Ozzy Osbourne 1991 Caricature

Ozzy Osbourne 1991 Caricature, illustrated here in London, in 1991, age 43 during the recording of his “No More Tears” album.

John Michael Osbourne is an English singer, songwriter, actor and reality television star who rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which he adopted the nickname “The Prince of Darkness”.

Osbourne was fired from the band in 1979 due to alcohol and drug problems, but went on to have a successful solo career, releasing eleven studio albums, the first seven of which were all awarded multi-platinum certifications in the United States. Osbourne has since reunited with Black Sabbath on several occasions. He rejoined the band in 1997 and helped record the group’s final studio album 13 (2013) before they embarked on a farewell tour which culminated in a final performance in their home city, Birmingham, England, in February 2017.

Osbourne teamed up with Geezer Butler (bass), Tony Iommi (guitar) and Bill Ward (drums) to form the band Black Sabbath in August 1969, the name, based on the film of the same title.

Despite only a modest investment from their US record label Warner Bros. Records, Black Sabbath met with swift and enduring success. Built around Tony Iommi’s guitar riffs, Geezer Butler’s lyrics, Bill Ward’s dark tempo drumbeats, and topped by Osbourne’s eerie vocals, early records such as their debut album Black Sabbath and Paranoid sold huge numbers, as well as getting considerable airplay.
Just five months after the release of Paranoid the band released Master of Reality. The album reached the top ten in both the United States and UK, and was certified gold in less than two months. In the 1980s it received platinum certification and went Double Platinum in the early 21st century.

In November 1973, Black Sabbath released the critically acclaimed Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.

In late 1979, after being fired from the band, Osbourne formed the Blizzard of Ozz, featuring drummer Lee Kerslake (of Uriah Heep), bassist-lyricist Bob Daisley (of Rainbow and later Uriah Heep), keyboardist Don Airey (of Rainbow, and later Deep Purple), and guitarist Randy Rhoads (of Quiet Riot).

Following Blizzard Of Oz, Osbourne has had a successful solo career.

Greatest Hits: “Black Sabbath”, “Paranoid”, “The Wizard”, “Iron Man”, “Children Of The Grave”, “War Pigs”, “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”, “Evil Woman”, “Crazy Train”, “Flying High Again”, “No More Tears”, “Mama I’m Coming Home”,

Osbourne has over 15 tattoos, the most famous of which are the letters O-Z-Z-Y across the knuckles of his left hand. This was his first tattoo, created by himself as a teenager with a sewing needle and pencil lead.

Though Osbourne has long been accused of being a Satanist, it was reported by The New York Times in 1992 that he was a practicing member of the Church of England and prayed before each show.

Osbourne experienced tremors for some years and linked them to his continuous drug abuse. In May 2005, he found out it was actually Parkin syndrome, a genetic condition, the symptoms of which are similar to Parkinson’s disease. Osbourne will have to take daily medication for the rest of his life to combat the involuntary shudders associated with the condition.

As a member of Black Sabbath, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame as a solo artist and as a member of the band.