Ozzy, like a stack other pommy metallers, was born within earshot of the same steam hammers that formed the musical tastes of Rob Halford in Birmingham England, after leaving school and having many odd jobs and a stint in lockup for nicking stockings, he posted a notice in a music shop that said Ozzy Zig needs a gig
This was read by Tony Iommi and Bill Ward and ended up Ozzy and Geezer joining the other lads in a new band that went under several names (including Earth) that ended up being called Black Sabbath after a song of the same name that appeared on their first album (released 1969/70).
Oz recorded several more albums with Sabbath despite the decline of his relationship with Tony Iommi, which after several break ups led to him leaving/being fired from the band in 1979....its been suggested thatr Ozzy decline came after his father passed and he was drinking a lot to manage his grief...either which way, he was ousted from Sabbath
After a while and after spending a month in a hotel room getting blitzed everyday, Sharon dragged him down to a studio were Dana Strum had brought his mate Randy Rhoads to audition...Ozzy was stunned by Randy's skill on the axe and made him the first member of The Blizzard of Ozz....
the resulting album, Blizzard of Ozz (1980), was a resounding commercial success...it was during this album release he was ushered to the record company for a meet and greet with the board of directors and....NAH....I wont even bring up the dove biting or bat nibbling again
His Diary of a Madman (1981) followed suit....this was were Ozzy as a solo act showed up on my radar...it was during this tour that music lost Randy Rhoads in the infamous plane crash...sad..;(
Ex-Gillan guitarist Bernie Tormé was the first guitarist to replace Randy once the tour resumed. Torme's tenure with the band would last less than one month.
During an audition for guitarists in a hotel room, Osbourne selected Brad Gillis (who went on to be one of two guitarists in Night Ranger) to finish the tour. The tour culminated in the release of the 1982 live album, Speak of the Devil recorded at the Ritz in New York City. A live tribute album for Rhoads was also later released....and its a deadset cracker
Despite the difficulties, Osbourne moved on after Rhoads' death. Speak of the Devil, known in the United Kingdom as Talk of the Devil, was originally planned to consist of live recordings from 1981, primarily from Osbourne's solo work. Under contract to produce a live album, it ended up consisting entirely of Black Sabbath covers recorded with Brad Gillis, bassist Rudy Sarzo, and drummer Tommy Aldridge. Osbourne later commented (inside the cover of "Tribute") "I don't give a fuck about that album. It was just a bunch of bullshit Sabbath covers."
Also in 1982 while wearing his future wife Sharon's dress because she had hidden his clothes, Osbourne drunkenly urinated on a cenotaph erected in honour of those who died at the Alamo in Texas, across the street from the actual building. A police officer arrested him asking Oz and I quote " how would you feel if i pisssed on Buckingham Palace"..Oz replied "I dont give a f**k, I dont live there" , Osbourne was subsequently banned from the city of San Antonio for a decade.
In 1984, Osbourne toured with Mötley Crüe. The tour is known as one of the "craziest drug and alcohol-fuelled tours in the history of rock and roll", Oz would jump on Motleys bus pull out two huge bags of blow and scream lets party....some of the saner stunts included snorting ants and dressing in drag..there were decidely grosser ones ...but ..ewww ...
Oz. has what I call Ritchie Blackmore Syndrome, in that I mean he changes muso's with ridicluos regularity..except for Zakk, he was around for an age or three
In the 1990s, Osbourne continued to release albums and tour with his traveling metal festival, Ozzfest, Ive never been but the dvd looks great...
There have been a few dvds about Oz, one was just a mish mash of interviews , where he was blitzed 90% of the time with song videos fitted in between the drooling ...AND THEN...His son Jack made a documentary about him and its a ripper ...go get a copy
Osbourne has experienced tremors for some years and me, like most of the planet linked them to his continuous booze and drug abuse...HOWEVER... In May 2005 he found out it was actually Parkin Syndrome, a genetic condition, the symptoms of which are very similar to Parkinson's disease. Osbourne will have to take daily medication for the rest of his life to combat the involuntary shudders associated with the condition....SO, I stand corrected
SO THATS WERE GENE GOT THE IDEA!
Osbourne returned to celebrity status by the unlikely success of his own bizarre brand of "reality" television. The Osbournes, a program featuring the domestic life of Osbourne and his clan, has turned into the MTV Network's biggest hit to date. The comic appeal of the aging headbanger completing such humdrum tasks as taking out the garbage charmed even those conservatives who once vilified Osbourne.
Despite his popularity as a reality television personality, Osbourne will also been remembered for his contributions to the world of music. He reunited with Black Sabbath in 2005 for a tour, and these legendary heavy metal heroes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the following year. At the induction ceremony, Metallica played "Iron Man" in honor of the group. Osbourne, however, devotes most of his time these days to his solo career. He released Black Rain in 2007, which reached the number three spot on the American album charts.
BULLSHIT LAWSUITS
In 1985 California teenager John McCollum committed suicide while listening to Ozzy Osbourne's "Suicide Solution". The song deals with the dangers of alcohol abuse. McCollum's suicide led to allegations that Osbourne promoted suicide in his songs.
Despite knowing McCollum suffered clinical depression, his parents sued Ozzy Osbourne (McCollum v. CBS) for their son's death, claiming the lyrics in the song, "Where to hide, suicide is the only way out. Don't you know what it's really about?" convinced McCollum to commit suicide.
The family's lawyer suggested that Osbourne should be criminally charged for encouraging a young person to commit suicide, but the courts ruled in Osbourne's favour, saying there was no connection between the song and McCollum's suicide. Osbourne was sued for the same reason in 1991 (Waller v. Osbourne), by the parents of Michael Waller, for $9 million, but the courts ruled in Osbourne's favour again.
One critic claims that Osbourne sings "Get the gun, get the gun, shoot, shoot, shoot," a charge firmly denied by Osbourne....and I add the term BOLLOCKS to the total crap lawsuits
SABBATH ALBUMS:
Black Sabbath (1970)
Paranoid (1970)
Master of Reality (1971)
Vol. 4 (1972)
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
Sabotage (1975)
Technical Ecstasy (1976)
Never Say Die! (1978)
Reunion (1998) (Live album with 2 new studio tracks)
13 (2013)
Live at Last (Unofficial live album)
OZZY ALBUMS:
Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
Diary of a Madman (1981)
Bark at the Moon (1983)
The Ultimate Sin (1986)
No Rest for the Wicked (1988)
No More Tears (1991)
Ozzmosis (1995)
Down to Earth (2001)
Under Cover (2005)
Black Rain (2007)
Scream (2010)
RECENT OZZY BAND MEMBERS
Adam Wakeman, Rob Nicholson , Gus G, Tommy Clufetos
FORMER MEMBERS
Randy Rhoads Zakk Wylde, Bernie Tormé, Brad Gillis, Jake E. Lee
Alex Skolnick, Joe Holmes, Don Costa, Jerry Cantrell, Rudy Sarzo
Pete Way, Bob Daisley, Phil Soussan, Mike Inez, Geezer Butler
James LoMenzo, Robert Trujillo, Jason Newsted, Chris Wyse
Tommy Aldridge, Carmine Appice, Jimmy DeGrasso, Randy Castillo
Deen Castronovo, Brian Tichy, Roy Mayorga, Johnny Cook
Don Airey, Mike Moran, John Sinclair, Kevin Jones, Rick Wakeman
Tommy Lee, Michael Railo, Michael Beinhorn, Lindsay Bridgewater
Mike Bordin, Robert Mason
SO....THERE YOU, everyones favourite nutter.....have a rockin day
