Seventy-five years young today! Ozzy Osbourne, the "Prince of Darkness" and legendary frontman of Black Sabbath, celebrates his birthday amidst a momentous return to his homeland of England.
Back from over two decades in the States, Ozzy's wife, Sharon (71), recently shed light on the move during a podcast appearance. She shared hopes that the switch to a "small town" will offer Ozzy, who lives with Parkinson's, some solace from the prying eyes of LA life. He felt "uncomfortable" in the city, where they lived in a sprawling $18 million mansion in Hancock Park.
Cheers in Buckinghamshire
Ozzy has been the proud owner of the palatial "Welders House" in Buckinghamshire since 1993, now valued at around $18 million. Following fire damage and flooding, the property was extensively renovated, featuring a recording studio, pool, and air conditioning.
"In the English countryside, there are no prying eyes," explained Sharon. "We have a lot of land, so Ozzy can run around and pursue his hobbies without being disturbed."
Unfortunately, the move means severing ties with their children - Jack (38, daughters), Kelly (39, son), and Aimée (40) - who maneuver their lives in America and have decided to stay in the States.
Farewell party in Buckinghamshire or not? Uncertain.
As for whether Ozzy's entire clan will celebrate his birthday in "Welders House," the answer is yet to be seen.
Despite enduring years of alcohol, drug addiction, and rampant excess, Ozzy remains remarkably resilient. He's survived over a dozen withdrawals, a near-fatal quad bike accident in 2003, a Parkinson's diagnosis in 2005, and four spinal surgeries following his fall in 2019.
Now, each step is an incredible feat of strength for the former stage dervish. "My feet feel like they have bricks attached to them when I walk," he told Rolling Stone. "I think it's down to nerves."
Dreaming of a stage comeback
The rockstar dreamt of a proper farewell concert for his fans that never came to be, as he never had the opportunity to say goodbye or express gratitude. "My fans are really my extended family. They write to me, they know all about my dogs," he shared with Rolling Stone. "And they make it possible for us to have the lifestyle we have."
But he's not gunning for a weakened comeback just for sympathy or sympathy. "I'm not going to go on stage and play a half-hearted Ozzy. They'd see through that," he said. "What's the point? I'm not going up there in a wheelchair."
The Prince of Darkness' war against death isn't out of fear, but rather a loathing of a long, painful, and miserable life. "I should have been dead a thousand times," he explained. "I've had my stomach pumped God knows how many times. Sometimes I look in the mirror and think: 'Why the hell did you do it?'"
His greatest fear
Ozzy's deepest fear is living out the rest of his life in such a state. Such a thought drove him to detest the idea of being buried in a celebrity cemetery in Los Angeles. "I don't want to be buried in fucking Forest Lawn," he said. "I'm English - I don't want to die in America!"
The iconic Osbourne clan
Ozzy and Sharon, who tied the knot in Hawaii in 1982, are stalwarts of the music industry. Ozzy was kicked out of Black Sabbath due to his drug problems but is now hailed as a cult figure.
Their life together has been a whirlwind of family joy, addiction, and marital crises, including Ozzy choking Sharon while drunk in 1988 and sentenced to closed rehab. Sharon filed for divorce in 1989, but the couple had their fair share of reconciliations and separations.
Reality TV stardom
Ozzy's family took the spotlight with the Emmy award-winning reality TV show "The Osbournes," which showed off the crazy everyday home life of their Beverly Hills villa in 2002. While Kelly and Jack grew into instant min-stars, Aimée moved out due to privacy concerns. Today, her relationship with her parents is considered good, albeit with limited contact.
From the slaughterhouse to the show stage
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne was born in humble circumstances in Aston, Birmingham, where his father worked as a toolmaker, and his mother assembled circuits in a car factory. He struggled with dyslexia, attended school and often turned to alcohol at an early age.
After various odd jobs and a brief stint as a plumber, Ozzy eventually pursued his music career in the late '60s. With Black Sabbath, he achieved immense success, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the world of rock music.
Dark and weird
Ozzy's appearances were notorious for their bizarre antics, including his infamous visit to the CBS record label office in L.A. with a pair of live pigeons and the now-legendary concert in Des Moines where a fan threw a bat on stage and bit off a piece of Ozzy's ear.
ourtous encounters marked Ozzy's career as much as the music itself. From alleged bat-eating to a rabies checkup following a fan attack, Ozzy Osbourne has endured (and sometimes welcomed) his absurd reputation as "the Prince of Darkness."
By the way: A species of tree frog discovered in the Amazon, which makes bat-like shrill sounds, was named "Dendropsophus ozzyi" in 2014 in reference to Ozzy's bat faux pas ...
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Kelly Osbourne, daughter of Ozzy, revealed her love for music, having grown up with her father's melodies. Sharon Osbourne, on the other hand, shared her enthusiasm for supporting Ozzy's hobbies in the English countryside, recognizing its needed privacy.
The troubled relationship between the Osbournes and their children is a reminder of the price fame demands, with the family's unusual dynamics shaping their decades-long trials, tribulations, and triumphs.
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