Continued from Part 2 (Prior Post)
Osbourne used tobacco, alcohol, street drugs, and prescription drugs for most of his adult life. He admitted to Sounds in 1978, “I get high, I get fucked up … what the hell’s wrong with getting fucked up? There must be something wrong with the system if so many people have to get fucked up … I never take dope or anything before I go on stage. I’ll smoke a joint or whatever afterwards.” Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi said that while all the band were involved with alcohol and other drugs to various degrees in the 1970’s, Osbourne had the unhealthiest lifestyle of them all. Despite this, said Iommi, he was typically the only one left standing when the others were “out for the count”. Upon being fired from Black Sabbath in 1979, Osbourne spent the next three months locked in his hotel room taking vast amounts of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco “all day, every day.” Osbourne claimed to have taken LSD for two years while in Black Sabbath. During the end of his time with the band, he said he “got very drunk and very stoned every single day.” Osbourne later commented on his former wild lifestyle, expressing bewilderment at his own survival through 40 years of misusing tobacco, alcohol, street drugs and prescription drugs. Longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde has attributed Osbourne’s longevity in spite of decades of substance misuse to “a very special kind of fortitude that’s bigger than King Kong and Godzilla combined… seriously, he’s hard as nails, man!” Osbourne’s 1st experience with cocaine was in early 1971 at a hotel in Denver, Colorado, after a show Black Sabbath had done with Mountain. He states that Mountain‘s guitarist, Leslie West, introduced him to the drug. Though West was reluctant to take credit for introducing Osbourne to cocaine, Osbourne remembered the experience quite clearly: “When you come from Aston and you fall in love with cocaine, you remember when you started. It’s like having your first fuck!” Osbourne said that upon first trying the drug, “The world went a bit fuzzy after that.” Osbourne’s substance abuse, at times, caused friction within his band. Don Airey, keyboardist for Osbourne during his early solo career, said that these issues were what ultimately caused him to leave the band. In his memoir Off the Rails, former bassist Rudy Sarzo detailed the frustrations felt by him and his bandmates as they coped with life on the road with Osbourne, who was in a state of near-constant inebriation and was often so hungover that he would refuse to perform. When he was able to perform, his voice was often so damaged from his smoking, drinking, and drug abuse that the performance suffered. Many shows on the American leg of the 1981–82 Diary of a Madman tour were simply cancelled, and the members of his band quickly began to tire of the unpredictability, coupled with the often violent mood swings he was prone to when either drunk or high. Osbourne claimed that he would have died if Sharon had not offered to manage him as a solo artist.
Music – Heavy Metal Official Music Video – Ozzy Osbourne – From the Album Diary of a Madman – “Flying High”
Music – Heavy Metal – Animated Music Video – Ozzy Ozbourne’s Memoirs Off the Rails – “Crazy Train”
Osbourne claimed in his autobiography that he was invited in 1981 to a meeting with the head of CBS Europe in Germany. Intoxicated, he decided to lighten the mood by performing a striptease on the table and then kissing the record executive on the lips. According to his wife Sharon, he had actually performed a goose-step up and down the table and urinated in the executive’s wine, but was too drunk to remember. On February 18,1982, while wearing his future wife Sharon’s dress for a photoshoot near the Alamo…..that’s when Osbourne drunkenly urinated on the Alamo Cenotaph erected in honor of those who died at the Battle of the Alamo in Texas, across the street from the actual building. A police officer arrested Osbourne …..and was subsequently banned from the city of San Antonio for a decade. Osbourne had been on a long drinking binge and earlier that same day had drunkenly fired his entire band, including Randy Rhoads, after they had informed him that they would not participate in a planned live album of Black Sabbath songs. He also physically attacked Rhoads and Rudy Sarzo in a hotel bar that morning…..and Sharon informed the band that she feared he had “finally snapped”. Osbourne later had no memory of firing his band and the tour continued, though his relationship with Rhoads never fully recovered due to Rhoads’s death in a plane crash a month later. In May 1984, Osbourne was arrested in Memphis, Tennessee, again for public intoxication. The most notorious incident came in August 1989, when Sharon claimed that Ozzy had tried to strangle her after returning home from the Moscow Music Peace Festival, in a haze of alcohol and other drugs. The incident led Ozzy to six months in rehabilitation, after which time, Sharon regained her faith in her husband and did not press charges.
Music – Heavy Metal Special – Black Sabbath Lead Guitarist Tony Iommi Shares Memories of Bandmate Ozzy Osbourne – “It Seems Unreal He’s Gone”
In 2003, Osbourne told the Los Angeles Times how he was nearly incapacitated by medication prescribed by a Beverly Hills doctor. The doctor was alleged to have prescribed 13,000 doses of 32 drugs in one year. However, after a nine-year investigation by the Medical Board of California, the Beverly Hills physician was exonerated of all charges of excessive prescribing. Osbourne managed to remain clean and sober for extended periods in the late 2000’s. In 2010, during an interview on The Howard Stern Show, Ozzy said that it took him 19 attempts to get his driving license because of his alcohol use. At the TEDMED Conference in October 2010, scientists from Knome, a Massachusetts human genome interpretation company, joined Osbourne on stage to discuss their analysis of Osbourne’s whole genome, which shed light on how the famously hard-living rocker had survived decades of misusing alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. In April 2013, Osbourne revealed through Facebook that he had resumed smoking, drinking, and doing drugs for the past year and a half, stating he “was in a very dark place” but said he had been sober again since early March. He also apologized to Sharon, his family, friends, bandmates and his fans for his “insane” behavior during that period. In a February 2021 interview with Variety, Ozzy and his son Jack (who has been sober for 17 years) opened up about their recovery. Ozzy revealed he had been sober for about seven years. Osbourne was dyslexic, and suggested he may be suffering from ADHD “badly”. Osbourne experienced tremors for some years and linked them to his continuous drug misuse. In 2003, he found out it was a genetic form of Parkinson’s disease. Osbourne had to take daily medication for the rest of his life to combat the involuntary shudders associated with the condition. He publicly revealed the Parkinson’s diagnosis in January 2020, saying, “I’m not dying from Parkinson’s. I’ve been working with it most of my life.” Osbourne also showed symptoms of mild hearing loss, as depicted in the television show, The Osbournes, where he often asked his family to repeat what they say. On 6 February 2019, Osbourne was hospitalized in an undisclosed location on his doctor’s advice due to flu complications, postponing the European leg of his “No More Tours II” tour. The issue was described as a “severe upper-respiratory infection” following a bout with the flu which his doctor feared could develop into pneumonia, given the physicality of the live performances and an extensive travel schedule throughout Europe in winter conditions. By February 2019, Osbourne had been moved to intensive care. Tour promoters Live Nation said that they were hopeful that Osbourne would be “fit and healthy” and able to honor tour dates in both Australia and New Zealand in March. Osbourne later cancelled the tour entirely, and ultimately all shows scheduled for 2019, after sustaining serious injuries from a fall in his Los Angeles home while still recovering from pneumonia. In February 2020, Osbourne cancelled the 2020 North American tour, seeking treatment in Switzerland until April. In 2020, Osbourne also revealed that he had emphysema. By 2025, he had lost his ability to walk due to Parkinson’s disease.
Music – Heavy Metal – Billboard News Interview Special – “Ozzy Osbourne On Grammy Nominations, Working With Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton & More
Music – Heavy Metal Special Tribute – Black Sabbath Bassist Geezer Butler Shares Heartbreaking Story of Ozzy Osbourne’s Final Days
Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne’s Final Beautiful Moments with His Family Before He Died –Narrated by Wife Sharon
Osbourne died at his home in Buckinghamshire on the morning of July 22, 2025, aged 76, surrounded by his family. His death occurred 17 days after his final live performance at the Back to the Beginning farewell concert.
Music – Heavy Metal Concert – Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne (17 days before death) – “Back to the Beginning”
Osbourne is considered an icon of hard rock music, and one of the founders of heavy metal music through his work with Black Sabbath. He disliked being categorized as metal, stating that while his band “plays heavy”, other bands that are considered metal are “really heavy”. “When you get pigeonholed with a certain [genre], it can be very difficult to do something a bit lighter or an acoustic track or whatever you want to do. Back in the day, it was always just rock music. It’s still just rock music.”
Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne – In The Recording Studio – Listening to a Lost Randy Rhodes Solo (2011)
Outside of music, Osbourne and his family’s show The Osbournes is considered to be a pioneering reality television program which ushered in an era of shows focusing on celebrity family life.
Music – Heavy Metal Special – The Biggest Show on MTV: Then Ozzy Osbourne Walked Away From It!
Osbourne received several awards for his contributions to the music community. In 1994, he was awarded a Grammy Award for the track “I Don’t Want to Change the World“ from Live & Loud for Best Metal Performance of 1994. At the 2004 NME Awards in London, Osbourne received the award for Godlike Genius. In 2005 Osbourne was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame both as a solo artist and as a member of Black Sabbath. In 2006, he was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler. In 2024, Osbourne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his solo career. In 2007, Osbourne was honored at the 2nd annual VH1 Rock Honors, along with Genesis, Heart, and ZZ Top. In addition, that year a bronze star honoring Osbourne was placed in the Birmingham Walk of Stars on Broad Street in the city center. He was presented the award by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham on July 6, 2007. “I am really honored”, he said, “All my family is here and I thank everyone for this reception—I’m absolutely knocked out”.
Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne – 2024 Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony – “All Star Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne”
Music – Heavy Metal – MTV Sitcom The Osbournes (2002) – “Conan O’Brien and The Osbournes – 2002 Emmy Awards Cold Open
Music – Heavy Metal – Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne – Complete Black Sabbath Induction Into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony (2006)
Music – Heavy Metal Special – “Ozzy Osbourne Names His Five Favorite Singers and Why”
Music – Heavy Metal Music Video – Ozzy Osbourne – Sings John Lennon’s “How” (2010)
In 2008, Osbourne was crowned with the prestigious Living Legend award in the Classic Rock Roll of Honor Awards. Past recipients include Alice Cooper, Lemmy, and Jimmy Page. Slash, the former Guns N’ Roses guitarist, presented the award. In 2010 Osbourne won the “Literary Achievement” honor for his memoir, I Am Ozzy, at the Guys Choice Awards at Sony Pictures Studio in Culver City, California. Osbourne was presented with the award by Ben Kingsley. The book debuted at # 2 on the New York Times’ hardcover non-fiction best-seller list. Osbourne was also a judge for the 6th, 10th and 11th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists’ careers. In May 2015, Osbourne received the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors at a ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.
Music – Heavy Metal Special – Ozzy Osbourne Hall of Fame Induction by Jack Black – Featuring Wolfgang Van Halen (2024)
Music – Heavy Metal – 2006 Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Black Sabbath Induction – With Metallica & Ozzy Osbourne Performing “Paranoid” & “Iron Man”
In 2016, Osbourne attended the naming of a Midland Metro tram after him in Birmingham. In April 2021, Osbourne was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame for his various appearances, notably for his appearance at WrestleMania 2 in 1986 when he and Lou Albano managed The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) in their WWF Tag Team Championship win over The Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake).
Pro Wrestling – WWE WrestleMania 2 (1986) – Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne w/ Lou Albano manage The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) in their WWF Tag Team Championship win over The Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake).
On 30 June 2025, one week before their farewell “Back to the Beginning” concert, Osbourne and the other original members of Black Sabbath were each made Freemen of the City of Birmingham.
Music – Heavy Metal Live Concert – Ozzy Osbourne with Black Sabbath Live in Birmingham, UK (07/05/2025) – “Back To The Beginning” – Full Concert
Discography
Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne – From the Bark at the Moon Album (1983) – “Waiting For Darkness”
Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne & Randy Rhoads – From the Blizzard of Ozz Album (1981) – “Believer”
Music – Heavy Metal – Black Sabbath w/ Ozzy Osbourne – From the Black Sabbath Album (1970) – “Black Sabbath”
Solo studio albums
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Black Sabbath studio albums
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Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne – From the Album Down To Earth (2001) “Dreamer”
Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne – From the Album The Ultimate Sin (1986) – “Shot in the Dark”
Tours
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Blizzard of Ozz Tour (1980–1981)
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Diary of a Madman Tour (1981–1982)
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Speak of the Devil Tour (1982–1983)
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Bark at the Moon Tour (1983–1985)
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The Ultimate Sin Tour (1986)
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No Rest for the Wicked Tour (1988–1989)
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Theatre of Madness Tour (1991–1992)
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No More Tours Tour (1992)
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Retirement Sucks Tour (1995–1996)
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The Ozzman Cometh Tour (1998)
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Merry Mayhem Tour (2001)
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Down to Earth Tour (2002)
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Black Rain Tour (2008)
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Scream World Tour (2010–2011)
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Ozzy and Friends Tour (2012; 2015)
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No More Tours II (2018)[276]
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Back to the Beginning (2025)
Music – Heavy Metal – Official Music Video – Steve Stevens, Ozzy Osbourne & Billy Morrison (2024) – “Crack Cocaine”
Music – Heavy Metal – Ozzy Osbourne – From The Ozzman Cometh Tour (1998) – “Goodbye to Romance”
Ozzy Osbourne, The Prince of Darkness, reshaped the culture of Rock N Roll…..while becoming a living legend by turning pain into power. He was a loud legacy, who refused to change…..who in turn changed everything.
Music – Fox News The Ingram Angle – Heavy Metal Special – “They Finally Opened Ozzy Osbourne’s Secret Storage After 1 Month Of His Death – Shocking Truth.”
Ozzy Osbourne completely reshaped the culture of heavy metal while becoming a legend by turning pain into power…..while never looking back. He was the loud legacy that changed everything…..who didn’t just sing about rebellion…..for he embodied it from his time with Black Sabbath to his solo career and beyond…..as he transformed heavy metal music from a subculture into a global force. It wasn’t just his music that left a mark…..as it was his attitude and the raw honesty in his voice…..along with the theatrical value of his stage presence…..along with the unapologetic chaos of his personal life…..which gave metal an identity that refused to be ignored or watered down. What has made Ozzy’s legacy so enduring was the way he turned every stage he performed on, into a battleground for expression. He wasn’t graceful…..who didn’t hit every note…..but he always showed up with a great deal of heart, pain, humor and a kind of reckless joy that audiences could not turn away from. He gave permission for generations to be messy, misunderstood…..and still be magnificent.
Music – Heavy Metal Concert – Ozzy Osbourne Back to the Beginning in Birmingham, UK – Final Live Performance – These Rock Bands Said FAREWELL For The Last Time
When Ozzy and Sharon launched OzzFest in 1996, it was more than just a great gathering of heavy metal’s best acts every year of OzzFest…..as it became a proving ground for future heavy metal legends…..plus groups like Slipknot and System of a Down found their breakout moments under Ozzy’s shadow thanks to a platform that he and Sharon created…..when the music industry offered none. Ozzy’s legacy was so strong that it insured the future of heavy metal long after he was gone. Simply put, it has become obvious that Ozzy Osbourne left a legacy of making being different feel powerful. This wasn’t just about the death of a rock icon…..but rather was a departure of a cultural mirror. In addition to him establishing that he was the undisputable Prince of Darkness…..but rather The Anthem of the Outcast…..as the soul of those who never fit in. His music gave pain a voice and rebellion a heartbeat…..as tracks like “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and “Crazy Train” weren’t just great songs……but rather “survival tracks”. After singing about death…..while even laughing in its face throughout his career, in the end at his “Back to the Beginning” Concert a mere 17 days before his death, he wasn’t just babbling mortality…..but rather he danced with death to the very end…..and any way you “cut the pie”, Ozzy Osbourne deserves this showcase of his life here at ImaSportsPhile…..for Ozzy may have played theatrical roles of darkness but in reality, he was full of divine light and a positive source for millions.
Music – Heavy Metal – Talk Show Piers Morgan Uncensored
