Ozzy Osbourne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ozzy Osbourne
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Osbourne in 2010
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John Michael Osbourne
3 December 1948 Marston Green, Warwickshire, England
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| Children | 7, including Aimee, Kelly, and Jack Osbourne |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1967–present |
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John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is a famous English singer, songwriter, and TV star. He became well-known in the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. During this time, he was often called "Prince of Darkness."
Ozzy was born in Marston Green and grew up in Birmingham, England. He helped start Black Sabbath in 1968. He sang on their first album in 1970 and continued until 1978. Black Sabbath greatly influenced heavy metal music with albums like Paranoid and Master of Reality. Ozzy left Black Sabbath in 1979.
He then started a very successful solo career with his album Blizzard of Ozz in 1980. He has released 13 studio albums, and many of them sold millions of copies in the US. Ozzy has also reunited with Black Sabbath several times. He rejoined them in 1997 and helped make their last studio album, 13 (2013). The band's farewell tour ended in 2017 in their hometown. Because of his long and successful career, he is often called the "Godfather of Metal."
Ozzy Osbourne has sold over 100 million albums, including his work with Black Sabbath and his solo music. He is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath. He is also in the UK Music Hall of Fame as a solo artist and with the band. He has stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Birmingham Walk of Stars. In 2014, he received the Global Icon Award at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
In the early 2000s, Ozzy became a reality television star. He appeared on the MTV show The Osbournes with his wife and manager, Sharon, and two of their children, Kelly and Jack. He also stars with Jack and Kelly in the TV series Ozzy & Jack's World Detour.
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Ozzy Osbourne's Early Life
Ozzy Osbourne was born in Marston Green, England. He grew up in the Aston area of Birmingham. His mother, Lilian, worked at a factory. His father, John Thomas, worked as a toolmaker. Ozzy has three older sisters and two younger brothers. His family lived in a small two-bedroom house. He has been called "Ozzy" since primary school. Ozzy also dealt with dyslexia at school.
He left school at 15. He worked different jobs like a construction worker and a car factory horn-tuner. When he was young, he got into some trouble. He spent six weeks in prison because he could not pay a fine after being found guilty of breaking into a clothes shop. His father wanted to teach him a lesson, so he did not pay the fine.
Ozzy enjoyed school plays. When he was 14, he became a big fan of The Beatles. He says their song "She Loves You" inspired him to become a musician. In a 2011 documentary, he said, "I knew I was going to be a rock star the rest of my life."
Music Career Journey
Black Sabbath's Beginnings
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In late 1967, Geezer Butler formed a band called Rare Breed and asked Ozzy to be the singer. The band played two shows and then broke up. Ozzy and Geezer then joined another band, Polka Tulk Blues. This band included guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. They later changed their name to Earth.
In August 1969, they changed the band's name again to Black Sabbath. The name came from a movie. Black Sabbath noticed that people liked being scared at their shows. This inspired them to play heavy blues music with dark sounds and lyrics. While recording their first album, Geezer Butler read an occult book. He woke up seeing a dark figure. Geezer told Ozzy about it, and they wrote the lyrics for "Black Sabbath," their first darker song.
Black Sabbath quickly became successful. Their music was built around Tony Iommi's guitar riffs, Geezer Butler's lyrics, Bill Ward's drumbeats, and Ozzy's unique vocals. Their first album, Black Sabbath, and Paranoid sold well and were played often on the radio.
Around this time, Ozzy met Sharon Arden, who would become his future wife. Black Sabbath was thinking about her father, Don Arden, as their new manager. Sharon was working as Don's receptionist. Ozzy felt attracted to her right away. He later said that choosing Don Arden as manager was great because he got to see Sharon regularly.
Just five months after Paranoid, the band released Master of Reality. This album reached the top ten in the US and UK. It sold very quickly and later became Double Platinum. In September 1972, Black Sabbath released Black Sabbath Vol. 4. This album also sold over one million copies in the US.
In November 1973, Black Sabbath released Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. This album received good reviews from the press for the first time. Critics called it "an extraordinarily gripping affair." Later, it was called a "masterpiece" for heavy metal. This album was their fifth to sell over a million copies in the US. Sabotage came out in July 1975. It also got good reviews.
Ozzy Leaves Black Sabbath
In 1978, Ozzy left the band for three months to work on a solo project. He called it Blizzard of Ozz, a name his father suggested. He later rejoined Black Sabbath. The band spent five months recording their next album, Never Say Die!
In May 1978, Black Sabbath started touring for Never Say Die! with Van Halen opening for them. Reviewers said Black Sabbath's performance seemed "tired." The tour ended in December. This was Ozzy's last show with Black Sabbath for seven years.
In 1979, Black Sabbath went back to the studio. But there were many disagreements among the band members. Ozzy felt that his vocals were being changed too much by Tony Iommi. The relationship between Ozzy and Tony became difficult. On 27 April 1979, Ozzy was asked to leave Black Sabbath. The band told him he was unreliable.
The band replaced Ozzy with singer Ronnie James Dio. Dio later said, "I was not, and never will be, Ozzy Osbourne. He was the vocalist and songwriter in that era who helped create that band."
Ozzy's Solo Career Begins
Don Arden signed Ozzy to Jet Records to make new music. Don sent his daughter Sharon to Los Angeles to help Ozzy. Don hoped Ozzy would return to Black Sabbath, but Ozzy did not want to. Sharon tried to get Ozzy to form a supergroup with guitarist Gary Moore.
In late 1979, Ozzy formed a band called the Blizzard of Ozz. It included drummer Lee Kerslake, bassist Bob Daisley, keyboardist Don Airey, and guitarist Randy Rhoads. The record company later named their first album Blizzard of Ozz. It was simply credited to Ozzy Osbourne, starting his solo career. Ozzy, Bob Daisley, and Randy Rhoads wrote the songs together. The album was a big success for Ozzy.
Blizzard of Ozz is one of the best-selling albums of the 1980s. By 1997, it had sold four million copies. Ozzy's second album, Diary of a Madman, came out next. Randy Rhoads was named one of the greatest guitarists for his work on these albums. This album is known for the songs "Over the Mountain" and "Flying High Again." Ozzy says it is his personal favorite.
On 19 March 1982, a tragic accident happened during the Diary of a Madman tour in Florida. A small plane, piloted by the band's tour bus driver, crashed. Randy Rhoads and Rachel Youngblood, the band's costume designer, were killed. The plane hit the tour bus and then crashed into a garage. This crash was caused by the pilot's poor judgment. Ozzy was very sad after losing his close friend and bandmate. The tour was stopped for two weeks.
After Randy's death, Ozzy found new guitarists to continue the tour. Brad Gillis finished the tour. A live album, Speak of the Devil, was released in 1982. It featured covers of Black Sabbath songs.
In 1983, Jake E. Lee joined Ozzy to record Bark at the Moon. This album included the popular song "Bark at the Moon." The album quickly sold millions of copies in the US. In 1986, The Ultimate Sin was released. It was Ozzy's highest-charting studio album at the time.
Jake E. Lee and Ozzy stopped working together in 1987. That year, Ozzy released Tribute, a live album in memory of Randy Rhoads. Then, Ozzy found Zakk Wylde, who became his longest-lasting guitarist. They recorded No Rest for the Wicked. The tour for this album reunited Ozzy with his former Black Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler on bass. In 1988, Ozzy sang on the hit song "Close My Eyes Forever" with Lita Ford.
Ozzy continued to be successful in the 1990s. His 1991 album, No More Tears, featured "Mama, I'm Coming Home." This song was very popular on radio and MTV. Ozzy won a Grammy Award in 1994 for "I Don't Want to Change the World" from his live album Live & Loud. This album was meant to be his last, as Ozzy said he was tired of touring. He called his "retirement tour" "No More Tours."
In 1995, Ozzy released Ozzmosis and went back to touring. He called his new tour "The Retirement Sucks Tour." The album reached number 4 on the US Billboard charts and sold millions of copies.
Ozzfest Music Festival
Ozzy's biggest financial success in the 1990s was Ozzfest. This music festival was created and managed by his wife, Sharon, with help from their son Jack. The first Ozzfest was held in 1996. It quickly became popular with metal fans. Ozzfest helped many new bands become famous. Some shows featured a reunited Black Sabbath.
Since it began, over five million people have attended Ozzfest. The festival has made over $100 million. Ozzfest helped Ozzy become the first hard rock and heavy metal star to sell $50 million in merchandise. In 2005, Ozzy and Sharon starred in an MTV show called "Battle for Ozzfest." Unsigned bands competed to win a spot on the 2005 Ozzfest tour. Ozzy announced he would no longer headline Ozzfest, but he did return to headline some shows in later years. In 2007, tickets for the Ozzfest tour were given to fans for free.
2000s and Beyond
Down to Earth, Ozzy's first album of new songs in six years, came out in 2001. A live album, Live at Budokan, followed in 2002. Down to Earth sold millions of copies. In 2002, Ozzy was invited to perform at the Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace. He sang the Black Sabbath song "Paranoid."
In December 2003, Ozzy had a serious accident on his quad bike. He broke his collar bone, eight ribs, and a neck vertebra. Sharon later said that Ozzy stopped breathing after the crash but was saved by his bodyguard. While in the hospital, Ozzy had his first ever UK number one song. It was a duet of the Black Sabbath song "Changes" with his daughter Kelly. This set a record for the longest time between an artist's first chart appearance and their first number one hit. Ozzy fully recovered and headlined Ozzfest in 2004 with Black Sabbath.
In 2005, Ozzy released a box set called Prince of Darkness. It included live songs, demos, and covers of his favorite songs by other artists. He also released a covers album called Under Cover.
Ozzy's next album, Black Rain, was released in 2007. It was his first new studio album in almost six years.
In 2009, Ozzy said he was looking for a new guitar player. He wanted his songs to sound different. Gus G joined his band. Ozzy also lent his voice to the video game Brütal Legend. In 2010, Ozzy released a new album called Scream. A song from the album, "Let Me Hear You Scream," was featured on the TV show CSI: NY.
In 2014, Ozzy released Memoirs of a Madman, a collection of songs from his solo career. In 2019, he announced he had finished a new album. In 2017, guitarist Zakk Wylde reunited with Ozzy for a summer tour. In 2018, Ozzy announced his "No More Tours II" world tour. He said he would not retire completely but would stop doing long world tours.
In 2019, Ozzy was featured on the song "Take What You Want" by Post Malone. This song reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. It was Ozzy's first US Top 10 single in 30 years.
In 2020, Ozzy released Ordinary Man, his first solo album in almost ten years. It received good reviews. He then started working on his next album. In 2022, he announced his thirteenth album would be called Patient Number 9. It was released in September 2022.
In January 2023, Ozzy announced he would no longer do long tours. He said this was due to spinal damage from his 2019 accident. He still plans to do smaller shows when his health allows. In September 2023, he said he was working on a new album for 2024. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Ozzy at number 112 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Black Sabbath Reunites
On 11 November 2011, it was announced that the original Black Sabbath members—Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—would reunite. They planned a world tour and a new album. Bill Ward later left for contract reasons. Brad Wilk filled in on drums. On 21 May 2012, Black Sabbath played their first reunion concert in their hometown of Birmingham. Their album, 13, was released in 2013. It topped both the UK and US album charts.
In January 2016, the band began their farewell tour, called "The End." The final Black Sabbath shows took place in Birmingham in February 2017.
On 8 August 2022, Ozzy and Tony Iommi made a surprise appearance at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. This was Ozzy's first live performance in three years.
Other Projects and TV Shows
Ozzy became even more famous through his reality TV show, The Osbournes. This show featured Ozzy and his family: wife Sharon, and children Jack and Kelly. His eldest daughter, Aimee, did not participate. The show became one of MTV's biggest hits. It ran from 2002 to 2005.
The success of The Osbournes led Ozzy and his family to host the American Music Awards in 2003. They also hosted the 2008 BRIT Awards in London. Ozzy appeared in commercials and was a playable character in the video game Guitar Hero World Tour.
Ozzy published his autobiography in 2009, called I Am Ozzy. He says he has enough stories for a second book. A movie about his life is also being planned.
A documentary film about Ozzy's life, God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, came out in 2011. Ozzy's son Jack produced the film. In 2016, the History Channel started a reality TV series called Ozzy & Jack's World Detour. In this show, Ozzy and Jack visit different places to learn about history.
Awards and Recognition
Ozzy has received many awards for his music. In 1994, he won a Grammy Award for "I Don't Want to Change the World" from Live & Loud. In 2004, he received the "Godlike Genius" award at the NME Awards. In 2005, Ozzy was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame as a solo artist and with Black Sabbath. In 2006, he was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Black Sabbath. In 2024, he was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his solo career.
In 2007, Ozzy was honored at the VH1 Rock Honors. A bronze star honoring Ozzy was placed on Broad Street in Birmingham, his hometown. He was the first person to be inducted into The Birmingham Walk of Stars.
In 2008, Ozzy received the "Living Legend" award at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards. In 2010, he won the "Literary Achievement" award for his book, I Am Ozzy. The book became a best-seller. In 2015, Ozzy received the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2016, a tram in Birmingham was named after him.
In 2021, Ozzy was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. This was for his appearances, including at WrestleMania 2 in 1986.
Ozzy's Personal Life
In 1971, Ozzy met his first wife, Thelma Riley, at a nightclub in Birmingham. They got married that year and had two children, Jessica and Louis.
Ozzy married his manager Sharon Arden on 4 July 1982. They have three children together: Aimee (born 1983), Kelly (born 1984), and Jack (born 1985). He chose the US Independence Day date so he would never forget their anniversary. Ozzy has many grandchildren.
Ozzy wrote a song for his daughter Aimee, which appeared on the album Ozzmosis. The song "My Little Man" on Ozzmosis was written about his son Jack. The Osbourne family lives in their Buckinghamshire mansion and a home in Los Angeles.
In 1992, The New York Times reported that Ozzy was a member of the Church of England and prayed before each show. In 2002, Ozzy and Sharon were invited to a White House dinner. Then-President George W. Bush joked about Ozzy's songs.
Ozzy and Sharon are one of the UK's richest couples. In 2005, they were estimated to have earned £100 million from music and TV shows. Ozzy has over 15 tattoos. The most famous are the letters O-Z-Z-Y across the knuckles of his left hand. This was his first tattoo, which he did himself as a teenager. Ozzy is a big fan of the comedy group Monty Python. For his 65th birthday in 2013, he asked fans to donate to a cancer charity.
Band Members
Current members:
- Ozzy Osbourne – vocals (1979–present)
- Zakk Wylde – lead guitar (1987–1992, 1995, 1998, 2001–2004, 2006–2009, 2017–present)
- Rob "Blasko" Nicholson – bass (2003, 2006–present)
- Adam Wakeman – keyboards, rhythm guitar (2004–present)
- Tommy Clufetos – drums (2010–present)
Discography
Solo Albums
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Black Sabbath Albums
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Tours
- Blizzard of Ozz Tour (1980–1981)
- Diary of a Madman Tour (1981–1982)
- Speak of the Devil Tour (1982–1983)
- Bark at the Moon Tour (1983–1985)
- The Ultimate Sin Tour (1986)
- No Rest for the Wicked Tour (1988–1989)
- Theatre of Madness Tour (1991–1992)
- No More Tours Tour (1992)
- Retirement Sucks Tour (1995–1996)
- The Ozzman Cometh Tour (1998)
- Merry Mayhem Tour (2001)
- Down to Earth Tour (2002)
- Black Rain Tour (2008)
- Scream World Tour (2010–2011)
- Ozzy and Friends Tour (2012; 2015)
- No More Tours II (2018)
Film and TV Appearances
- Trick or Treat (1986) – Rev. Aaron Gilstrom
- The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988) – Himself (Documentary)
- The Jerky Boys: The Movie (1995) – Band Manager
- South Park (1999) – Himself (voice)
- Little Nicky (2000) – Himself
- Moulin Rouge! (2001) – The Green Fairy (voice)
- Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) – Himself
- Dame Edna Live at the Palace (2003)
- Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind (2007) – Vicar (voice)
- Brütal Legend (2009) (video game) – The Guardian of Metal, Dadbat (voice)
- Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) – Fawn (voice)
- Fish Hooks (2011) – Earth Troll (voice)
- Howard Stern on Demand (2013) – Himself
- Bubble Guppies (2015) – Sid Fishy (voice)
- Ghostbusters (2016) – Himself
- The 7D (2016) – Duke the Drear (voice)
- Sherlock Gnomes (2018) – Fawn (voice)
- Rockfield: The Studio On The Farm (2020) – Himself
- Trolls World Tour (2020) – King Thrash
Images for kids
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Osbourne in 2010
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Ozzy Osbourne's signature
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Osbourne in 1973
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Osbourne performing in Cardiff in 1981
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An Ozzfest concert poster in Prague, 2002
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Osbourne on tour in Japan in April 1999
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Osbourne in 2007 with the Mayor of Birmingham
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Osbourne at BlizzCon in Anaheim, California in 2009
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Osbourne performing with bassist Rob Nicholson in April 2013
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Osbourne singing at Black Sabbath's final performance in Birmingham in February 2017
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Osbourne (centre) and his touring band in June 2011
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Osbourne featured on the Birmingham Walk of Stars in Birmingham, England
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Osbourne's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles
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Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne in Hawaii in 2004
See also
In Spanish: Ozzy Osbourne para niños
