

Stylistically, the album turned out to be softer, closer in sound to soft metal. The song "Rock"n"roll Rebel" became a real rock anthem.

In 1986, Ozzy recorded the album "The Ultimate Sin" and went on tour in support of both albums. Ozzy later said that this album was the poorest in terms of musical ideas. The album also turned out to have the softest, diluted synthesizer sound. The textual concept was based on ideas of peace and non-violence.

On March 19, 1987, the album "Randy Rhoad's Tribute" was released, containing archival recordings selected by Max Norman (producer the first three Ozzy's solo albums). They entered there concert recordings material from the first two albums (primarily from the first album, almost entirely presented in a live version), several Black Sabbath songs and fragments of studio recordings of the Dee song.

For the next album, No Rest For The Wicked, Ozzy recruited talented guitarist Zakk Wylde, who became a very important part of the band for the next few years. Sharon, Ozzy's wife, becomes the band's manager and helps the musician get rid of alcohol addiction. In the film "The Decline of Western Civilization: The Metal Years" Ozzy appears as a sober housewife, assuring that he no longer abuses alcohol and women ("don"t bitch up with women"). The sound of the next album turned out to be stronger, although a touch of soft metal was felt. The absence of ballads on the album was characteristic. The most interesting compositions were “Breaking All the Rules” with a “trademark” transition from minor to major and the gloomy “Bloodbath in Paradise”. In the song “Demon Alcohol” Ozzy talks about the struggle with alcohol addiction. For the tour, Ozzy recruited longtime friend and Black Sabbath colleague Geezer Butler (who also appears in the videos). In 1989, the live EP "Just Say Ozzy" was released.

In March 1989, the single “Close My Eyes Forever”, recorded with Lita Ford, was released and entered the top ten in the United States. In 1991, Ozzy released the album “No More Tears”, but held concerts without the usual enthusiasm, explaining that he wanted to spend more time with his family. The name "No More Tears" comes from the phrase "No more tours", that is, "No more tours". The album turned out to be very worthy; the songs “Mama, I’m Coming Home” (dedicated to his wife Sharon) and “I Don’t Want to Change the World” received music awards. After this, Ozzy announces the end of active musical activity. However, this does not prevent him from reuniting with Black Sabbath for a couple of concerts in 1992 (which became the reason for the departure of Ronnie Dio, who did not want to sing as the opening act for Ozzy).

After a long break in 1994, Ozzy announced the future release of a new album, recorded with the teaching of Steve Wai. He also teams up with Therapy to sing lead vocals on “Iron Man” for the Black Sabbath cover album Nativity in Black.

In 1995, Ozzy, with the participation of Rick Wakeman (who previously worked with Black Sabbath when recording the album "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath") and Zakk Wylde, recorded the album "Ozzmosis", which can be considered the most successful since the first two albums. Ozzy successfully interspersed hard numbers like "Perry Mason" with softer ones ("I See You on the Other Side"), and also perfected his signature transitions ("My Jekill Doesn't Hide"). A significant event was also the reunion with bassist Geezer Butler, a student of Randy Rhoads named Holmes, became the tour guitarist, and an international tour was held in support of the album.

In 1997, rumors of a Black Sabbath reunion became reality. The group reunited with the original lineup and, taking Vinnie Apisi as a “replacement”, organized an international tour. 2 new songs were recorded, but the promised album was never released. Gradually, Ozzy and Tony returned to solo activities. In 2001, Ozzy's album "Down to Earth" was released, demonstrating an even heavier sound and excellent quality of material, so the new release, perhaps, even surpassed Ozzmosis. There were also lyrics - even pop radio stations eagerly played the song “Dreamer”.

On March 5, 2002, an event occurred that significantly changed the idea not only of Ozzy Osbourne himself, Sharon Osbourne and the entire Osbourne family, but also of privacy rock musician in general.

We are talking about the series "The Osbournes", which debuted on MTV that day. Before this, for several months in a row, television cameras were installed in the same Osborne house in Beverly Hills - filming was carried out even in the bedrooms and toilets! - recorded day after day daily life the whole family. However, not everything. Aimee's eldest daughter refused to act and temporarily moved to another Ozzy house. The debut episode was watched by 6 million people around the world!..

The series "The Osbournes" brought such popularity to Ozzy all over the world that even those in power noticed him. First, US President George W. Bush invited Ozzy and Sharon to a gala banquet at the White House. In addition to the Osbournes, there were Hollywood stars Glenne Close, Rockwell Welch and Harrison Ford. Knowing about Ozzy's eccentric character and his willingness to make unimaginable jokes in absolutely any company, the president's security guards, as well as the representatives of the press present, did not take their eyes off the Osbournes.
In 2003, Ozzy recorded the song "Who is Fooling Who" for Tony Iommi's solo album. At the end of the same year, Jason Newsted left the group, since his contract as a musician was signed for only six months. His place was taken by Rob Nicholson, a former member of Rob Zombie's band.

On December 8, 2003, Ozzy, while riding an ATV around his home in Birmingham, fell off, breaking eight ribs and seriously damaging his cervical vertebrae. Osborne comes to his senses only two days later. This news is even being discussed in the House of Commons, where everyone sincerely wishes Osborne good health. Many musicians also wished Ozzy a speedy recovery; “Maestro of Horror” Ellis Cooper himself sent the patient several picture books. And The Sun newspaper decided to cheer up the patient in an individual style and sent Ozzy a bat-shaped cake to his ward.

In the meantime, simply tragic news comes: Osbourne’s career can be put to rest, since there is a high probability that Ozzy will no longer be able to speak. However, three days later, Sharon refutes the gloomy forecasts and declares that her husband’s vocal cords are not damaged. The singer's wife added that Ozzy owes his life to bodyguard Sam Restone, who helped him out at the last moment.

Even while in the hospital after a serious accident, Ozzy Osbourne sets a new record in the history of rock music. His new composition "Changes", recorded with his daughter Kelly, again topped the British charts. This happened exactly 33 years, three months and 23 days after his band Black Sabbath's single entered the top five in England for the first time.

The Guinness Book of Records has already announced that Ozzy Osbourne's new record will be included as an unprecedented achievement. The previous record belonged to the singer Lulu and was 29 years old.
"Ozzfest" - a festival founded by Ozzy Osbourne, travels around the world, the traveling Ozzfest 2004 festival, along with Black Sabbath, featured KoRn, System Of A Down, Slipknot, Judas Priest, Slayer, Superjoint Ritual, Dimmu Borgir and other “difficult” groups. A significant role in the development of the festival was played by Ozzy's young son Jack Osbourne, who from a certain point began to serve as program director.

On August 26, 2004, the OzzFest show was scheduled to take place in Camden, New Jersey. However, immediately after the Judas Priest performance, Bill Ward and one of the concert organizers took the stage and voiced Ozzy's statement that he would not be able to perform due to a sudden attack of bronchitis. However, in order not to disappoint the large audience that gathered that evening, and not to cancel the Black Sabbath performances, as in 1992, a spectacular castling was undertaken - Osbourne’s place at the microphone was taken by Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford, who had celebrated his 53rd birthday the day before. anniversary The following songs were performed: "War Pigs", "N.I.B.", "Fairies Wear Boots", "Into The Void", "Black Sabbath", "Iron Man", "Children Of The Grave" and "Paranoid" (" Black Sabbath" with the participation of Ozzy, in addition to the indicated compositions, performed "Snowblind").

After the end of the concert, Osbourne expressed gratitude to Halford, who coped with a difficult task superbly, and said that at the next concert on August 28 in Pittsburgh he would return to the ranks of Black Sabbath.

In 2005, the album "Under Cover" was released with cover versions of songs that influenced Ozzy (among them songs by Lennon and the Beatles took a special place).

In 2007, a new album "Black Rain" was released. Ozzy is not afraid to experiment with sound, but overall the album is inferior to its predecessor.

On October 2, 2009, the presentation of the book "I AM OZZY", written by Ozzy and Chris Ayres, took place in London. The autobiographical narrative tells about the life of the “great and terrible.” The father of heavy metal decided to publish this publication so that fans would know more about his life - about his childhood, about the ups and downs. "I AM OZZY" is the revelation of a man who grew up in a poor family and was able, through his hard work, to make a career as a great musician and win recognition among many fans of heavy music.

In 2010, Scream's tenth studio album was released on Epic Records. It is the first studio album without guitarist Zakk Wylde since 1988's No Rest for the Wicked; Instead, Kostas "Gus G" Karamitroudis, who was recognized as one of the three best guitarists of the year by the Japanese magazine BURRN, is used as a guitarist. The working title of the album "Soul Sucka" was changed by Osbourne, who took into account negative feedback from fans.

The main single of the album was the song Let Me Hear You Scream, it has already entered the rotation of radio stations in America and Australia, and managed to appear in the Top 5 rating on the Mainstream Rock Chart and in the Top Ten from Active Rock in 9th place. The song premiered on April 14 in the new episode of CSI: NY. A little later, Swedish director and screenwriter Jonas Akerlund shot a video for the album's main single.

Ozzy produced the album Scream with Kevin Churko, who had previously worked together on the previous million-selling album, Black Rain.

Discography
September 20, 1980 Blizzard of Ozz
November 7, 1981 Diary of a Madman
December 10, 1983 Bark at the Moon
February 22, 1986 The Ultimate Sin
October 22, 1988 No Rest for the Wicked
September 17, 1991 No More Tears
October 23, 1995 Ozzmosis
October 16, 2001 Down to Earth
2005 Under Cover
May 22, 2007 Black Rain
June 22, 2010 Scream

Art films
Trick or Treat - USA, 1986

Books
"I AM OZZY" - UK, 2009

Ozzy Osbourne is a British rock musician, the creator of the cult group "", which is considered the founder of such musical styles as hard rock and heavy metal. Ozzy Osbourne is considered the “godfather” of heavy metal and is included in the British Rock Hall of Fame, and many of his hits are recognized as heavy rock classics and are still popular with the public.

Childhood and youth

John Osborne was born in the English city of Birmingham in large family. He was the fourth child, and his parents raised six children in total. Father John Thomas Osborne was a tool maker for General Electric who worked at night, while mother Lillian worked in the same factory during the day.

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Ozzy Osbourne in his youth

The boy received the nickname Ozzie back in primary school. It was a diminutive form of the surname, successfully combined with the name of the magical country, the stories of which young John was fascinated by.

A difficult financial situation led him down a crooked path, and John Osborne tried to commit burglary, was caught and served less than a year in prison. While in prison, he got his first tattoo, which would later become famous - the letters OZZY on the phalanges of the fingers of his left hand.

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Freed, Ozzy decides to fulfill his dream and become a rock star. Osborne becomes the vocalist of the young group “Music Machine”, with which he performed only 2 concerts. Then the young man decided to create his own band, which, not immediately, was called “Black Sabbath” - by analogy with the popular horror film of that time. The disc “Paranoid” conquered the charts in Europe and America and brought the group worldwide popularity.

Read also 6 of the dirtiest showdowns between stars and staff

The musician’s first solo disc, “Blizzard of Ozz,” was released in 1980 and became popular. A new round of fame began in Ozzy's musical biography. The song “Crazy Train,” included in this album, occupies a special place in the history of rock music. The composition did not occupy high places in the charts, but to this day remains the singer’s calling card.

In the spring of 1989, the rock ballad “Close My Eyes Forever” was released, which Ozzy performed in a duet with American rock singer Lita Ford. The song entered the top ten of the year in the US and appeared on all world charts, still remaining one of the best ballads in the history of heavy metal.

Ozzy Osbourne became famous among fans for his strange and “bloodthirsty” antics. While communicating with record company managers who intended to record the singer’s first solo disc, the artist brought two snow-white doves. As planned, Osborne intended to release them into the sky, but instead of a noble gesture, he bit off the head of one of the birds.

Ozzy Osbourne bites off a bat's head

Later, at solo concerts, the rock musician often threw pieces of meat or tripe into the crowd. One day Ozzie decided to do the same with a bat, after biting off its head. The dramatic moment was captured in the photo. But the animal injured the singer, after which Osbourne was hospitalized. According to eyewitnesses, upon leaving the clinic, Ozzy burst into dog barking.

Even in old age, Ozzy remains true to his passion for spectacular spectacles. On the eve of the total solar eclipse, which was observed in the United States on August 21, 2017, Ozzy Osbourne organized the Moonstock rock music festival in Illinois. At the event's finale, which took place during the eclipse, Osbourne performed "Bark at the Moon."

Personal life

Osborne first married Thelma Riley at age 21. The couple had a daughter, Jessica Starshine, and a son, Louis John. The performer also adopted Elliot Kingsley, his wife’s son from his first marriage. Ozzy and Thelma lived together for 12 years, but due to the singer's problems with alcohol addiction in his youth, the family broke up.

Embed from Getty Images Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon

A year later, Ozzy Osbourne got married again, this time to Sharon Arden, who became his manager and managed all his affairs. The couple had three children - Amy and Jack. The couple also took in Robert Marcato, whose deceased mother was a family friend.

In the spring of 2016, the singer’s well-established personal life began to shake. Sharon convicted Ozzy of cheating, after which she began preparing for divorce proceedings. It soon became clear that Ozzy Osbourne, about which the singer made a public confession. At the family council, they decided to send Osborne to a special clinic for addiction treatment. Sharon put off the divorce. When the relationship was restored, the singer said that he had come up with a legend about a mental disorder in order to justify himself to his wife, who found him with a young girl.

Ozzy Osbourne now

At the beginning of 2019, due to health problems, Ozzy was forced to leave. In the fall of 2018, the artist underwent surgery, and later contracted a pulmonary infection. Doctors advised the star to refrain from traveling long distances in winter time of the year.

Ozzy Osbourne, real name John Michael Osbourne. Born December 3, 1948 in Birmingham. British musician, one of the founders and member of the “golden line-up” of the group Black Sabbath.

After leaving Black Sabbath he began his solo career.

As of December 2010, more than 100 million of his records had been sold worldwide. The albums “Blizzard of Ozz” and “No More Tears” received quad-platinum status.

John Michael Osborne was born on December 3, 1948 in the UK, in Birmingham and became the fourth child in a family of six children. He received the nickname “Ozzy” during his school years. That's what his classmates called him, distorting his last name.

According to other information, the nickname “Ozzy” stuck to him, since as a child his favorite book was “The Wizard of Oz,” which he often quoted. This work became widely known to readers of our country after Alexander Volkov’s retelling under the title “The Wizard of the Emerald City.”

Tony Iommi studied at the same school, but at that time they were not friends. Their creative union, which laid the foundation for the Black Sabbath group, was formed later.

At the age of 15, Osborne was expelled from school due to the difficult financial situation in the family, and the future rock musician got a job as a plumber's assistant. Subsequently, Ozzy tried to work as a mechanic's assistant, a slaughterman at a slaughterhouse, an auto mechanic, a painter, and even a gravedigger. Unable to find himself in the field of honest labor, young John Osborne tried to earn his living by theft. Having been caught, he was unable to pay the fine and served (according to various sources: one and a half or three months) in a Birmingham prison. It was in prison that Ozzy got his famous “OZZY” tattoo on the phalanges of the fingers of his left hand.

After leaving prison, Ozzy decided to try himself as a musician. He met the band “Music Machine”, which was looking for a vocalist - and Ozzy became it. Subsequently, having decided to found his own group, Osborne advertised in a local newspaper looking for like-minded people.

Terence Butler, who by that time had been learning to play the electric guitar for six months, came in response to the announcement. A little later, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward joined them - according to the same announcement. With the arrival of Iommi, Butler retrained as a bassist. The group was named "Earth".

Ozzy got involved with Black Sabbath three days after he placed an ad saying "Ozzy Zigg Requires gig" in a local record store.

Bill Ward recalls his first meeting with Ozzy: “He was walking around with a shoe on a string... yes, yes, with a shoe. I decided he was crazy (laughs)".

The band's first song was "Black Sabbath", written under the influence of the 1963 horror film of the same name. It was a progressive blues based on the “Mars” motif from the “Planets” suite by composer Gustav Holst. Before this, the group played cover versions of songs by other artists.

From 1969 to 1970, the group played in various clubs while simultaneously working on their own material. One day, someone noticed the Birmingham four's own song, "Black Sabbath", sparking thoughts about the first record. The young people also found out that there was already a group called “Earth”. Therefore, they changed their name to “Black Sabbath” - after their first song. In January 1970, the group managed to record their first album, which took good places in the English and American charts.

In 1971, Ozzy married for the first time to Thelma Riley.

In 1975, the group decides to change their manager. Don Arden, the father of Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy's future wife, becomes the new manager of Black Sabbath.

In 1977, Ozzy left Black Sabbath and was replaced by Dave Walker. The group begins recording the album "Never Say Die", however, Ozzy returns in early 1978. At this time, Ozzy was experiencing the death of his father, actively abusing alcohol and drugs. According to other sources, Ozzy's drinking began long before this; Iommi claimed that by that time he had not seen Ozzy sober for several years. The recording of the album proceeded with great difficulties, in particular, Ozzy demanded that all the lyrics be rewritten, including the song Junior’s Eyes, which Ozzy dedicated to his father. The album was followed by a tour, after which Ozzy finally left Black Sabbath.

Iommi already had sketches for the next album, Heaven and Hell, and he also managed to meet Ronnie James Dio, who had recently left Rainbow and did not have his own band at that time.

The task of informing Ozzy that the band no longer wished to work with him was carried out by Bill Ward. Both Ozzy and Tony Iommi admitted in subsequent interviews that this was precisely a dismissal. However, Osbourne admitted that parting with Black Sabbath was a relief for him.

After leaving Black Sabbath, Ozzy spent his time idle until Sharon Arden, the daughter of his former band's manager, persuaded him to start a new group. Osborne advertised in the newspaper looking for musicians. One of the guitarists who auditioned was Randal William (Randy) Rhoads.

As Rhoads said in one of his few interviews, he did not know who he would have to work with. Arriving at the audition studio with his amp and electric guitar, he was ushered into an empty room. There Randy connected his equipment and began to “warm up”. Suddenly, Ozzy appeared in the room and pronounced the verdict “accepted!” and ignored the guitarist’s objections that he had not yet started playing. According to another version, Ozzy was touched by the fact that Rhoads played the notes.

Also joining the band were bassist Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake from Uriah Heep. With this lineup, they released their first album, “Blizzard of Ozz,” and went on a concert tour, the first performance of which was a concert on September 12, 1980 in Glasgow. To release his solo album, Ozzy Osbourne needed a record deal. After numerous refusals, Ozzy eventually managed to reach an agreement with CBS studios, which, however, did not treat the project with the degree of seriousness that Osbourne had expected, considering the latter to be just another minor event.

To change his impressions of himself for the better, Ozzy, on Sharon's advice, brought two pigeons to the company's office - with the initial intention of releasing them in front of the amazed public and thus attracting public attention.

The trick worked, although not quite as intended. Having released the first pigeon - as expected - Osborne unexpectedly bit off the head of the second. This action was captured by a studio photographer, and soon the photographs appeared in most newspapers. This is unlikely to have influenced (in a positive way) the management of the record company, but it has generated understandable interest in Osbourne among young people.

It is unknown whether this action was planned this way from the very beginning: neither Sharon nor Ozzy himself clarified the motives for this act. The only comment the singer made about this was to admit that he was very drunk at the time.

The 1980 album “Blizzard of Ozz” was very popular. Randy Rhoads was named "top young talent" by Guitar Player magazine. Stylistically, the album was close to Black Sabbath's "Technical Ecstasy", but had a harder, more "metallic" sound. The lyrics of the song "Suicide Solution" later became the object of criticism due to the ambiguous interpretation of the word "solution": "decision" and "liquid" (thus, the title can be translated in various ways: "Decision to commit suicide", "Suicidal decision" or "Suicide Liquid")

A year later, Ozzy and his band recorded their second album, The Diary of a Madman. By that time, the lineup had been updated - the rhythm section went to the reorganized Uriah Heep, and Kerslake and Daisley were replaced by Tommy Aldridge and Rudy Sarzo, respectively. According to Osborne himself, this album turned out better than the previous one. Stylistically, it was more rigid, especially the first composition - “Over the Mountain”. However, the musicians themselves looked back at the charts: competitors in the form of Black Sabbath with the album “Mob Rules” reached only 29th position, while Diary of a Madman spent some time in the Top-15. Interestingly, the songwriting belongs entirely to the previous members of the group.

During the tour, Ozzy amused himself by throwing raw meat at the audience who came to his concerts. However, this was part of the contract: during the concert, Osborne had to throw about ten kilograms of calf liver and pork offal into the hall. Sometimes this part of the show took unexpected turns: for example, after one of the concerts, someone called the band’s management and asked how to wash off raw blood.

However, the public quickly picked up the idea. Soon, in response to Ozzy's antics on stage, dead cats, frogs, snakes and other material that had once been living creatures began to fly at him. One time someone threw a (life-size) doll onto the stage. Ozzy was shocked, initially mistaking her for a real baby.

On January 20, in Iowa, during a concert, someone threw a live bat from the audience onto the stage. The stunned animal lay quietly on the stage, fluttering slightly. Ozzy, mistaking the bat for a rubber one, decided to provoke the audience by biting a gift that unexpectedly flew to him. In response, the bat bit Osborne himself. As a result, the concert ended with the vocalist being immediately taken to the hospital for the purpose of vaccination against rabies. Ozzy walked into the emergency room barking like a dog. When an American nurse asked him what was wrong, Ozzy barked at her, explaining that he had rabies. When the anti-tetanus injections began, repeated every 4 days, the patient had no time for jokes. This story got into the newspapers and incredible things began to happen at Osborne’s concerts: white mice and birds with their legs tied were thrown onto the stage. One of the spectators was caught trying to smuggle a dead cat into the hall. Others still managed to smuggle in a dead dog. Then there was the case of the snake and the huge Louisiana toad, which the little tormentors killed by tearing off its skin. In the city of Cincinnati, a group of teenagers obtained the head of a freshly slaughtered bull from a local meat processing plant. They were, however, stopped in time.

In March 1982, the group lost its guitarist, Randy Rhoads. While on tour in the United States, the band's bus stopped for repairs near Leesburg, Florida. To pass the time, the bus driver invited the group members to take a ride on his plane. On its second pass, the plane took Randy Rhoads and the band's hairdresser, Rachel Youngblood. The driver himself occupied the pilot's seat. Ex-wife the driver was with the group, next to the bus. According to her, he suddenly decided to kill her by running her over with an airplane. According to her, the plane made three very low circles over the bus, hitting it on the fourth attempt. After the collision, the plane was thrown into a nearby building, where it exploded. The pilot and passengers of the plane died on the spot. A subsequent investigation revealed that the pilot was under the influence of drugs.

Randy Rhoads and Ozzy worked on the idea for the band's third album, Bark at the Moon. Ozzy said that despite the death of his comrade, he will continue to work. To fulfill his contractual obligations, Osbourne had to release a live album. There was recorded material from concerts with the participation of the late Rhoads, but Ozzy considered it unethical to release this disc immediately after the death of his friend (the album entitled “The Rhandy Roads Tribute” was released in 1987). But true to his contractual obligations, Ozzy recruited guitarist Brad Gillies into the band and recorded a live album, Talk of the Devil (in the American version, Speak of the Devil), consisting entirely of Black Sabbath material. But it was not possible to avoid accusations of unethicality - Ozzy was criticized by Tony Iommi, who believed that Ozzy was not the author of most of the songs presented on the album, although his name was indicated as such on all the group’s albums from 1970 to 1978.

The new guitarist is Jake E. Lee. Jake Lee, half-Japanese by birth, studied piano as a child, but his youthful passion for the guitar gradually overpowered his interest in classical music. What remains from Jake's classics is his serious professional attitude towards the instrument, that is, daily multi-hour lessons developed his guitar playing technique.

The album's title track, "Bark at the Moon", is about a living creature (a werewolf) who has returned, seeking revenge on those who despised him and brought him to the grave. In the video for this song, Ozzy plays a mad scientist imprisoned in an insane asylum. From the window he sees a werewolf watching him. This song, like others, could set listeners up for negative thoughts.

Stylistically, the album turned out to be softer, closer in sound to soft metal. The song “Rock’n’roll Rebel” became a real rock anthem.

In 1986, Ozzy recorded the album The Ultimate Sin. And goes on tour in support of both albums. Ozzy later said that this album was the poorest in terms of musical ideas. The album also turned out to have the softest, diluted synthesizer sound. The textual concept was based on ideas of peace and non-violence.

On March 19, 1987, the album “Randy Rhoad’s Tribute” was released, containing archival recordings selected by Max Norman (producer of Ozzy’s first three solo albums). It included live recordings of material from the first two albums (primarily from the first album, almost entirely presented live), several Black Sabbath songs and a studio recording of an instrumental composition by Dee.

For the next album, No Rest for the Wicked, Ozzy recruited talented guitarist Zach Wylde, who became a very important part of the band for the next few years. Sharon, Ozzy's wife, becomes the band's manager and helps the musician get rid of alcohol addiction. In The Decline of Western Civilization: The Metal Years, Ozzy appears as a sober housewife who assures that he no longer abuses alcohol and women (“don’t bitch up with women”). The sound of the next album turned out to be stronger, although a touch of soft metal was felt. The absence of ballads on the album was characteristic. The most interesting compositions were “Breaking All the Rules” with a “trademark” transition from minor to major and the gloomy “Bloodbath in Paradise”. In the song "Demon Alcohol" Ozzy talks about his struggle with alcohol addiction. For the tour, Ozzy recruited longtime friend and Black Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler (who also appears in the videos). In 1989, the live EP “Just Say Ozzy” was released.

In March 1989, the single “Close My Eyes Forever” was released, recorded with Lita Ford, and entered the top ten in the United States. In 1991, Ozzy released the album “No More Tears”, but held concerts without the usual enthusiasm, explaining that he wanted to spend more time with his family. The tour in support of the album was called “No more tours,” that is, “No more tours.” The album turned out to be very worthy; the songs “Mama, I’m Coming Home” (dedicated to his wife Sharon) and “I Don’t Want to Change the World” received music awards. After this, Ozzy announces the cessation of active musical activity. However, this does not prevent him from reuniting with Black Sabbath for a couple of concerts in 1992 (which became the reason for the departure of Ronnie Dio, who did not want to sing as the opening act for Ozzy).

After a long break in 1994, Ozzy announces the future release of a new album, recorded with the participation of Steve Vai. He also teams up with Therapy to sing vocals on "Iron Man" for the Black Sabbath cover album Nativity in Black.

In 1995, Ozzy, with the participation of Rick Wakeman (who previously worked with Black Sabbath when recording the album “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”) and Zakk Wylde, recorded the album “Ozzmosis”, which can be considered the most successful since the first two albums. Ozzy successfully mixed hard numbers like “Perry Mason” with softer ones (“I See You on the Other Side”), and also perfected his signature transitions (“My Jekyll Doesn’t Hide”). A significant event was also the reunion with bassist Geezer Butler. The tour guitarist was a student of Randy Rhoads named Holmes. An international tour took place in support of the album.

In 1997, rumors of a Black Sabbath reunion became reality. The group reunited with the original lineup and staged an international tour. 2 new songs were recorded, but the promised album was never released. Gradually, Ozzy and Tony returned to solo activities. In 2000, Ozzy recorded the song "Who is Fooling Who" for Tony Iommi's solo album.

In 2001, Ozzy's album "Down to Earth" was released, demonstrating an even heavier sound and excellent quality of material, so the new release, perhaps, even surpassed Ozzmosis. There were also lyrics - even pop radio stations eagerly played the song “Dreamer”.

In 2005, the album “Under Cover” was released with cover versions of songs that influenced Ozzy (among them, songs by Lennon and the Beatles occupied a special place). A 4-disc Prince of Darkness box set is also being released, which, in addition to the collection and covers, also includes Ozzy’s duets with various musicians.

In 2007, a new album “Black Rain” was released. Ozzy is not afraid to experiment with sound, but overall the album is inferior to its predecessor. Ozzy himself admitted that this is “my first album that I recorded while sober.”

On June 22, 2010, the tenth solo album “Scream” was released, as reported on the official website. Its release was preceded by an advertising campaign held at Madame Tussauds in New York. Ozzy sat motionless on a couch in one of the halls of wax figures, and when fans of his work approached him to take pictures, Osbourne stood up abruptly or simply scared the visitors with a scream.

In October 2010, Osbourne recorded a cover version of the song "How?" in honor of the ex-Beatle's 70th birthday. The song originally appeared on Lennon's second solo album, 1971's Imagine. All proceeds from the sale of the composition are donated to the human rights organization Amnesty International.

Ozzfest- festival founded by Ozzy Osbourne. He tours all over the world; the traveling festival Ozzfest 2004, along with Black Sabbath, featured Judas Priest, Linkin Park, Slayer, Superjoint Ritual, Dimmu Borgir, System of a Down, KoRn, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Metallica, Godsmack and other “heavy” groups. A significant role in the development of the festival was played by Ozzy's young son Jack Osbourne, who from a certain point began to serve as program director.

In June 2010, Ozzy decided to donate his body to science, claiming that his body is unique: “Apparently, I am a real medical miracle! I drank for forty years and nothing happened to me. I would get drunk, pass out, and then come back to my senses again. I believe that I should bequeath my body to the Natural History Museum in London.".

The Knome company has assured that it will compile his genetic map in order to find out why the musician is still alive. Studying people with unusual medical histories has enormous scientific potential, according to Knome Research Director Nathan Pearson. Among other things, scientists hope that the study will clarify the mechanism by which the body absorbs drugs.

At the end of October, data from genetic studies were published. According to scientists, Ozzie is a descendant of Neanderthals and ancient Romans who died as a result of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79. It was also established that the musician is a distant relative of Russian Emperor Nicholas II and King George I of Great Britain. In addition, researchers found that Osborne is related to the famous American criminal of the 19th century Jesse James. Researchers learned that Osborne has greater stamina than the average person, and his body's ability to cope with the effects of alcohol and drug use exceeds the average.

In July 2010, Osborne was invited to write a column about healthy way life in the American magazine Rolling Stone.

In 1987, he took part in the video for “Loud and Clear” by the group Autograph.

The story of a teenager's suicide in 1981:

In 1986, Ozzy was arrested on the ramp at Los Angeles Airport. The allegations presented to the singer were that a 19-year-old teenager shot himself after being inspired by the song "Suicide Solution". The prosecution argued that the song itself contained special noises that affected the subconscious and hypnotized the listener.

Osborne's lawyers were able to prove that there were no extraneous sounds on the recording, and the lyrics of the song themselves could not be the subject of a lawsuit, since they fall under the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech.

By the way, it should be noted that the lyrics of the song itself do not call for suicide: the song compares excessive addiction to alcohol to suicide. According to Ozzy, he wrote the song “Suicide Solution” under the influence of reports about the death of Bon Scott, lead singer of AC/DC, who choked on vomit as a result of severe alcohol intoxication. Bob Daisley, who claimed to be the author of this song, stated that the lyrics were written due to the fact that Ozzy himself had serious problems with alcohol abuse at the time.

Financial fraud in the payment of fees:

In 1998, former members of Ozzy Osbourne's solo musical project, bassist Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles District Court against Osbourne and his wife, accusing them of financial fraud in the payment of royalties to musicians. The issue in the trial concerned the payment of royalties for the first two albums: Blizzard of Ozz - 1980 and Diary of a Madman - 1981. The court of first instance left this claim unsatisfied, which served as a reason for the musicians to file an appeal to the Federal Court of Appeal, which in 2003 upheld the decision of the lower court.

Personal life of Ozzy Osbourne:

At the age of 21 he married Thelma Riley and has two children from this marriage. Osborne also adopted Thelma's son from her first marriage.

Divorced in 1981, at 33 years old. On July 4, 1982, he married Sharon Osbourne, who handles all of her husband's affairs and schedule. Married to Sharon, he has three children - Amy, Kelly and Jack.

In autobiography "I am Ozzy" Osborne writes candidly about his decades-long battle with alcoholism. According to the singer, he began to abuse alcohol at about the age of eighteen, and by the age of forty he became a chronic alcoholic, drinking three to four bottles of strong alcohol (vodka or cognac) a day. He repeatedly tried to get rid of his addiction, going to various rehabilitation centers (including the Betty Ford Clinic), and was a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, but periods of sobriety were followed by heavy drinking. During treatment for alcoholism, he also became addicted to drugs (Vicodin, Valium, etc.). Osborne finally stopped drinking and abusing medications only in the mid-2000s.

Ozzy Osbourne now

Ozzy Osbourne discography:

Black Sabbath studio albums

1970 - Black Sabbath
1970 - Paranoid
1971 - Master of Reality
1972 - Black Sabbath Vol. 4
1973 - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
1975 - Sabotage
1976 - Technical Ecstasy
1978 - Never Say Die!
2013 - 13

Black Sabbath live albums

1980 - Live at Last
1998 - Reunion
2002 - Past Lives

Black Sabbath compilations

1975 - We Sold Our Soul for Rock N" Roll
1996 - The Sabbath Stones
2002 - Symptom of the Universe
2004 - Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath (1970-1978)
2006 - Black Sabbath: Greatest Hits 1970-1978

Solo career Ozzy Osbourne:

Ozzy Osbourne's studio albums:

1980 - Blizzard of Ozz
1981 - Diary of a Madman
1983 - Bark at the Moon
1986 - The Ultimate Sin
1988 - No Rest for the Wicked
1991 - No More Tears
1995 - Ozzmosis
2001 - Down to Earth
2005 - Under Cover
2007 - Black Rain
2010 - Scream

Ozzy Osbourne Live Albums:

1982 - Speak of the Devil
1987 - Tribute
1990 - Just Say Ozzy
1993 - Live & Loud
2002 - Live at Budokan

Ozzy Osbourne singles:

1980 - Crazy Train
1988 - Crazy Babies
1992 - Mama I'm Coming Home
1996 - See You on the Other Side
2001 - Gets Me Through
2002 - Dreamer
2007 - I Don’t Wanna Stop
2010 - Let Me Hear You Scream
2012 - Beliver (7-inch hand-drawn disc)

Ozzy Osbourne collections:

1989 - Best of Ozz
1997 - The Ozzman Cometh
1998 - Chef Aid: The South Park Album
2002 - Osbournes, The – The Osbourne Family Album
2003 - The Essential
2005 - Prince of Darkness
2011 - 30th Anniversary Deluxe Boxed Set
2014 - Memoirs of a Madman

Filmography of Ozzy Osbourne:

1986 - Trick or Treat at Internet Movie Database
1986 - Storm Riders (American Way, The) "The American Way"
1988 - The Decline of Western Civilization Part II, the Metal Years
1994 - Razdolbayi (The Jerky Boys)
1997 - Body Parts "Private Parts"
2000 - Nikki, Devil Jr.
2001 - Moulin Rouge! (voice)
2002 - Austin Powers: Goldmember
2007 - Comic Relief 2007: The Big One
2010 - The Greatest Song Ever Written: Gyre & Gimbol
2010 - Guys Choice
2011 - Gnomeo and Juliet (voice)
2011 - God Bless Ozzy Osbourne (autobiographical film)

Ozzy Osbourne Bibliography:

1986 - Diary of a Madman - The Official Biography of Ozzy Osbourne, Zomba Books. - ISBN 978-0-9463-9146-2.
1999 - Paranoid: Black Days With Sabbath & Other Horror Stories, Mainstream. - ISBN 978-1-8515-8993-7.
2000 - Devil Music: the True Story of Ozzy and Sabbath, Mainstream. - ISBN 978-1-8401-8666-6.
2004 - Mr Big: Ozzy, Sharon and My Life as the Godfather of Rock, Robson Books. - ISBN 978-1-8610-5607-8.
2008 - Osbournes Confidential: An Insider's Chronicle, JR Books. - ISBN 978-1-9062-1773-0.
2010 - I Am Ozzy, Bargain Price. - ISBN 978-1-84744-346-5.
2011 - Trust Me, I’m Dr. Ozzy: Advice from Rock's Ultimate Survivor, Hachette Book Group. - ISBN 978-1-45550-333-9.