Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Osbourne, Godfather of Heavy Metal, The Prince of Darkness, John Michael Osbourne
John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English vocalist, songwriter, and television personality informally referred to as “The Godfather of Heavy Metal.” He rose to prominence in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the rock band Black Sabbath, whose sound was influential to the development of heavy metal.
Ozzy was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 over his substance abuse, later sharing, “I was no more fucked up than the rest of them. It was bullshit.” Despite his ensuing depression and continued substance abuse, Sabbath’s manager and his daughter (Sharon Ardon, later Sharon Osbourne) quickly helped him launch a solo career that has been called one of the most unlikely comebacks and most successful enterprises in the history of rock.
His first two albums, featuring former Quiet Riot virtuoso guitarist Randy Rhoads, immediately brought Ozzy to a comparable level of success to his previous band. Both albums are still hailed as having “helped redefine heavy metal.” When Rhoads died in a 1982 plane crash, Ozzy was devastated and considered quitting music, but Sharon insisted he press on.