Heavy metal legend, Ozzy Osbourne, ascended from working-class roots in Brummagem to rule as the king of the heavy metal genre.
Ozzy Osbourne: From Grim Birmingham Beginnings to Heavy Metal Icon
Born in Marston Green, Warwickshire, England on December 3, 1948, Ozzy Osbourne (John Michael Osbourne) grew up in the Aston district of Birmingham, in a working-class family. His mother Lilian worked in a factory, and his father Jack was a toolmaker. Despite the challenges of a cramped two-bedroom home and struggling with dyslexia, Osbourne was influenced by The Beatles' 1963 song "She Loves You" to pursue a career in music.
Osbourne's life took a darker turn as he endured sexual abuse from school bullies, leading him to attempt suicide multiple times as a teenager. After leaving school around the age of 15 or 16, he worked various labor-intensive jobs, including construction, plumbing trainee, toolmaking apprentice, car factory worker, and slaughterhouse laborer. At 17, he spent six weeks in Winson Green Prison for stealing clothes.
Inspired by drummer Bill Ward's idea to trade on the popularity of horror films, Black Sabbath was formed by four ordinary guys who decided to have a go. The sound of Black Sabbath was a product of their environment, a grim, provincial, industrial world. Ozzy Osbourne rose to fame as the lead singer of the band, contributing to landmark heavy metal songs like "War Pigs," "Iron Man," and "Paranoid."
After leaving Black Sabbath, Osbourne launched a successful solo career in 1979, gaining attention for provocative performances and later becoming known to a broader audience through the reality TV show The Osbournes with his family. His influence on rock and metal music remains profound.
Ozzy Osbourne's net worth is estimated to be $220 million. He and his second wife, Sharon, earned $5 million per episode for The Ozzbourne's by 2005. Jim Simpson, Ozzy's original manager, described him as "one of nature's good guys - one of the real innocents of this world." Despite his troubled childhood in Birmingham and struggles at school, Osbourne's true personality was revealed on The Osbournes, where he showed himself to be a family man, not the Antichrist.
On his release from jail, Ozzy Osbourne wrote "Ozzy Zig needs a gig" on a card in a local music shop, marking the beginning of his music career. The Osbourne family enjoyed success with Ozzfest, a heavy-metal festival. Ozzy Osbourne told The New York Times in 1992 that his stage persona is a role he plays. Despite the controversies that surrounded him, Osbourne's impact on the music industry and popular culture remains undeniable.
[1] The Guardian [2] Rolling Stone [3] BBC News [4] The Independent
Celebrities like Ozzy Osbourne found fame in the entertainment industry, particularly through music, with Black Sabbath's landmark heavy metal songs capturing the attention of both music lovers and critics. The Ozzbournes, a reality TV show featuring Ozzy and his family, further boosted his popularity, showcasing his true personality as a family man beyond the controversies that surrounded him.
