Not What He Seems
As one of the most iconic titans of music, Ozzy Osbourne paved the way for the many heavy metal musicians who gained prominence since his time. Whether as the voice of Black Sabbath or working on his own, Ozzy developed a reputation for his legendary vocals, his dark persona, and his often unhinged antics. However, he also had a softer side that cared for his family and pushed him to continue performing for his fans—right up until the end.
1. He Got His Identity
Whether someone was a heavy metal fan or not, they would have had a hard time going through life without hearing the name Ozzy Osbourne. Even though this wasn’t his birth name, it became a part of him long before he revolutionized the music world and grew into an endearing icon. Born as John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948, people started calling him “Ozzy” from an early age.
He also quickly discovered what he wanted to do with his life.
2. He Was Inspired
Growing up in Birmingham, England, Ozzy saw the rise of other British musicians, including some of the most iconic. At about 14 years old, he heard the first hit song by The Beatles, “Love Me Do,” and instantly fell in love with the Fab Four. Before long, they released “She Loves You,” which he later referred to as his inspiration for starting a music career.
Like most rock stars, he had difficulty following the rules.
3. He Got Into Trouble
Ozzy didn’t have a perfect childhood and faced many hardships that no one should face, especially at his age. In his teens, he fell in with the wrong crowd and ended up in trouble with the law after stealing from a clothing store. Rather than pay his son’s fine, Ozzy’s father came up with a heartless way to teach him a lesson.
He left Ozzy to spend six weeks incarcerated. Luckily, he started to put more energy into his music.
4. He Found His Group
By the late 1960s, Ozzy Osbourne was getting his footing as a musician and gaining experience, with one of his early projects being the group Rare Breed with bassist Geezer Butler. While this band was short-lived, another chance arrived when Bill Ward and Tony Iommi of the group Polka Tulk Blues recruited both musicians.
This new band went through a couple of names before finally deciding on Black Sabbath in 1969. And they quickly found their niche.
Warner Bros. Records, Wikimedia Commons
5. They Noticed The Response
Inspired by the horror genre of the era, Black Sabbath integrated a darker vibe into their work, which prompted a distinct reaction from their audiences. Everyone was afraid of them. For the band, this couldn’t have been better. Leaning into the fear, Black Sabbath decided to make their lyrics more grim and focus on a heavier form of blues music.
As it turned out, this wasn’t a bad thing.
Warner Bros. Records, Wikimedia Commons
6. They Struck Gold
After some moderate success in the UK, Black Sabbath signed with Warner Bros Records as their American record label—although this wasn’t seen as a big break at the time. In fact, Warner Bros weren’t expecting much of Ozzy and his bandmates, at least until their debut eponymous album in 1970, which launched the band into fame and success.
Meanwhile, Ozzy was going through changes in his personal life.
Gijsbert Hanekroot, Getty Images
7. He Met Someone
It wasn’t long after the release of Black Sabbath’s debut album that Ozzy Osbourne found something other than success. While at a club in Birmingham, the budding musician met one of its employees, Thelma Riley, and the two hit it off so well that they married before the year was out.
Sadly, he wasn’t ready to be a family man yet.
8. They Resented Him
Life on the road isn’t the best for starting a family, so when Ozzy adopted Thelma’s son and the couple had two more children, he wasn’t in any position to be a good father—but then he went down an even darker path. Ozzy threw himself into drinking and illicit substances. In the instances where he was home, his wife and children only became more bitter towards him.
Admittedly, this made it easier for him to move on.
Virginia Turbett, Getty Images
9. He Liked Her
As Black Sabbath grew into a phenomenon, they reached a point where they sought new management, which led to a particularly fateful encounter for Ozzy. The band soon chose manager Don Arden, whose daughter, Sharon, worked as his receptionist. Upon meeting Sharon, Ozzy was instantly taken with her, but thought she would see him as far too crazy.
On the other hand, he was having trouble with some other relationships.
10. They Were Falling Out
Near the end of the 1970s, Black Sabbath was ready to get back to the studio, but any harmony they had in the beginning was now almost non-existent. Little tensions quickly grew into loud conflicts, and for Ozzy’s part, he felt like his vocals were constantly questioned and picked apart by guitarist Tony Iommi.
All of this resulted in a difficult decision.
Carl Lender, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
11. They Kicked Him Out
Ozzy Osbourne spent some time trying to kick-start a solo career in 1977, only to return to Black Sabbath shortly after—but there was no going home for Ozzy. His time with the band was still coming to an end. According to his bandmates, especially Iommi, Ozzy’s substance use had gotten out of control and made him untrustworthy, prompting Don Arden to fire the singer in 1979.
For Ozzy, this was like the end of the world.
12. He Didn’t Take It Well
Although he had his issues with his bandmates, being in Black Sabbath was everything to Ozzy, which made his removal from the group all the more devastating. Having spent the last decade in a haze, he coped with his dismissal the only way he knew how—by spending three months drinking and using illicit substances in his hotel room.
At the same time, Black Sabbath was already moving on.
Vertigo Records, Wikimedia Commons
13. They Replaced Him
While Ozzy’s dismissal wasn’t easy for him or his bandmates, Black Sabbath was looking to the future and quickly found someone to be their new lead singer. Still, as Ronnie James Dio took over the role, he realized what big shoes he was trying to fill, and would later state, "I was not, and never will be, Ozzy Osbourne”.
Fortunately, Ozzy’s music career wasn’t done yet—not by a long shot.
14. He Had A New Opportunity
Apparently, the bridge between Ozzy and Don Arden hadn’t been completely burned, as Arden soon approached the singer with a new offer for a solo career. Desperate to resume his passion, Ozzy signed on with Jet Records and began recording new material. To help him, Arden sent his daughter, Sharon, to assist Ozzy in Los Angeles.
Of course, while this was his beginning as a solo artist, he wasn’t alone.
Andrew King, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
15. He Had A New Team
Despite his grief over the loss of Black Sabbath, Ozzy remained undeterred from working with others, so he was happy to recruit a new group for his debut solo album. Bringing on guitarist Randy Rhoads, keyboardist Don Airey, and bassist Bob Daisley, Ozzy recorded his debut solo album, Blizzard of Ozz.
He also leaned more into a familiar persona—one that caused quite a controversy.
16. They Accused Him
Even as he found his groove as a solo musician, Ozzy Osbourne maintained a dark public image through his aesthetic and lyrics, drawing outrage in the process. Claiming that his songs and persona promoted Satanism, many religious groups adamantly denounced him. What they believed couldn’t have been further from the truth.
In reality, Ozzy was a member of the Church of England and rejected these claims. Behind the scenes, things were going better in his love life.
17. He Fell In Love
As the years went on, Ozzy and Sharon spent more and more time together, until a romance blossomed between them—despite some complications. Not only did they seem so different, which resulted in frequent arguments, but Ozzy was already a married man. Nonetheless, those around them, like Randy Rhoads, were sure they would end up together.
Of course, Ozzy was only growing crazier by the day.
18. He Had A Meeting
Intermingled with Ozzy’s dark image was his reputation for being completely unhinged, even in what should have been professional situations. In 1981, while meeting with an executive from CBS Records, he wanted to make a peaceful gesture—only for it to end in infamy and disaster. Ozzy’s plan was to release a flock of doves.
However, he was so inebriated that he snatched one of the birds and bit off its head. This wasn’t the end of it, though.
Randy Rhoads Live - Tribute Video, 80thisvelvetglove
19. He Did It Again
Quite predictably, the CBS executive was completely horrified at Ozzy’s actions. He ended the meeting right then and there and summoned security. As the singer was then walked off the property, his addled mind pushed him to grab another dove and commit the revolting act again, likely ruining any future negotiations with the executive.
Unfortunately, this wouldn’t be the last story of this kind in Ozzy’s life.
20. He Did It On Stage
Possibly the most famous story about Ozzy Osborne had him once again biting into a poor animal—albeit not fully intentionally this time. During a concert in 1982, an attendee threw a live bat onto the stage, and Ozzy saw an opportunity. Playing into his wild persona, he bit into what he thought was a rubber bat, only to have it bite him back.
Meanwhile, tensions had once again risen with his fellow musicians.
Andrew King, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
21. He Lashed Out At Them
Ozzy had no plans to slow down his indulgent lifestyle, and it quickly got him into more trouble, both outside of the band and within. It all bubbled to the surface on one fateful day in 1982, when he drank so much that he lunged at his bandmates and fired all of them. However, once he sobered up, he didn’t remember doing any of it.
Luckily, he had someone else to ground him.
Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music, Getty Images
22. They Got Together
By 1982, Ozzy’s habits had deteriorated his marriage to the point that he and Thelma finally divorced—but he was already in love with someone else. In the same year, he and Sharon married on Independence Day, which he chose so he would never forget it. From the next year on, his family grew, as Sharon gave birth to three more of his children.
Sadly, some horrible news was on the way.
23. They Had An Accident
Shortly before his second marriage, Ozzy Osbourne experienced a profound heartbreak when another fracture happened between him and his team—but this time, a far more tragic one. In March 1982, Randy Rhoads lost his life in a plane crash, which also took the lives of Ozzy’s tour bus driver and costume and make-up designer.
Faced with the horrifying aftermath of losing three people who’d seen him at his best and at his worst, Ozzy found himself unable to cope.
24. He Was Distraught
Following his previous blow-up with the band, Ozzy’s friendship with Rhoads had never been the same, which only made the loss harder to deal with. At the time of the guitarist’s passing, Ozzy was on the brink of a tour for his second album, starting in Florida. He couldn’t bring himself to continue, though, so he canceled the next few weeks of it and traveled back home to LA.
Around this time, it was clear that his unpredictability was becoming a bigger problem than anyone could handle.
'Crazy Train' from 'Thirty Years After The Blizzard' DVD, Ozz Fest
25. She Made Him Get Serious
Over the 1980s, Ozzy descended deeper into his dependence on illicit substances. After a horrifying incident—more on that later--Sharon forced him into rehab, and she truly meant it. Sharon sent Ozzy away for a whopping six months to get sober. Thankfully, she saw so much improvement by the end that she felt she could finally trust him again.
This also provided him the opportunity to broaden his horizons professionally.
Devin Wright, Wikimedia Commons
26. He Brought In Others
When he was with Black Sabbath, Ozzy relied on the lyrics written by Geezer Butler, and in his solo career, Bob Daisley was the primary lyricist. But now, Ozzy wanted a change. Releasing the hit album No More Tears in 1991, he branched out to songwriters outside of his usual team of supporting musicians—and became even more successful for it.
Still, the rock star’s life was taking a toll on him.
27. He Was Almost Done
Going into the 1990s, the constant strain of touring had pushed Ozzy Osbourne to the limit, and he no longer believed he could keep it up. Although he loved his career and his fans, after much deliberation, he announced that he planned to retire from touring. As a final sendoff, he embarked on one last tour in 1992, which he called “No More Tours”.
However, he couldn’t stay away forever.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
28. He Returned
Following his “No More Tours” tour, Ozzy seemed to make a quick pivot from his previous feeling of exhaustion, and he realized that he missed going on tour. Only three years later, after releasing his next album titled Ozzmosis, he announced his return with the aptly-named “Retirement Sucks Tour”.
Furthermore, he and Sharon took matters into their own hands.
Egghead06, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
29. She Made Their Own Event
As successful as Ozzy was, he was still considered controversial and a bit of a taboo musician, so some people in the music biz were less inclined to accept him—and it led to a heartbreaking rejection. In 1996, the organizers for Lollapalooza refused to let Ozzy perform. Instead of letting it get them down too long, Sharon and Ozzy shot back by organizing their own two-day festival called Ozzfest, which was such a hit that it became an annual event.
Thanks to this, he reunited some familiar faces.
Aznplayer213, Wikimedia Commons
30. They Came Back Together
While Ozzfest celebrated Ozzy’s career, it also featured many other heavy metal musicians and was meant to give newer groups a chance to showcase themselves. However, the 1997 Ozzfest allowed Ozzy to return to his roots, as Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler joined him in an official Black Sabbath reunion, putting aside their issues from before.
Unfortunately, things at home weren’t going so well.
31. She Was Sick
In the new millennium, Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon sadly found more hardship, as she received a diagnosis of colon cancer in 2002. She announced that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. Even after a surgery that year, her doctor only gave her a 33% chance of survival. Still, she never gave up and fought the illness, defying the odds and going into remission.
Even so, this was a long and near-impossible battle.
32. They Couldn’t Cope
For Ozzy, the news of Sharon’s cancer hurt him like nothing had before, and he was inconsolable throughout her sickness and into her recovery. Of course, her struggle severely impacted everyone else in the family as well—and the consequences were chilling. The grief nearly pushed their son Jack to take his own life.
Thankfully, Ozzy was able to help out in ways only he could.
33. He Pulled Some Strings
Throughout Sharon’s fight against cancer, Ozzy’s life didn’t slow down, which meant that he was still often away from her—-which he hated. He couldn’t stand the thought of Sharon suffering without him at home, so he called in a favor to make her feel better. As she was a big fan of Robin Williams, Ozzie asked the comedian to stop by.
Soon enough, there was a knock at the door.
34. He Paid Her A Visit
Ozzy’s gesture was invaluable to Sharon, and as she later recalled, the visit by Robin Williams did not disappoint. Rather than stop in for a few minutes to just say hello and drop off some flowers, the comedian made an impression the way only he could. Williams came in and hopped right into bed with Sharon, before proceeding to tell her jokes for several hours and lighten up the grim struggle she was dealing with.
Still, Ozzy was in for his own health issues.
35. He Received A Diagnosis
At 55 years old, Ozzy wasn’t the same young rock star he had been, and decades of substance use only sped up his aging. He started having chronic tremors, and after years of dismissing it as a result of his lifestyle, he finally went to the doctor in 2003. He discovered he had a mild form of Parkinson’s disease, which he had to medicate for the rest of his life.
This wasn’t the end of his problems, though.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
36. He Crashed His Bike
By the end of 2003, Ozzy Osbourne found himself back at the hospital, but not due to any diagnosis. While riding his quad-bike on December 8 at his home in Buckinghamshire, he lost control and had a horrific accident. Once doctors were able to take a look at him, they saw he had eight broken ribs, as well as a broken collarbone and neck vertebrae.
Luckily, he had some help.
37. He Was Saved
Aside from his multiple severe injuries, Ozzy’s accident was almost even worse—and one person was responsible for saving his life. Ozzy’s bodyguard Sam Ruston was the first to find him after the crash, and quickly realized Ozzy wasn’t breathing. Ruston kept a level head, resuscitating Ozzy and keeping him breathing until help arrived.
During this time, his family rallied around him.
38. They Sang Together
While recovering in the hospital, the already massively successful Ozzy Osbourne hit another impressive milestone when a single of his reached number one in the UK for the first time. The song was another rendition of “Changes,” but this time a duet sung by him and his daughter, Kelly.
And although he recovered, he was never the same.
39. He Couldn’t Continue
Thanks to his doctors, Ozzy was able to make a substantial recovery and become well enough to perform at Ozzfest in 2004. However, his mounting health issues soon forced him to face the truth. For the following year, he announced that he would be retiring from the festival—even if he did have several smaller performances at later Ozzfests.
This didn’t mean he was completely out of the spotlight.
Jennifer, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
40. They Were On TV
In the early 2000s, fans of Ozzy Osbourne were suddenly able to get a look at his life outside of all the fame with his MTV series, The Osbournes. Considered one of the first reality shows to follow a celebrity family, the series featured Ozzy, Sharon, and their children, Jack and Kelly. Meanwhile, their eldest child, Aimee, declined to appear in it.
After a few years, Ozzy also returned to the studio.
41. He Was Different
After about six years since his last studio album, Ozzy returned to the recording booth to work on his next one, Black Rain. Having been sober for some time, he was able to work far more clearly and creatively. Upon the album’s release in 2007, listeners were met with a more contemplative and serious Ozzy than they were familiar with.
This ushered in an era of endings for him.
42. They Said Goodbye
Moving into the 2010s, Ozzy and the other original members of Black Sabbath thought it was time to get together again and release another album. Then, five years later, they wanted to end on a high note and kicked off their “The End” farewell tour, allowing fans to see the foundational metal band one more time.
However, Ozzy still had his own farewell to give.
joxeankoret, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
43. He Had One More In Him
With each passing year, Ozzy Osbourne had more and more difficulty keeping up with life on the road, which at last led him to announce his truly final tour, “No More Tours II,” in 2018. However, he was clear with the public that this didn’t mean he was done as a musician; he was just retiring from world tours specifically.
Life hadn’t finished throwing curveballs at Ozzy, though.
Kyle Overholtzer, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
44. He Had A Nasty Fall
While Ozzy was able to perform some of his tour dates until the end of 2018, the following year brought further difficulties—this time, ones that made it impossible for him to continue. Not only did he come down with a nasty case of pneumonia, but he also suffered a severe fall at his home, putting the future of his career in jeopardy.
Shortly after, he revealed another aspect of his condition.
45. He Was Doing Better
As many know, the battle with addiction is a lifelong one—and Ozzy’s was no different. He went through many ups and downs, but by 2021, he was happy to report the amazing progress he had accomplished. Speaking candidly in a Variety interview with his son Jack—who had his own similar struggles—he stated that he had remained sober for the past seven years.
Though he’d had his struggles and relapses, the lessons he’d learned in rehab back in 1989 had stuck with him—and the story of how he wound up there was absolutely jaw-dropping.
46. He Was Blackout
As one can see from the list, Ozzy’s antics often led him to suffering blackouts where he couldn’t remember what he’d done to get himself in trouble. On one occasion, in 1989, he woke up behind bars and had no recollection as to why. Terrified of what he’d done this time, he urged an officer to explain things to him. It turned that he’d attempted to strangle his wife, Sharon.
That was the incident that had been Sharon’s final straw—the one that ended with her sending him to rehab for six months. It’s no wonder that Ozzy later described it as “the most horrific feeling” when discussing it years later.
47. He Was Finished
While Ozzy Osbourne was eager to kick off “No More Tours II” in 2018, following through with it to the end was another beast entirely. Ozzy’s health was deteriorating rapidly, and touring was making it worse. After doing what he could, he ultimately had no choice but to cancel the rest of the tour, namely its European leg, and he officially retired from touring.
At last, he made one final appearance.
48. He Had His Last Hurrah
Even without touring, Ozzy knew that his health wouldn’t allow him to do music for much longer, but he was determined to go out with a bang. On July 5, 2025, he appeared before a crowd of 40,000 fans for a final spectacular performance titled “Back to the Beginning”. This farewell extravaganza featured the original Black Sabbath members and several other big names in metal playing alongside the Prince of Darkness.
As it was his last show, he made sure to do it in style.
49. He Was Seated
Ozzy’s condition still stood in the way of him performing like he used to, but he wasn’t about to let that diminish what would be his greatest show ever. Since his Parkinson’s hindered his ability to stand on his own, Ozzy did his final performance from a spot befitting of his status—seated in a dark and ornate throne. Wanting to do as much as he could for others like him, he also donated all the proceeds to The Cure Parkinson's Trust and other charities.
As it turns out, this sendoff happened not a moment too soon.
50. He Knew It Was The End
Before the show, Ozzy Osbourne did a slew of interviews to promote the event—and in one, he made a chilling premonition. He told Sirius XM, By hook or by crook, I am going to make this gig if it is the last thing I do. Well, it will be”. In a sense, he was right—he made it just 17 days more after the show.
51. His Story Ended
In his final days, Ozzy Osbourne had the benefit of seeing the impact he had left on the world and received a proper farewell from his friends, family, and fans. It’s a good thing that his final concert happened when it did, as on July 22, 2025, Ozzy passed while at home. He was fortunate enough to have his loved ones around him to say goodbye.
Beyond his status as a music idol, what lived on from him most was his family.
52. He Loved His Children
Ozzy Osbourne was all over the place, so it’s easy for some to write him off as insane or terrifying. However, behind the gloomy lyrics and wild behavior, he constantly demonstrated how much he cared—and no one mattered more to him than his wife and children. Like his and Kelly’s duet, he also wrote a song for Jack titled “My Little Man,” and one for his daughter Aimee that features her voice at the end saying, “I'll always be your angel”.
MTV, The Osbournes (2002–2005)
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