Ozzy osbourne bat. Ozzy Osbourne

From rags to... the fathers of heavy metal - that's literally how you can describe it life path the great and terrible Ozzy Osbourne. His career resembles a horror story with an aggressively brutal soundtrack. It had everything: bitten off bat heads, pieces of flesh flying from the stage, scandals and illegal substances. But gloom and darkness are not the only components of the biography of the musician, whose name is inscribed in the British Music Hall of Fame. His life was not complete without love, care for children and attention to public problems. But first things first.

short biography

John Michael Osborne, who later became known as Ozzy, was destined to be born into a poor family. This event happened on December 3, 1948 in English city Birmingham. One bed for all the children, of whom there were six together with our hero, lack of running water and a meager wardrobe - this was approximately the everyday reality that surrounded the future rock musician.

John Osborne's childhood can hardly be called extraordinary. Playing on the street, arguing with brothers and sisters, studying at school - everything is like everyone else. But he didn’t like to study, so he graduated at the age of 15 school curriculum, went to work as a messenger and then as a plumber's assistant. But these professions did not cause much delight in the young man. Then he went to the knacker's farm, where he slaughtered more than 200 sheep every day. Here, Ozzie also did not last long, changing his bloody place of work to the automobile plant where his mother worked.

Not a single job brought the young Briton enough money. The young man decides to take a different path - to become a thief and get rich. The plan failed almost immediately thanks to gloves with cut off fingers. The capture was followed by a sentence and imprisonment for six months.

After leaving prison, Ozzy forgets about the life of a thief and again begins to earn extra money anywhere. But constantly surviving was not for him. Solution financial problems came from the world of show business. At that time they shone on stage The Beatles. The success of the Fab Four made a great impression on Ozzy. Comparing this fact with the fact that he once took part in musical teams, the young man sets himself a new goal - to make money from music.

To begin with, the future rock musician tried himself as a soloist in several British bands. But Ozzy's ambitions and hot temper soon led to his leaving the lineups and the desire to create his own team. A simple newspaper ad brought aspiring guitarist Tarance Butler to him. former classmate Tony Iommi and Bill Ward. The young people nicknamed themselves Earth and gave concerts under that name until 1969.

But one event forced the legendary metalhead to reconsider the concept of the created music group. It was the release of the horror film “Black Sabbath”. Or rather, the number of people pouring into the cinemas. If those around you like evil spirits and everything connected with it so much, then why not give it to them? This is how the band Black Sabbath appeared on the stage, performing dark music. But among the mournful guitar parts, notes of jazz were also heard - the past of the musicians and the view of the world of music of the current manager, Jim Simson, were felt.

Begins new wave speeches. True, not very successful. Everything changed on February 13, 1970, thanks to one accident. Someone posted it on the centerfold of the new album Black groups Sabbat inverted cross. The satanic role was assigned to the musicians. Sales of the record jumped sharply, and its position in American chart reached third place. Whether there is a connection here is not known for certain. But the fact remains: the popularity of Black Sabbath began to grow.

A busy concert schedule and the constant screams of children, of whom Osborne already had three by that time, put pressure on him. He begins to abuse alcohol and drugs. His mental state was also shaken by the death of his father. Relations in the group become tense due to the inappropriate behavior of the main soloist. In 1979, the rocker left the created group. A period of hopeless drug and alcohol intoxication begins, from which Sharon Arden helped him get out, his future wife. It was she who forced him to collect new group and return to the world of music.

So, in 1980 on the shelves music stores appears debut album"Blizzard of Ozz", which is still in great demand among heavy metal fans. A year later, the second solo album “Diary Of A Madman” was released. The success was repeated: crowds of fans were buying the album.

It must be said that the composition of the legendary metalhead’s band was constantly changing. Some musicians could not stand the behavior of the soloist, others retreated due to financial problems. But this did not stop Ozzy from packing stadiums and giving his best.

How did Ozzy's career develop further? According to all the rules of rock life. Constant concerts, tours, eccentric antics, alcohol and drugs, subsequent rehabilitation from addictions and, of course, recognition of him as a legendary musician.

What is Ozzy Osbourne's age? Just a number. He's 68, but finishing musical career he's not going to. Bad addictions are a thing of the past (he was even entrusted with writing a column about healthy way life), but hard Rock never disappeared from his blood. You can no longer expect crazy actions from him, but good compositions- Yes.

Interesting Facts

The creative pseudonym Ozzy has several versions of its origin. According to the first, this is simply a shortened version of the surname that was assigned to him in school years. The second claims that the musician named himself after the Wizard of Oz, a character from the children's book of the same name.
Reading, according to Osborne, is one of the best ways spend your leisure time profitably. But for my life famous artist I was able to read only a couple of books from cover to cover. The reason is dyslexia. It is this disorder that prevents a man from correctly understanding words and the text as a whole.

To make a positive impression on the owners of the CBS label, with whom Ozzy planned to collaborate as solo artist, Sharon came up with a cunning plan. She invited the musician to come to a meeting with three white doves and release them in public. John Michael decided to replay the script: in front of everyone, he bit off the head of one of the birds. What made him do this? Extra alcohol. Those present were shocked, but the contract was signed - the youth became interested in the crazy musician.
There is a legend that the members of Black Sabbat were cursed by a real witch. Her anger was sparked by the group's refusal to give a concert at a Satanic gathering. The ominous spells resulted in the uncertainty of the musicians. Then Ozzy's father made aluminum crosses for everyone, which were later replaced with gold ones.
Young Ozzy Osbourne's prison sentence could have lasted less than 6 months if his father had paid his bail. But he showed pedagogical wisdom, which the wayward son appreciated - the thefts were over.
Ozzy was able to obtain a driver's license only at the age of 60. He proudly reported this event in in social networks. Prior to this, 19 unsuccessful attempts were made to pass the exam. After receiving the treasured document, the rock musician managed to independent trip crash the new Ferrari. His driver's license, of course, was revoked.
Ozzy's phenomenality lies not only in successful career, but also in longevity. At the time of this writing, the musician’s age is 68 years old! He is quite alert and capable. It seems that the consequences of long-term use of drugs, alcohol and other drugs have passed him. What is so special about his body and immune system, geneticists will have to figure it out - the Great Briton has already bequeathed his body to scientists for study.
Some data on Osborne's health is already available. American researchers took blood samples from the famous Briton and studied his DNA. It turned out that Ozzy Osbourne is a descendant of Neanderthals. The singer was not surprised by this news - his drunken antics are proof of this. The musician is also involved in the Romanov dynasty. According to research, he is a distant relative of Nicholas II.

The King of Darkness also has thoughts about own funeral. All requirements boil down to one thought - it should be funny and with a touch of black humor. For example, a knock from the coffin would be useful.
Ozzy loves to tickle the nerves of those around him. This is proven by the incident at Madame Tussauds. Instead of walking between the exhibits, the man froze in a motionless position on the couch. Visitors who decided to take a photo with the figure of the great musician were treated to a spectacular sight in the form of Ozzy Osbourne come to life.
John Michael knows what poverty is, so he does not hesitate to give money to the poor. gold chain with a crucifix, $100 bills come into play when he sees tramps and beggars around him. Also, together with his wife, Ozzy participates in charity events.
The rocker compares tattoos to drug addiction. Having tattooed one drawing, you definitely want to continue “decorating” the body with all sorts of images. Ozzy regrets many of his tattoos. For example, he doesn’t understand why he tattooed a smiley face on his knee! At over 60 years old, this looks at least funny, according to the musician.

The legendary metalhead once said that his tombstone would definitely mention the bitten off head of a bat. Indeed, this incident will forever remain with Ozzy. The situation was as follows. At performances, the rocker took pieces of flesh and threw them into the audience. The audience picked up the idea and began throwing bodies at the stage. dead cats, internal organs of animals, etc. Once someone threw a bat onto the stage. The musician thought it was a toy and bit off its head. The mouse suddenly came to life and latched onto Ozzy. It all ended in hospital and rabies injections.
Filming the video for the song “So Tired” could have ended badly for the rock singer. During work film crew suddenly a large mirror broke. Its fragments pierced straight into Osborne's neck. The performer was hospitalized, and planned performances were cancelled.
In 2010, Ozzy's autobiographical book entitled “I Am Ozzy” was published. It contains true facts from the life of a rocker, humor and self-irony inherent in a musician.

Ozzy Osbourne as a child

On the birthday of the “Prince of Darkness”, we decided to remember his most scandalous performances.

Everything for the contract

The main legends about Osborne are associated with the early 80s. To change his image as a rowdy and drug addict in the eyes of representatives of the recording studio, Ozzy brought two doves to the CBS offices as an old symbol of peace and released them into the air in front of an astonished audience. So he did... with one bird. The “Prince of Darkness” bit off the head of the second dove. For what? Ozzy doesn't even know. He was too drunk at that moment. But the trick did its job: young people began to show unprecedented interest in the rocker, and sound recording studio entered into a contract with him.

Ozzy and the pigeons

The second “biting” incident occurred during a tour of the United States. One of the fans threw a live bat onto the stage. The animal lay at Osborne’s feet and practically did not move, so the musician decided that it was a rubber toy. Deciding to provoke the crowd, Ozzy playfully but firmly bit the mouse on the neck. In response, the animal bit Osborne himself.

As a result, the concert ended with the vocalist being immediately taken to the hospital for the purpose of vaccination against rabies. The “Prince of Darkness” entered the emergency room barking like a dog. When the nurse asked him what was wrong, Ozzie barked at her, too, explaining that he had rabies. In general, I had fun as best I could.

Who needs fresh liver?

When Ozzy Osbourne's band reached the top of the music charts, the crazy frontman began to shock the audience even more. During concerts he threw fans raw meat and tripe. True, it turned out that this was part of his contract: in the few hours that the performance lasted, Osborne had to throw 10 kilograms of veal liver and pork offal into the hall.

The fans did not remain in debt and began to throw at the soloist dead cats, frogs and snakes. There were cases when they even tried to bring a dead Louisiana toad, a dead dog and the head of a freshly slaughtered bull into the hall.

Ozzy Osbourne at the Live Aid concert, 1985

Such different art

Ozzy Osbourne's antics frightened not only fans, but also his colleagues, experienced in revelry and touring frenzy.
IN documentary film"God Bless Ozzy Osbourne" drummer Tommy Lee recalls an incident that happened while he was on tour with Motley Crue. Osborne invited Lee to his hotel room. Suddenly he took off his pants and defecated directly on the floor. After which he began to draw on the walls the results of his action. They say, but patients in psychiatric clinics are also amused.

Ozzy with Motley Crue, 1984

Smothering means he loves

The antics of the “Prince of Darkness” would be funny if often after them he was not in an unconscious state, unable to remember what he was doing. Osbourne doesn’t remember how his band’s videos were filmed, and he doesn’t remember his children’s birthdays. On the set of the film he was asked what year he was born. eldest daughter Jessica is from her first marriage. Ozzy replied: " I think it was in 1971. Or in '72. Honestly, I don’t remember, but if you really need it, I can find out».

Osbourne does not remember at all that in 1989, after drinking four bottles of vodka, he tried to strangle his wife Sharon with the words: “ I decided it was time for you." Mrs. Osborne did not press charges against her husband, but still sent him to re-education.

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne

The city's generosity takes

The legendary musician surprises the audience not only with his eccentric antics, but also with his generous deeds. Finding no money in his pockets, Ozzy gave it to a homeless man who was asking for change on the street in Los Angeles. gold chain and a crucifix valued at about three thousand pounds sterling. Osborne took the precious item from his neck and gave it to the tramp, asking him to pray more.

In the mid-2000s, Ozzy Osbourne finally decided to quit bad habits. But a sober lifestyle could not cure the musician of his love of shocking antics. True, they have become much more humane. So, in support of its solo album“Scream” he decided to play tricks on the nerves of his fans by organizing an event at Madame Tussauds in New York.

Pretending to be a wax figure, Ozzy sat on a couch in one of the museum’s halls, and when visitors wanted to take pictures with him, he suddenly “came to life.”

While walking around the museum, Osborne also managed to take photographs with wax figures US President Barack Obama and with a copy of his wife Sharon, which amused him immensely.

Fact No. 2290

walks famous legend about Ozzy Osbourne biting off the head of a live bat at a concert.

In fact, the events of the concert on January 20, 1982 were even somewhat more dramatic. Ozzy Osbourne decided to entertain the audience by biting a bat, but Ozzy himself was sure that it was a rubber dummy. Dead bat, which the guy brought to the concert (in those days people dragged Osbourne to the concert great amount dead animals, dead cats, snakes, etc.), turned out to be alive. And even, according to the musician, she bit him back. After which he received rabies injections.

Less well known is an earlier incident, in 1981, when Ozzy Osbourne, at a meeting with record company executives, was about to release a dove into the air (as a sign of peace), but, while under the influence of drugs, bit off the bird's head instead.

Source: Osbourne biography Controversy & Madness

Fact No. 2027

Ozzy: "Every day of my life was a real event. I grew up in a very poor family, and if not for music, I would have ended my days behind bars. I lived on a diet of alcohol and drugs for over 30 years. I survived a plane crash, survived "Several overdoses, was charged with attempted murder and almost died falling off an ATV. People wonder why I'm still alive. And you know, I just have nothing to answer them."

Fact No. 4159

It was after the scandal with biting off the pigeon's head that the first solo project Osbourne's "Blizzard Of Ozz" suddenly began to climb the charts on a wave of general indignation. Although the reason for the action was most likely alcohol intoxication, but Osborne quickly got the hang of it and began joking: “It tastes like sweetie Ronald McDonald.” This was the beginning of Ozzy's revelation of himself as the madman of rock. Earlier in Black Sabbath, he looked like a sullen spokesman for serious metalheads at best, a clown at worst. Now, for a new generation of teenagers, he has become the personification of carbonated satanic rock in the style of the 80s, and fans began to bring all sorts of abomination to his concerts (in the form of living and inanimate animals and their parts).

Source: Article by Mick Wall, Classic Rock magazine, March 2012

Fact No. 4417

Osbourne is very offended if at least one person in the audience watches his performance with an indifferent look: “Sometimes I make a fool of myself. Imagine: I go on stage and give all my best. full program. The hall is packed to capacity - several tens of thousands of people. And suddenly, at the left edge of the stage, I notice a small group of spectators - seven or eight people - who do not react in any way to what is happening, but simply stand with their arms crossed and yawning out of boredom. Fucking hell, I tell myself, I just have to stir them up. I start singing, looking in their direction, showing off with all my might - so that the sweat pours like a hail, and the ligaments are about to break. Zero attention, pound of contempt. In the end I get tired of it, I call my assistant Tony and say: “Get these guys out of the hall, otherwise I’m going to die. Give them back the money for the tickets.” And he calmly answers me: “Don’t worry, they are deaf.” I’m shocked: “What?! Oh God!” There were 90 thousand people in the hall, and because of some eight guys who were deaf, I was afraid that I was making a hack. Here's your typical Ozzy." And Osbourne even apologized to those guys because he speaks fluently in the language of the deaf and dumb.

Source: Article by Kevin Murphy and Dave Ling, Classic Rock magazine, March 2009

Fact No. 4551

Says Osborne: "After the pigeon, fans started bringing a lot of crap to our shows. And we had a huge catapult on stage, and we'd load it with whatever they threw at us on stage and launch it back into the audience."

Fact No. 4552

Ozzy on the Beginning solo career: “Alcohol. Drugs. It got to the point where I was kicked out of the group. Then my father died, my first wife threw me out of the house. I thought I couldn’t stand it. And Sharon kept pushing me: “Come on. I know you can!" If she hadn't given me a good kick in the ass back then, I would still be drowning in a sea of my own sorrow." Osbourne's wife and manager, Sharon, helped him record his first two albums, fought his addiction to drugs and alcohol, and forced him to correct the consequences of his rash drunken actions.

Source: Article by Mick Wall, Classic Rock magazine, April 2001

Fact No. 4553

One September night in 1989, Osborne tried to strangle his wife. After a bottle of Russian vodka (ironically, a gift from the Moscow Festival's anti-alcohol campaign), an insane Ozzy attacked Sharon while celebrating his daughter's birthday. He was accused of attempted murder and released on the basis that he would voluntarily go to a drug treatment clinic.

Source: Article by Mick Wall, Classic Rock magazine, April 2001

Fact No. 4554

Osbourne and his wife Sharon created their own label: Priority Records. The first album released on it: "Nativity In Black II: A tribute to Black Sabbath" (12 songs from the classic Black Sabbath lineup, performed by their ardent fans such as Megadeth).

Source: Article by Mick Wall, Classic Rock magazine, April 2001

Fact No. 5305

Ozzy Osbourne admits he has dyslexia. At the age of 15, he dropped out of school because of this: “I stood in front of the blackboard and saw in front of me a set of Chinese characters instead of letters and numbers.” (In fact, the symptoms of this neurological disease are described by Osborne quite fully in this phrase.) Accordingly, his first professions were not prestigious: “First I got a job at a napkin company, then I worked as a plumber, and then I delivered food to construction sites. In the end, I ended up at the slaughterhouse and lasted there, to tell the truth, the longest."

Source: article by David Fricke, "magazine" Rolling Stone", May 2007

Fact No. 5393

The lead singer of Black Sabbath, the frantic Ozzy Osbourne, last years appeared new feature, entertaining concertgoers: from time to time he begins to crow like a cuckoo. He especially likes to do this when suddenly there is some kind of lull in the action. The artist himself explains this by saying that he is crazy and “has long since gone his way.”

Source: Classic Rock magazine, September 2014.

Fact No. 5508

Ozzy Osbourne and his wife agreed to lend their voices to car navigation systems. The couple did not mince words. “In so many meters you will reach the f...ing goal!” - the device reports in Ozzie’s voice. And, having lost contact with the network, he screams: “I lost this fucking satellite!” In a softer version, bad words were replaced with “peep.” Representatives of the company Voice Skins claim that this voiceover sells twice as much as all others. Following her - albeit by a large margin - is the version from Sharon Osbourne. “Come on, turn quickly, asshole!” - the navigator commands in her voice.

Source: “In rock” magazine, No. 18 2005

add a fact about the artist

Facts about Ozzy Osbourne songs. Ten popular

About the song Suicide Solution

Fact No. 2008

The riff for this song was born like this:

Ozzy Osbourne and guitarist Randy Rhoads were sitting in the dressing room (in Osbourne's words, "a dark as fuck room surrounded by dead bats"). Osborne was drinking as usual, and Randy was tuning his guitar. When Randy made a sound again, the following dialogue occurred:

What a great riff,” said Ozzy Osbourne.

What riff?

The one you just played.

Actually, I didn't play anything...

Well, here's the piece you just played.

This?

Well, yes, well, one more time. I have some great lyrics for this riff.

What, what?

And then Ozzy sang: “Wine is fine, But whiskey”s quicker.”

Recently, the public response was received by members of the Bloodhound Gang group, who desecrated the Russian flag. In this regard, they were banned from entering Russia and the concert tour had to be cancelled, but even such an act of rockers cannot be compared with what the real kings of rock, the shocking rebels of our time, did. So, “Top of the most scandalous actions of representatives of the rock industry”:

1. Ozzy Osbourne

It's already scandalous famous vocalist Black Sabbath, at one of their concerts, literally almost completely ate a bat. Ozzy Osbourne bit off the poor animal's head and threw him into the front row auditorium. According to rumors, of course, Ozzy didn’t know that the mouse was real, until the end he was sure that it was a toy prop, but a scandal broke out and nothing can be done about it. By the way, that concert had to be briefly interrupted, as the musician urgently needed to be vaccinated against rabies.

2. Jim Morrison

Back in the sixties, vocalist The group Doors - Jim Morrison, performing at a concert in Miami, suddenly, for no reason, began shouting insulting words at the audience, in particular, also insulting the feelings of believers. The indignant public knew no peace. In response to the outrage, Morrison stripped naked, showing the audience his genitals. Not only Jim, but also all the musicians of the group paid for such an act. The Doors were charged with obscenity, blasphemy and appearing in public while intoxicated.

3. Alice Cooper

In the late 60s, an interesting incident occurred at an Alice Cooper concert in Toronto. In some unknown way, a chicken appeared on stage. Cooper, without interrupting the concert, threw her into the front rows, where, according to rumors, disabled people were sitting in wheelchairs who tore the chicken into pieces. The day after the concert, Alice received a call from his producer, who decided to find out whether the musician really bit off the head of a chicken and drank its blood! Cooper replied that these were just rumors, but the producer advised not to deny them, since this news could greatly promote the group, including the last concert.

4. Iggy Pop

Iggy Pop is a revolutionary man. As the lead singer of The Stooges, Iggy invented a way to attract audiences that is now business card many rock musicians, and this is a jump into the crowd. But The Stooges didn't stop there. Iggy Pop often provoked the audience to emotions by stripping to the waist, mutilating himself with a razor, insulting the audience and not disdaining to end concerts with an eruption of vomit.

5. Rammstein

A fan for many years Rammstein bands I will remember what the musicians did at one of the concerts during the performance of the song Buck Dich. The band's vocalist Till Lindemann and keyboardist Christian Lorenz depicted sexual intercourse on stage with dildos hanging from their belts. At the end of the improvised actions, a stream of white liquid erupted from the dildo. For such actions, the US authorities have repeatedly issued fines and even given suspended sentences.

6. Red Hot Chili Peppers

Musicians from RHCP groups They are in no way inferior to the other participants in the rating in the extravagance of their antics. So, in 1983, the group took to the stage with socks pulled over their genitals. Anthony Kiedis and Flea: “Since the beginning of the band, we performed mainly in strip bars and what do you think we were supposed to do when crowds of naked girls ran onto the stage and danced around us?”

7. Sid Vicious

Not to mention the constant scandals with drug use, Sid Vicious was accused of murdering his girlfriend Nancy Spungen, which he also committed while under the influence of drugs. The death of the Sex Pistols bassist himself is shrouded in mystery, gossips They even say that he could have been poisoned by his own mother! Sid Vicious, according to a survey by one of the British tabloids, was recognized as the most scandalous rock star of all time. A film called Sid and Nancy was made about the life and death of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen.

8. Paul McCartney

Perhaps the most famous of all rock musicians, Sir Paul McCartney, also sinned with the use of soft drugs, including marijuana, and constantly became arrested for the regular import or export of prohibited cargo. Once, McCartney's wife and Paul himself were detained at a Japanese airport because 219 grams of marijuana were found in their luggage! Paul took all the blame on himself and was thrown into a cell, fortunately not for long, but they threatened prison term a total duration of seven years.

9.Nirvana

These seemingly cute guys were known for their obnoxious character and often shocked their fans. The story happened when in 1992 Michael Jackson presented his album “Dangerous”. Not having time to rejoice at his success, the king of pop was burdened with such a circumstance as the release of a new record Nirvana"Nevermind" At that time, all the teenagers who bought a Michael Jackson CD for Christmas were running to the stores and lining up to exchange it for a Nirvana album. Since then, it is safe to say that pop music has gone into retirement, and the beginning of the 90s was marked by the aggressive arrival of alternative metal.