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Ozzy Osbourne was born John Michael Osbourne in Marston Green in the West Midlands, England, on 3rd December 1948, and grew up in a working-class household that struggled to make ends meet. He left school early and drifted through a series of menial jobs before music gave him a direction.
In the late 1960s, he joined forces with guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward to form a band that eventually became Black Sabbath. With their dark, heavy sound and ominous lyrics, the group helped pioneer a new genre that came to be known as heavy metal.
Osbourne played a crucial role as the band’s frontman and voice, bringing a theatrical and haunting edge to songs like “Black Sabbath,” “Iron Man,” and “War Pigs.” While he did not usually write the riffs or lead the lyric-writing process, he contributed melodies, vocal phrasing, and overall tone, shaping the identity of the music in ways that extended beyond words on a page. Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut album in 1970 introduced a raw, doom-laden style that stood in sharp contrast to the psychedelia of the time. Follow-up records like "Paranoid" and "Master of Reality" cemented the band’s place in music history.
Tensions within the group grew over the years, and in 1979, Osbourne was fired due to his increasingly erratic behavior and substance abuse. Far from ending his career, this setback launched his next chapter. He embarked on a solo career with surprising speed and success, assembling a new band that included the gifted young guitarist Randy Rhoads. Osbourne’s solo debut, "Blizzard of Ozz", released in 1980, featured some of his most enduring songs, including “Crazy Train” and “Mr. Crowley.” These tracks combined heavy riffs with a cleaner production and more elaborate arrangements, blending metal with elements of classical and progressive rock.
“Crazy Train,” in particular, became a signature song. While Rhoads contributed the iconic guitar part and Bob Daisley wrote much of the lyrics, Osbourne’s vocal delivery and persona brought it all to life. He also co-wrote many tracks during this period, contributing melodic ideas and the overall vocal framework. His solo albums from the early 1980s - "Diary of a Madman", "Bark at the Moon", and "The Ultimate Sin" - sustained his popularity and spawned further hits such as “Flying High Again,” “Bark at the Moon,” and “Shot in the Dark.”
Despite ongoing battles with addiction and a series of personal and professional crises, Osbourne remained remarkably resilient. He reunited with Black Sabbath at various points, most notably for a late-career tour and album "13" in 2013. Outside of music, he became a global celebrity through the reality television series "The Osbournes", which aired in the early 2000s and showcased his chaotic domestic life. This added a new, often comedic dimension to his public image, turning the so-called Prince of Darkness into an oddly lovable household name.
Throughout his long career, Osbourne helped define and evolve heavy metal music. His distinctive voice, wild stage presence, and instinct for theatricality made him one of rock’s most memorable figures. He co-wrote or helped shape a vast number of songs, not just as a lyricist or composer, but as a performer whose phrasing and mood turned ideas into anthems. Despite - or perhaps because of - his many struggles, he forged a body of work that spanned decades and connected with generations of fans.
Ozzy Osburne died at the age of 76, on the 22nd July 2025, in Birmimnghm, UK of complications brought on by Parkinson's Disease.
The above is just one of the many profiles of leading songwriters, singers, musicians and music industry personnel, published by the International Songwriters Association and "Songwriter Magazine". Please click HERE for more.
© Jim Liddane
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