Ozzy Osbourne
Photo by Ross Marino/Getty Images
Ozzy Osbourne should be dead. Not because he bit the head of a bat, no, Ozzy has consumed more than his fair share of illegal substances, and that’s not even taking into account the legal ones! Like Keith Richards, Ozzy has snorted, slurped and swallowed far too many chemicals during his rock star existence.
You could write a book (and I’m sure someone has) about the singer’s exploits, Ozzy has hung out with the best of them: Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, all the bad boys.
During an Ozzy Osbourne concert in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1982, a member of the audience threw a bat onto the stage. Stunned by the light, the bat lay motionless and Ozzy thinking it was plastic, (of course he had to be drinking) thought it would be a good laugh to bite its head off. As he attempted this, the bat started to flap his wings and Ozzy soon realized it wasn’t fake, but in fact a living thing. After the show, Ozzy was immediately rushed to the nearest hospital for rabies shots. He later described the incident as “one of the most horrible, painful experiences of my life.”
Another Ozzy moment took place in 1982 when the singer was arrested in San Antonio, Texas for urinating on the Alamo. This was during a very dark period of his life when drink had taken over. Osbourne was wearing a dress at the time of his arrest, due to the fact that his wife Sharon had hidden all his clothes so he couldn’t go outside to buy booze. So he went out wearing a dress! Osbourne, who apparently thought he was relieving himself on a pile of rubble, was banned from ever playing in San Antonio, Texas again, (a ban which was lifted in 1992).
His concert tours have witnessed all sorts of mayhem and disasters. Fans have rioted when Ozzy has failed to show up, (due to illness). In 1992 over a $100,000 (£58,800) worth of damage was caused at The Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, California, when Ozzy invited the first two rows of the audience on stage. Several others took up the offer and the band was forced to exit the stage.
In 1989 Ozzy was charged with threatening to kill his wife Sharon (can’t think why?). Ozzy was later released on the condition that he immediately went into detox, which he did and the case was later dropped when the couple decided to reconcile.
Three years later the singer announced his retirement from touring after a gig in California, saying, “Who wants to be touring at 46.” He changed his mind and went out back on the road under the careful guidance of his wife and manager Sharon.
Everything changed for the Osbourne family on the 5th March 2002 when the first episode of The Osbournes TV show was aired on MTV in the US. Focusing on the madman and his family who appeared oblivious to the camera, was an immediate hit with the public who couldn’t get enough of bickering, squabbling, cursing and the antics of their mad family life.
Ozzy confirmed in an interview on BBC Radio 2 in May 2009 that he was “stoned during the entire filming of The Osbournes.” But it didn’t matter to us the viewers; we couldn’t believe what we were seeing! The show also elevated Ozzy and Sharon onto the A-list celebrity circuit, and the success of the show made the couple a cool $60m in the process.
Recently Ozzy reunited with his old band Black Sabbath who originally formed under the name Earth in 1969. The heavy metal veterans released a new album and set out on a world tour. If you did go to see any of the shows, I hope you didn’t throw any living creatures onto the stage, plastic animals only, please.
Important Dates In The Life Of Ozzy Osbourne:
On this day in music
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19
Sep
2020
Ozzy Osbourne’s former drummer, Lee Kerslake, died aged 73 from prostate cancer. He is best known for his performances on the Black Sabbath frontman’s critically-acclaimed debut album, Blizzard of Ozz, and was also the drummer in Uriah Heep appearing on their 1972 album Demons and Wizards and nine studio records, as well as a live album, with the band before departing in 1978.
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14
Aug
2020
English hard rock and heavy metal bass player Pete Way died age 69 following life-threatening injuries he had sustained in an accident two months earlier. He was bassist for UFO and was also a founding member of Waysted and Fastway and notably played with Michael Schenker Group and Ozzy Osbourne.
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9
Mar
2020
American record producer Keith Olsen died age 74. He worked with many artists including Rick Springfield, Fleetwood Mac, Ozzy Osbourne, the Grateful Dead, Whitesnake, Pat Benatar, Heart, Santana, Foreigner, Scorpions, Magnum, Journey, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Joe Walsh and Eric Burdon & the Animals.
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7
Dec
2019
Ozzy Osbourne offered $25,000 as a reward for the return of stolen instruments previously owned by his late guitarist Randy Rhoads after the Musonia School of Music in N. Hollywood, was robbed on Thanksgiving night. The stolen instruments included Rhoads’ first electric guitar, a 1963 Harmony Rocket, as well as a rare Marshall prototype made specifically for Rhoads.
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17
Mar
2019
Irish rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, Bernie Tormé died a day before he would have turned 67. Tormé is best known for his work with Gillan, as well as his brief stints with Ozzy Osbourne's backing band and Atomic Rooster.
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4
Feb
2017
Black Sabbath the band credited with inventing heavy metal music, played their last concert. The two-hour gig at the NEC Arena in their home city of Birmingham saw the rock veterans play 15 songs ending with their first hit, 'Paranoid'. Ticker tape and balloons fell as singer Ozzy Osbourne, 68, thanked fans for nearly five decades of support. Sabbath's The End Tour began in the US in January last year and took in 81 dates across the world.
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1
Nov
2012
Metal Hammer magazine published a list of the "Top ten rock and heavy metal moustaches…Ever". The list which included moustaches worn by the likes of Frank Zappa, all the members of Black Sabbath, (except Ozzy Osbourne). James Hetfield, and Lemmy placed Freddie Mercury at the top of the list.
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19
Jul
2010
Ozzy Osbourne and his former Black Sabbath band mate Tony Iommi settled a long-running legal dispute over the use of the group's name. Ozzy had filed suit against the guitarist in May of last year, accusing Iommi of falsely proclaiming to be the sole owner of the Black Sabbath name by lodging an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The pair released a joint statement confirming they have settled the dispute "amicably".
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30
May
2009
Ozzy Osbourne was suing the band's guitarist Tony Iommi over royalty payments. The 60-year-old had accused Iommi of falsely claiming to have sole rights to the band's name which has cost him royalties from merchandise sales. Osbourne was seeking unspecified damages, lost profits and a declaration he is a half-owner of the trademark. Iommi claims Osbourne legally relinquished rights to the band's name in the 1980s. Osbourne said he believed all four original members of the band should share Black Sabbath's name equally.
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5
Jun
2008
Ozzy Osbourne accepted undisclosed libel damages and an apology over a UK newspaper claim that he was ill at the Brit Awards. The 59-year-old rocker sued over a story in the Daily Star that alleged he had toppled over twice just before the televised ceremony and that he was moved around the awards in an electric buggy.
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2
Dec
2007
Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne made more than $800,000 (£389,032) for charity after they sold off some of their possessions from their former US home. Items sold included the family's custom pool table for $11,250 (£5,470) and a pair of Ozzy's trademark round glasses went for $5,250 (£2,553). The beaded wire model of the Eiffel Tower that adorned the kitchen fetched $10,000 (£4,862), while skull-adorned trainers worn by Ozzy sold for $2,625 (£1,276).
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2
Nov
2007
Ozzy Osbourne claimed his reputation had been tarnished after a party supposedly involving him was organised by US police officers to round up missing criminal suspects. Over 500 people in North Dakota with outstanding arrest warrants were sent invitations and more than 30 suspects turned up. Osbourne said it was "insulting" that his name had been used but police argued it was a "creative" way to fight crime.
Ozzy had been selected because he was due to play a gig in a nearby arena, which was used to explain why he would supposedly have attending the party.
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8
Sep
2007
A commemorative plaque dedicated to Don Arden and the Small Faces was unveiled at 52–55 Carnaby Street, London, Arden's former offices. Arden achieved notoriety in Britain for his aggressive, sometimes illegal business tactics and looked after the career's of Small Faces, the Move, the Electric Light Orchestra and Black Sabbath. He was the father of Sharon Osbourne (and father-in-law of Ozzy Osbourne).
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7
Jul
2007
Ozzy Osbourne became the first artist to be honoured on Birmingham's own Hollywood-style Walk of Fame. The singer, from Aston, told more than 1,000 fans on Broad Street that the brass paving star meant more to him that than any Hollywood accolade. Organisers named other local pop stars who could be joining Ozzy for the walk included Duran Duran, Jamelia, Robert Plant and UB40.
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31
Aug
2006
The Times ran a story on the demands of rock stars when on tour. Ozzy Osbourne insists on an eye, ear, nose and throat doctor at each venue. The Beach Boys require a licensed masseur, Meat Loaf a mask and one small tank of oxygen. David Bowie requests that the dressing room temperature is between 14c and 18c and Paul McCartney must have a large arrangement of white Casablanca lilies in his dressing room. Mick Jagger must have an onstage autocue with the lyrics to all the songs, it would also tell him the name of the city in which they were performing.
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10
Apr
2005
The final episode of The Osbournes was aired on MTV in the UK. The show reached a peak audience of eight million at it's height during a three year run. Ozzy Osbourne was at a loss to explain its popularity, saying, 'I suppose Americans get a kick out of watching a crazy Brit family like us make complete fools of ourselves every week.'
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25
Mar
2005
Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne were forced to flee their Buckinghamshire mansion after a blaze broke out as they slept. Ozzy and his wife were roused by a fire alarm and ran to safety in the garden, rescuing their pets as they escaped.
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11
Mar
2005
The front door of Ozzy Osbourne's childhood home in Birmingham went up for sale because the current owner was fed up with fans defacing it. Ali Mubarrat, who now owned the house in Lodge Road, Aston, said over the years it had become a pilgrimage destination. He was now auctioning the door on eBay and giving the money to charity.
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16
Dec
2004
Gold and silver Black Sabbath discs were stolen from the Kent home of Ozzy Osbourne's former manager Patrick Meehan. Police recovered the discs a week later after they were offered for sale on the internet auction site eBay.
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22
Nov
2004
Ozzy Osbourne struggled with a burglar who escaped with jewellery worth about £2m from his Buckinghamshire mansion. Osbourne told reporters that he had the masked raider in a headlock as he tried to stop him. The burglar broke free and jumped 30 ft from a first floor window. A large amount of jewellery was stolen in the raid in which two burglars were involved.
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3
May
2004
The US Supreme Court rejected an appeal by two musicians who claimed they were owed royalties from Ozzy Osbourne. Bassist Robert Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake had fought a long-running battle since 1997 with the Osbourne family claiming they were entitled to money from the albums ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ and ‘Diary of a Madman.’ Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy's wife and manager, said that the pair had "harassed" her family and had had their contributions removed from the albums because of their "abusive and unjust behaviour".
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21
Mar
2004
Ozzy Osbourne was named the nation's favourite ambassador to welcome aliens to planet earth. The 55-year-old singer came top of a poll as the face people want to represent them to alien life. The poll of internet users was carried out following the discovery of signs of water on Mars. Ozzy won 26 per cent of the vote. A spokesman for Yahoo! News said: 'As the world waits desperately for signs of alien life, we decided to ask our users who they thought was best suited for this most auspicious of roles. Ozzy is a great choice but I'm not sure what the Martians would make of his individual approach to the English language.'
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9
Dec
2003
Ozzy Osbourne was admitted to Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, Berkshire after being injured in a quad bike accident at his UK home. The 55 year-old singer broke his collarbone, eight ribs and a vertebra in his neck. News of Osbourne's accident reached the House of Commons, where the government sent a goodwill message.
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14
Oct
2003
Ozzy Osbourne started treatment for Parkinson's Disease-like tremors and postponed his forthcoming European tour. The veteran singer said in a statement, "I have been in Boston for the last three weeks, having medical tests for a tremor which has become markedly worse over the last two years."
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25
Apr
2003
In this year's Sunday Times Rich List, Paul McCartney was confirmed as the world's richest musician with a fortune worth over £760m. Madonna was 4th in the list with £227m, Mick Jagger 6th with £175m and Elton John 7th with £170m. Ozzy Osbourne became the 24th richest musician after earning an estimated £42m from his MTV show The Osbournes. And Simon Fuller was said to have earned over £50m from sales of the 'Pop Idol' TV show.
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14
Aug
2002
Dave Williams lead singer of US heavy rock band Drowning Pool was found dead on the band's tour bus during Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfest tour in Manassas, Virginia. The autopsy concluded that he suffered from a form of heart disease. The bands debut album, Sinner, had sold over 1 million copies in the US since its release in June 2001.
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3
Jun
2002
Paul McCartney, Sting, Elton John, Brian Wilson, Cliff Richard, Ozzy Osbourne, The Corrs, Will Young, Atomic Kitten and S Club 7 all appeared at The Queen's Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace, London.
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26
Mar
2002
Randy Castillo drummer with the Ozzy Osbourne band died of cancer aged 51. Worked with Osbourne during the 1980s and early 1990s. Also worked with Lita Ford and Motley Crue.
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25
Sep
2000
Ozzy Osbourne formally requested that Black Sabbath be removed from the nomination list for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Calling the inclusion "meaningless", Osbourne went on to say "Let's face it. Black Sabbath have never been media darlings. We're a people's band and that suits us just fine."
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17
Jun
1997
Fans rioted at an Ozzfest concert in Columbus Ohio, after Ozzy Osbourne couldn't perform due to throat problems. Angry fans broke windows, uprooted trees, and turned over a parked car.
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5
Jun
1993
Mariah Carey married the President of Sony Music, Tommy Mottola in Manhattan, guest's included Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand and Ozzy Osbourne. (The couple separated in 1997).
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15
Nov
1992
Ozzy Osbourne announced his retirement from touring after a gig in California, saying "Who wants to be touring at 46."
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25
Sep
1992
Two fans were stabbed and 20 arrests were made after trouble broke out at a Ozzy Osbourne gig in Oklahoma City. The sale of alcohol at the concert was blamed for the incident.
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28
Mar
1992
Over a $100,000 (£58,800) worth of damage was caused at The Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, California, when Ozzy Osbourne invited the first two rows of the audience on stage. Several others took up the offer and the band was forced to exit the stage.
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2
Sep
1989
Ozzy Osbourne was charged with threatening to kill his wife Sharon. Ozzy was released on the condition that he immediately went into detox, the case was later dropped when the couple decide to reconcile.
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12
Aug
1989
The two day Moscow Music Peace Festival was held at The Lenin Stadium in Moscow, Russia. Western Acts who appeared included Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, Bon Jovi, Skid Row and The Scorpions. This was the first time that an audience had been allowed to stand up and dance at a stadium rock concert in the Soviet Union. Previous to this, all concerts had to be seated.
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14
Jun
1986
Three fans died during an Ozzy Osbourne gig at Long Beach Arena, California after falling from a balcony.
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26
Oct
1984
19-year-old John D. McCollum killed himself with a .22 caliber handgun after spending the day listening to Ozzy Osbourne records. One year later, McCollum's parents took court action against Ozzy and CBS Records, alleging that the song "Suicide Solution" from the album Blizzard of Ozz contributed to their son's death. The case was eventually thrown out of court.
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16
May
1984
Ozzy Osbourne was arrested in Memphis, Tennessee for 'staggering drunk' down Beale Street. Osbourne was released from the Memphis jail five hours later, after drying out, and was not required to return for a court appearance. He continued on with a tour in support of 1983’s Bark at the Moon.
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28
May
1983
The four day US Festival '83' took place in California, featuring The Clash, U2, David Bowie, The Pretenders, Van Halen, Stray Cats, Men At Work, Judas Priest, Stevie Nicks, Willie Nelson. INXS, Joe Walsh, Motley Crue and Ozzy Osbourne. Over 750,000 fans attended the festival.
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4
Jul
1982
Ozzy Osbourne married his manager Sharon Arden the daughter of music mogul Don Arden. Ozzy later confessed that the well-known "Fourth of July" Independence Day date was chosen so that he would never forget his anniversary.
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19
Mar
1982
Ozzy Osbourne guitarist and former Quiet Riot member Randy Rhoads was killed when the plane he was riding in crashed. After driving much of the night, the band had stopped near a small airstrip. The tour bus driver, Andrew Aycock, talked the band's keyboardist, Don Airey, into taking a test flight in a '55 Beechcraft Bonanza, the joyride ended, and the plane landed safely. Then Aycock took Rhoads and Rachel Youngblood on another flight and attempts were made to 'buzz' the tour bus. The left wing clipped the bus, which sent the plane spiralling into a nearby house and bursting into flames. All three bodies were burned beyond recognition, and were identified by dental records.
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19
Feb
1982
Ozzy Osbourne was arrested in San Antonio, Texas for urinating on the cenotaph at the Alamo, which honors the Alamo defenders. Osbourne was wearing a dress at the time of his arrest, (due to his wife Sharon hiding all his clothes so he couldn't go outside). Osbourne was banned from ever playing in San Antonio, Texas again, (a ban which was lifted in 1992). When later interviewed, Ozzy said his next goal was to urinate on the White House lawn.
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20
Jan
1982
During an Ozzy Osbourne concert in Des Moines, Iowa, a member of the audience threw a bat onto the stage. Stunned by the light, the bat lay motionless, and thinking it was a rubber fake, the singer picked it up and attempted to bite its head off. As he did this, the bat started to flap its wings and Ozzy soon realized it wasn't fake but in fact a living thing. After the show Ozzy was immediately rushed to the nearest hospital for rabies shots.
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29
Apr
1980
Black Sabbath began their first tour with vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who had replaced Ozzy Osbourne.
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25
Sep
1972
Black Sabbath released their fourth studio album, 'Black Sabbath Vol. 4'. The album which features a monochrome photograph of Ozzy Osbourne with hands raised, taken during a Black Sabbath concert was originally to be titled 'Snowblind', after one of several songs referring to the band's cocaine use.
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9
Mar
1970
Having recently changed their name from Earth to Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward made their concert debut at The Roundhouse, London.
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