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Ozzy Osbourne: The Prince of Darkness Forged A Lifetime Of Legendary Heavy Metal With Black Sabbath By His Side – Part 1

 

Today’s featured post is a bit of a challenge for me…..because I have been an active member of The Baby Boomer Generation for almost 79 years…..while living true to the “Boomers” generational moniker of “SEX, DRUGS & ROCK N ROLL!!!…..and even though I grew up in West Texas, let it be said that rock n roll has been a valid part of my physical and mental fiber for all of these many years…..but heavy metal rock, now that’s another subject…..’cuz it was not a cultural thing out in God’s Country during the 1950’s and 1960’s.  The term heavy metal was associated with what was under the hood of your “hot rod” car, not anything musical.  Also, heavy drugs was synonymous with heavy metal…..and so were the superstars that dominated the heavy metal music genre such as Metalica’s James Hatfield, Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dixon, Judas Priest‘s Rob Halford, Pantera‘s Phil Anselmio and Megadeath‘s Dave Mestain were for the most part all into heavy drugs, including all drugs that were not “recreational in nature”…..while all guys had lasting impact on the heavy metal universe…..but only one band and one lead singer dominated the heavy metal universe from inception to the end of its golden years around the end of the 1990’s…..and that was Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath.  Like all the “blue hair” geniuses of The Baby Boomer Generation …..whether in the universes of sports, music or comedy (which makes up about 95% of the video content featured here at Imasportsphile)…..Ozzy Osbourne had the same challenge of being affected by his incredible talent in such a way the his musical genius outran his ability to deal with that reality…..and then came the drugs and alcohol.  So, the fact remains that there has never been a heavy metal period of my life, and I have music in my soul…..and I genuinely love virtually all genres of music…..while having the God given talent to play multiple musical instruments “by ear” (no note music needed)…..but heavy metal rock n roll was not ever played around me all these years.  Heck, if you had asked me who the Prince of Darkness was, I would have probably said Dracula, certainly not Ozzy Osbourne, our featured post here at Imasportsphile on July 28, 2025.  Being a “card carrying member” of the Sex, Drugs and Rock N Roll Generation, pot has always been my drug of choice even over drinking alcohol…..and even though I am turning 79 in a couple of months, it is my drug of choice for pain medicine for a bad back…..cuz any way you cut the pie, I still don’t listen to heavy metal…..but in keeping with our tradition here, we give credit where credit is due…..and John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne sure does deserve to be showcased with all the other geniuses of sports, comedy, music and special events featured in this website.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne “The Prince of Darkness” – ORDINARY MAN – The Ozzy Osbourne Story Documentary                                                                                                                                                                                

John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne (3 December 1948 – 22 July 2025) was an English singer, songwriter and media personality…..who rose to prominence during the 1970’s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath …..during which period he adopted the nickname “The Prince of Darkness”Osbourne co-founded Black Sabbath in 1968…..while providing lead vocals on their 1st eight studio albums, from 1970 to 1978.  The band pioneered heavy metal music, as evidenced by their critically-acclaimed albums Black Sabbath and Paranoid (both in 1970) and Master of Reality in 1971.  Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 due to his problems with alcohol and other drugs…..and that is when he started a successful solo career with Blizzard of Ozz in 1980…..after which he released 13 studio albums…..with the 1st seven being certified multi-platinum in the United States.  In the 1980’s, Osbourne drew controversy for his antics both onstage and offstage …..while being accused of promoting Satanism by the Christian right.  He reunited with Black Sabbath on several occasions.  He rejoined the iconic band from 1997 to 2005, and again in 2012…..when during this 2nd reunion he sang on the band’s last studio album, 13 (in 2013), before they embarked on a farewell tour that ended in 2017.  On July 5, 2025, Osbourne performed his final show at the Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham amid health issues, having announced that the concert would be his last show.  Although he intended to continue recording music, he died 17 days later, on July 22, 2025.

 

His wife and manager Sharon had founded the heavy metal touring festival Ozzfest…..which was held yearly from 1996 to 2010. 

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne – Special – MTV “OzzFest Uncensored” Documentary (2002)

In the early 2000’s, Osbourne became a reality television star when he appeared in the MTV  reality show The Osbournes (2002–2005) alongside Sharon and two of their children, Kelly and Jack.  He co-starred with some of his family in the television series Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour (2016–2018) as well as The Osbournes Want to Believe (2020–2021).                                                  

 

The Osbournes TV – MTV Reality Television (Season 1 Episode 1) – “House Divided” Full Episode                                

Osbourne sold over 100 million albums, including his solo work and Black Sabbath releases. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006 and as a solo artist in 2024. He was also inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame both solo and with Black Sabbath in 2005.  He was honored with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and  Birmingham Walk of Stars.  At the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards, he received the Global Icon Award.  In 2015, he received the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.                                                                                                  

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Ozbourne – 2024 Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Induction Speech                                                                                                                                                                               

At the age of 11, Osbourne suffered sexual abuse from school bullies.  He said he attempted suicide multiple times as a teenager.  He participated in school plays, including Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore.  Upon hearing the 1st hit single of the Beatles at age 14, he became a fan of the band and credited their 1963 song “She Loves You” with inspiring him to become a musician.  In the 2011 documentary God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, Osbourne said that the Beatles made him realize that “[he] was going to be a rock star the rest of [his] life”Osbourne left school at the age of 15 and was employed as a construction site laborer, trainee plumber, apprentice toolmaker, car factory horn-tuner and slaughterhouse worker….. when at the age of 17, he was convicted of robbing a clothes shop, but was unable to pay the fine…..which his father also refused to pay o teach him a lesson, resulting in Osbourne spending six weeks in Winson Green Prison.                              

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne “The Prince of Darkness” – Movie Trailer (2011) – “God Bless Ozzy Osbourne”                                                                                                                                                                            

In late 1967, Geezer Butler formed his 1st band, Rare Breed, and recruited Osbourne to be the singer, when the band played two shows and broke up…..however Osbourne and Butler reunited in another band, Polka Tulk Blues, which included guitarist Tommi Loman and drummer Bill Ward, whose band Mythology had recently broken up…..when they renamed the band Black Sabbath in August 1969. The band’s name was inspired by the film of the same title.  While performing as Black Sabbath, they noticed how people enjoyed being frightened during their appearances…..which inspired their decision to play a heavy blues style of music laced with gloomy sounds and lyrics. While recording their 1st album, Butler read an occult book and woke up seeing a dark figure at the end of his bed.  Butler told Osbourne about it, and together they wrote the lyrics to Black Sabbath, their 1st song in a darker vein.   The band’s U.S. record label, Warner Bros. Records, invested only modestly in it, but Black Sabbath met with swift and enduring success…..which was built around Tony Iommi’s guitar riffs, Geezer Butler’s lyrics, Bill Ward’s dark tempo drumbeats, and topped by Osbourne’s eerie vocals…..when their debut album,  Black Sabbath, and second album, Paranoid, were commercially successful…..and also gained considerable radio airplay.  Osbourne recalled, however, that, “in those days, the band wasn’t very popular with the women”At about this time, Osbourne first met his future wife, Sharon Arden.  After the unexpected success of their 1st album, Black Sabbath were considering her father, Don Arden, as their new manager, and Sharon was at that time working as Don’s receptionist.  Osbourne admits he was attracted to her immediately but assumed that “she probably thought I was a lunatic”.  Osbourne later recalled that the best thing about eventually choosing Don Arden as manager was that he got to see Sharon regularly, though their relationship was strictly professional at that point.                                                                                                                                    

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne – Live in Paris (1970) – Full Concert                                    

Just five months after the release of Paranoid, the band released Master of Reality…..as the album reached the top ten in both the United States and UK…..while being certified gold in less than two months.  In the 1980’s, it received platinum certification and went Double Platinum in the early 21st century…..but the reviews of the album were unfavorable.  Lester Bangs of Rolling Stone famously dismissed Master of Reality as “naïve, simplistic, repetitive, absolute doggerel”…..albeit the very same magazine would later place the album at # 298 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, compiled in 2003.                                                                                                                                                         

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne – “Paranoid” – Performed Live in Paris (1970)                    

In September 1972, Black Sabbath released Black Sabbath Vol. 4.  Critics were dismissive of the album…..however, it reached gold status in less than a month…..and was the band’s 4th consecutive album to sell over one million copies in the United States.                                                                                                   

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne – Volume 4 – Song “Tomorrow’s Dream” (Live 1973)                                                                                                                                                                                    

In November 1973, Black Sabbath released the critically acclaimed Sabbath Bloody Sabbath…..and for the 1st time, the band received favorable reviews in the mainstream press. Gordon Fletcher of Rolling Stone called the album “an extraordinarily gripping affair” and “nothing less than a complete success” Decades later, AllMusic’s Eduardo Rivadavia called the album a “masterpiece, essential to any heavy metal collection”, while also claiming the band displayed “a newfound sense of finesse and maturity”.  The album marked the band’s 5th consecutive platinum selling album in the US.  Sabotage was released in July 1975…..and again, there were favorable reviews…..when Rolling Stone stated, “Sabotage is not only Black Sabbath’s best record since Paranoid, it might be their best ever.”  In a retrospective review, AllMusic was less favorable, noting that “the magical chemistry that made such albums as Paranoid and Volume 4 so special was beginning to disintegrate”.  Technical Ecstasy, released on 25 September 1976, was also met with mixed reviews. AllMusic gives the album two stars, and notes that the band was “unravelling at an alarming rate”.                                                         

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne – “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” Official Video           

Between late 1977 and early 1978,  Osbourne left the band for three months to pursue a solo project called Blizzard of Ozz…..which was a title that had been suggested by his father.  Three members of the band Necromandus, who had supported Sabbath in Birmingham when they were called Earth, backed Osbourne in the studio and briefly became the first incarnation of his solo band.  At the request of the other band members, Osbourne rejoined Sabbath.  The band spent five months at Sounds Interchange Studios in Toronto, where they wrote and recorded their next album, Never Say Die! “It took quite a long time”, Iommi said of Never Say Die! “We were getting really drugged out, doing a lot of dope. We’d go down to the sessions, and have to pack up because we were too stoned; we’d have to stop. Nobody could get anything right; we were all over the place, and everybody was playing a different thing. We’d go back and sleep it off, and try again the next day.”  In May 1978, Black Sabbath began the Never Say Die! Tour with Van Halen as an opening act…..when reviewers called Sabbath’s performance “tired and uninspired” in stark contrast to the “youthful” performance of Van Halen, who were touring the world for the 1st time.  The band recorded their concert at Hammersmith Odeon in June 1978…..which was released on video as Never Say Die. The final show of the tour and Osbourne’s last appearance with Black Sabbath for another seven years, until 1985, was in Albuquerque, New Mexico in early December.                                                                                      

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne – Special – “Black Sabbath 1975 – 78”  – Never Say Die Tour                                                                                                                                                                         

Following two brief, short-set reunions for Live Aid in 1985 and at an Ozzy Osbourne show in Costa Mesa, California, in November 1992, Osbourne, Iommi and Butler formally reunited as Black Sabbath in 1997 for the 1997 Ozzfest shows.  Ward was absent due to health issues.  In December 1997, all four members of the band reunited to record the album Reunion, with Osbourne also touring with the band again from 1997 to 1999 for the album’s concert tour.  The album proved to be a commercial success upon its release in October 1998.  The original Black Sabbath line-up of Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward reunited in November 2011 for a world tour and new album.  Ward had to drop out for contractual reasons, so the project continued with Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk stepping in for Ward on drums. They played their 1st reunion concert in May 2012, at the O2 Academy in their hometown Birmingham.  The album, entitled 13, was released on 11 June 2013, and topped both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200.                                                                                                              

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne – Performing Live @ 1997 Ozzfest – “Children of the Grave”

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Black Sabbath & Ozzy Osbourne – 1997 UK Birmingham ReUnion Album – “N. I. B.”

 


Music – Heavy Metal – Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne – From the “13” Album – “God Is Dead?”                                                    

In January 2016, the band began a farewell tour, titled “The End”, supposedly signifying the final performances of Black Sabbath.  The final shows of The End tour took place at the Genting Arena in their home city of Birmingham in  February 2017, with Tommy Clufetos replacing Bill Ward as the drummer for the final show.                                                                                                              

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne – 2016 Live “The End” Concert -Birmingham, UK   

On August 8, 2022, Osbourne and Iommi made a surprise appearance during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. This marked Osbourne’s 1st live performance in 3 years, following a period of ill health…..when he played his final show, billed as “Back to the Beginning”, alongside the original line-up of Black Sabbath, at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5, 2025…..as the band and Osbourne each played a short set…..which was watched by a crowd of over 40,000 spectators…..with a peak livestream audience of 5.8 million.  Having been rendered unable to stand from Parkinson’s disease, Osbourne performed seated on a black throne.  All proceeds from the event will be donated equally to The Cure Parkinson’s Trust, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice. 

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne – Special  – 10 Unforgettable Moments From Their “Back To The Beginning” Concert in Birmingham, UK                                                                                                  

On August 8, 2022, Osbourne and Iommi made a surprise appearance during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. This marked Osbourne’s 1st live performance in 3 years, following a period of ill health…..when he played his final show, billed as “Back to the Beginning”, alongside the original line-up of Black Sabbath, at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5, 2025…..as the band and Osbourne each played a short set…..which was watched by a crowd of over 40,000 spectators…..with a peak livestream audience of 5.8 million.  Having been rendered unable to stand from Parkinson’s disease, Osbourne performed seated on a black throne.  All proceeds from the event will be donated equally to The Cure Parkinson’s Trust, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice. 

 

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne & Toni Iommi – Live at the 2023 Commonwealth Games                            

“When I lived in Los Angeles”, Moore recalled, “[Moore’s band] G-Force helped him to audition musicians. If drummers were trying out, I played guitar, and if a bassist came along, my drummer would help out. We felt sorry for him, basically. He was always hovering around trying to get me to join, and I wasn’t having any of it.”  In late 1979, under the management of the Ardens, Osbourne formed the Blizzard of Ozz, featuring drummer Lee Kerslake (of Uriah Heep), bassist-lyricist Bobby Daisley (of Rainbowand, later, Uriah Heep, keyboardist Don Airey of Rainbow and, later Deep Purple,  and guitarist Randy Rhoads of Quiet Riot.  The record company eventually titled the group’s debut album Blizzard of Ozz, credited simply to Osbourne, thus commencing his solo career.  Co-written with Daisley and Rhoads, it brought Osbourne considerable success on his 1st solo effort. Though it is generally accepted that Osbourne and Rhoads started the band, Daisley later claimed that he and Osbourne formed the band in England before Rhoads officially joined.  Blizzard of Ozz is one of the few albums among the 100 best-sellers of the 1980s to have achieved multi-platinum status without the benefit of a top-40 single.  As of August 1997, it had achieved quadruple platinum status, according to RIAA.  “I envied Ozzy’s career…” remarked former Sabbath drummer Bill Ward. “He seemed to be coming around from whatever it was that he’d gone through, and he seemed to be on his way again; making records and stuff… I envied it because I wanted that… I was bitter. And I had a thoroughly miserable time.”                                                                                       

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne – From The Blizzard of Ozz Album (1981) – “I Don’t Know” 

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne – From The Blizzard of Ozz Album – Live in Albuquerque, NM (1982) – Performing “Over The Mountain” 

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne’s The Blizzard of Ozz w/ Randy Rhoades – Live at After Hour (1981)            

Osbourne’s second album, Diary of a Madman, featured more songs co-written with Lee Kerslake. For his work on this album and Blizzard of Ozz, Rhoads was ranked the 85th-greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2003.  This album is known for the singles “Over the Mountain” and “Flying High Again”…..and, as Osbourne explains in his autobiography, was his personal favorite. Tommy Aldridge and Rudy Sarzo soon replaced Kerslake and Daisley. Aldridge had been Osbourne’s original choice for drummer, but a commitment to Gary Moore had made him unavailable.

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne and The Blizzard of Ozz – Official Video – “Flying High Again”                                                                                                                                                                                                      


Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne and The Blizzard of Ozz – Official Audio – “Diary of a Madman”                                                                                                                                                                                                    

On 19 March 1982, the band was in Florida for its Diary of a Madman tour, a week away from playing Madison Square Garden in New York City.  A light aircraft piloted by Andrew Aycock, the band’s tour bus driver, carrying Rhoads and Rachel Youngblood, the band’s costume and make-up designer, crashed while performing low passes over the band’s tour bus…..when the left wing of the aircraft clipped the bus, causing the plane to graze a tree and crash into the garage of a nearby mansion…..while killing Rhoads, Aycock, and Youngblood. The crash was ruled the result of “poor judgement by the pilot in buzzing the bus and misjudging clearance of obstacles”. Experiencing firsthand the horrific death of his close friend and bandmate, Osbourne fell into a deep depression. The tour was cancelled for two weeks while Osbourne, Sharon, and Aldridge returned to Los Angeles to take stock while Sarzo remained in Florida with family.  Gary Moore was the 1st to be approached to replace Rhoads, but refused.  With a two-week deadline to find a new guitarist and resume the tour, Robert Sarzo, brother of the band’s bassist Rudy Sarzo, was chosen to replace Rhoads. Former Gillan guitarist Bernie Tormé, however, flew to California from England with the promise from Jet Records that he had the job. Once Sharon realised that Jet Records had already paid Tormé an advance, he was reluctantly hired instead of Sarzo……and the tour resumed on April 1, 1982, but Tormé’s blues-based style was unpopular with fans.  After a handful of shows he informed Sharon that he would be returning to England to continue work on a solo album he had begun before coming to America.  At an audition in a hotel room, Osbourne selected Night Ranger’s Brad Gillis 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…..as a live tribute album for Rhoads was also later released.  Despite all of 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…..when while under contract to produce a live album, it ended up consisting entirely of Sabbath covers recorded with Gillis, Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge.  

 


Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne and The Blizzard of Ozz – Live “Speak of the Devil Tour” (1981)                                                       

In 1982, Osbourne appeared as lead vocalist on the Was (Not Was) pop dance track “Shake Your Head (Let’s Go to Bed)”…..which was remixed and rereleased in the early 1990’s for a Was (Not Was) hits album in Europe…..as it reached # 4 on the UK Singles Chart.  In 1983, Jake E. Lee, formerly of Ratt and Rough Cutt, joined Osbourne to record Bark at the Moon…..an  album co-written with Daisley, which featured Aldridge and former Rainbow keyboard player Don Airey.  The album’s title track, whose video was partially filmed at Holloway Sanitorium outside London, became a fan favorite.  Within weeks the album became certified gold…..as it sold three million copies in the US. 

 

Music – Ozzy Osbourne and Kim Bashinger – “Was Not Was, Shake Your Head, Let’s Go To Bed” – 1992 Remastered Official Music Video

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne – Official Video – “Bark At The Moon”

 

1986’s The Ultimate Sin followed (with bassist Phil Soussan and drummer Randy Castillo), and touring behind both albums with former Uriah Heep keyboardist John Sinclair joining prior to the Ultimate Sin tour. At the time of its release, The Ultimate Sin was Osbourne’s highest-charting studio album. The RIAA awarded the album Platinum status on 14 May 1986, soon after its release; it was awarded Double Platinum status on 26 October 1994.

 

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne – Official Music Video – “The Ultimate Sin”                                                         

Jake E. Lee and Osbourne parted ways in 1987. Osbourne continued to struggle with chemical dependency. That year, he commemorated the 5th anniversary of Rhoads’ death with Tribute, a collection of live recordings from 1981.  In 1988, Osbourne appeared in The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years and told the director Penelope Spheeris that “sobriety fucking sucks”.  Meanwhile, Osbourne found Zakk Wylde, who was the most enduring replacement for Rhoads to date. Together, they recorded No Rest for the Wicked with Castillo on drums, Sinclair on keyboards, and Daisley co-writing lyrics and playing bass. The subsequent tour saw Osbourne reunited with erstwhile Black Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler on bass…..when a live EP (entitled Just Say Ozzy) featuring Geezer was released two years later.  In 1988, Osbourne performed on the rock ballad “Close My Eyes Forever”, a duet with Lita Ford, reaching # 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.  In 1989, Osbourne performed at the Moscow Music Peace Festival.

 

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne – From Album No Rest For The Wicked – “Breaking All The Rules”                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne and Lita Ford Duet (Live) – “Close My Eyes Forever”                                                                                                                                                                                                                         


 Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne – Miracle Man Tour – Live Moscow Peace Musical Festival (1989)                                                       

Osbourne’s commercial success of the 1980’s continued with 1991’s No More Tears, featuring “Mama, I’m Coming Home”.  The album enjoyed a great deal of radio and MTV exposure…..as it also initiated a practice of bringing in outsiders (in this case Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead) to help write Osbourne’s material instead of relying on his recording ensemble.  The album was mixed by veteran rock producer Michael Wagener.  Osbourne was awarded a 1994 Grammy for the track “I Don’t Want to Change the World” from Live & Loud, for Best Metal Performance.  Wagener also mixed the live album Live & Loud released in June 1993…..which was intended to be Osbourne’s final album…..but it went platinum four times over…..while having peaked at # 22 on the Billboard 200 chart.  In 1992, Osbourne expressed his fatigue with touring, and proclaimed his “retirement tour” (albeit the retirement was to be short-lived), called “No More Tours”, a pun on No More Tears.  On Alice in Chains, Mike Inez took over on bass and Kevin Jones played keyboards as Sinclair was touring with the Cult.                                    

 

Music-Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne – From the No More Tears Album (1991) – “Mama, I’m Coming Home”                                                                                                                                                                                            

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne – From the No More Tears Album (1992) – “I Don’t Want To Change The World”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Osbourne’s entire CD catalogue was remastered and reissued in 1995. The same year, Osbourne released Ozzmosis and resumed touring, dubbing his concert performances “The Retirement Sucks Tour”. The album reached number 4 on the US Billboard 200. The RIAA certified the album gold and platinum in that same year, and double platinum in April 1999.  The line-up on Ozzmosis was Wylde, Butler (who had just quit Black Sabbath again),  Steve Vai, and Hardline drummer Deen Castronovo, who later joined Journey. Keyboards were played by Rick Wakeman and producer Michael Beinhorn.  The tour maintained Butler and Castronovo and saw Sinclair return, but a major line-up change was the introduction of former David Lee Roth guitarist Joe Holmes. Wylde was considering an offer to join Guns N’ Roses. Unable to wait for a decision on Wylde’s departure, Osbourne replaced him.  In early 1996, Butler and Castronovo left. Inez and Randy Castillo (Lita Ford, Mötley Crüe) filled in. Ultimately, Faith No More’s Mike Bordin and former Suicidal Tendencies and future Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo joined on drums and bass respectively. A greatest hits package, The Ozzman Cometh, was issued in 1997.                                                                                                 

 

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne from the Album Ozzmosis – Official Music Video – “Perry Mason”                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne From the Album Ozzmosis – Official Music Video – “I Just Want You”

                                                                                                                                                                                

PLEASE NOTE…..Part 1 is completed for Ozzy Osbourne: The Prince of Darkness Forged A Lifetime Of Legendary Heavy Metal With Black Sabbath By His Side – Part 1

SEE PART 2 on the following post!

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