Ozzy Osbourne (full name John Michael Osbourne) grew up in Birmingham, England. His mother was a factory worker. His father was a toolmaker at General Electric.
Ozzy has 3 older sisters and 2 younger brothers. The family of 8 lived in a small, cramped apartment in Aston, England. Since childhood, Osbourne was nicknamed "Ozzy" and later used this name as his stage name.
Few people know that Ozzy was a dyslexic child and was often ridiculed. At the age of 11, Ozzy was sexually abused and bullied at school. These memories haunted Ozzy and made him afraid to think about going to school.
Young Ozzy Osbourne (Photo: NBC News).
However, the student Osbourne had a great and strong passion for art. While still in school, Ozzy participated in many musicals.
After hearing The Beatles' first hit single at the age of 14, Osbourne decided to become a devoted fan of the band and claims that the group's song She Loves You inspired him to pursue his dream of becoming a musician.
In the documentary God Bless Ozzy Osbourne , Osbourne said that The Beatles made him realize that he would be a great rock star for the rest of his life.
At the age of 15, Osbourne decided to drop out of school and work in a variety of manual jobs, including: construction worker, apprentice plumber, toolmaker, car horn tuner, and slaughterhouse worker.
Ozzy Osbourne and members of the band Black Sabbath at a music event in England in 1973 (Photo: NBC News).
At the age of 17, Osbourne was charged with shoplifting at a clothing store, but was unable to pay the fine. His father refused to post bail for his son, wanting to teach him a lesson. As a result, Osbourne spent six weeks in jail for his own crime.
Music saves Osbourne's soul and life
Osbourne's turbulent early years left him isolated and disoriented. In 1967, a fateful encounter with Geezer Butler changed the rock legend's life.
Geezer formed a band called Rare Breed and recruited Osbourne as singer. The band played two shows before breaking up. However, the special relationship between Osbourne and Butler did not end. They reunited in another band, called Polka Tulk Blues, which included guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward.
They changed the band's name to Earth, but then decided to take the name Black Sabbath in August 1969. The band's name was reportedly inspired by the movie of the same name.
Black Sabbath pursued a heavy musical style with dark lyrics. While recording their first album, Butler and Osbourne co-wrote the lyrics for Black Sabbath . Their intense yet dark rock style was maintained in many of their later works, pushing them to define a new genre, heavy metal.
Ozzy Osbourne performing in London (UK) in 1997 (Photo: News).
Black Sabbath's self-titled debut album reached the UK Top 10 and paved the way for a string of hits. They became one of the most influential and successful rock bands of all time, selling over 75 million albums worldwide .
The group's critically acclaimed hits include Paranoid (1970), Master of Reality (1971) and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973).
However, Black Sabbath and Osbourne's association did not last long. In 1979, Black Sabbath fired Osbourne for his out-of-control behavior. Osbourne was said to have suffered from alcoholism and drug abuse.
"We knew we really had no choice but to fire him because he was so out of control," the group said in a statement.
Ozzy and members of Black Sabbath at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles (USA) in 2014 (Photo: FilmMagic).
After leaving the band, Ozzy Osbourne re-emerged as a solo artist with the album Blizzard of Ozz. In 1981, he released the album Diary Of A Madman . Both albums are rock classics.
Ozzy later reunited with Black Sabbath several times. He performed with the group in 1997 and helped record the band's final studio album, 13 ( 2013), before they embarked on their farewell tour.
Osbourne has sold over 100 million albums, including both solo work and Black Sabbath releases. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006 and as a solo artist in 2024. He has also been honored with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (USA) and the Birmingham Walk of Stars (UK).
Ozzy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002 (Photo: Getty Images).
At the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards, Ozzy received the Global Icon Award. In 2015, the superstar was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.
In the early 2000s, Osbourne and his family developed the reality TV show The Osbournes on MTV. The show was also very successful and brought fame to his family.
The rock star also appeared in the TV series Ozzy & Jack's World Detour with his two children and The Osbournes Want to Believe with his wife Sharon and son Jack.
Rock legend dies of illness
Ozzy Osbourne helped birth heavy metal with Black Sabbath. He then propelled the genre into its peak during the 1980s rock era and became an MTV icon.
Ozzy with his wife and manager, Sharon, and children (Photo: Instagram).
His strong, never-give-up lifestyle always kept him in the spotlight, even during the years when rock music was declared dead.
He and his wife, Sharon, turned their flamboyant musical lives into the basis for a reality TV show, The Osbournes, and he also helped launch a number of music stars through his Ozzfest music festival in the 1990s and 2000s.
Ozzy has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and other health problems in recent years, which has kept the 76-year-old star out of the public eye and unable to perform.
On July 5, Ozzy Osbourne performed at the Back to the Beginning music event in his hometown of Birmingham. This was the last show of his illustrious musical career. The event featured artists such as Metallica and Guns n' Roses before ending with a performance by Ozzy and Black Sabbath.
Ozzy Osbourne still "burned" himself out in his final show in life in England on July 5 (Photo: Getty Images).
Sharing before the event, the legendary rock singer said that this was his last live performance. Friends and colleagues all noted that Ozzy saved the most epic and memorable performance for the end.
In front of hundreds of thousands of spectators, the rock legend said: "You cannot understand how I feel. I would like to send my most sincere thanks to you."
Ozzy passed away on July 23 (Vietnam time), at the age of 76. A family representative announced: "It is with indescribable sadness that we must announce that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne passed away this morning. He was surrounded by family and love."
According to the Times of India, the rock legend passed away and left behind a fortune of 220 million USD.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giai-tri/tu-tre-mac-chung-kho-doc-den-huyen-thoai-nhac-rock-so-huu-tram-trieu-usd-20250723105742815.htm
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