Think about a legend. Think about a creative legend. Then, think about a creative legend who pioneered an entire genre of music. And think about a legend who will not stop pioneering or creating.
Ozzy wrote the rules, and as he says every night, they
run something along the lines of "do whatever the f__k you
like." And Ozzy's brain never stops ticking, never stops moving
forward, and history has established that much as 100% fact.
When he, and three other men from Birmingham, England,
called Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler, recorded an album titled
"Black
Sabbath" in one week, no-one could've foretold the effect it
was to have on generations to come. "Black
Sabbath" the album became an enormous success.
Black Sabbath
the band blew minds with releases such as "Paranoid,"
"Sabbath
Bloody Sabbath," "Masters
of Reality" and "Vol. 4,"
creating a path faithfully adored by many bands from Nirvana to
Metallica.
It was 1978 when
Black Sabbath
and Ozzy parted company
with a haze of excesses clouding everybody's judgment.
However, you cannot stop Ozzy from breaking new ground
– because Ozzy Osbourne cannot make clinically calculated moves,
he can only follow his own creative heart.
So it was while sitting on the floor of a Hollywood
hotel room in 1978, Ozzy started to pull the pieces of his life back
together. He found a musical soul-mate in Randy Rhoads, and with it he
found a new will and resolve to come back stronger than ever. His solo
career was launched with the release of "Blizzard
of Ozz" in 1981, and with it came the likes of "Crazy
Train," "Suicide Solution" and "Mr. Crowley" to
elevate Osbourne to legendary status once more.
His carefree antics and searing energy saw him survive
the loss of Rhoads in a fatal plane accident in 1982, and continue to
break bigger ground with songs like "Bark At The Moon," "Rock
'N' Roll Rebel" and the 1986 single from "The
Ultimate Sin" album that saw Ozzmania burst to the top of the
American charts, "Shot In The Dark."
1991 saw the turning point of Ozzy's career. With many
of his contemporaries dying due to lack of creative nourishment, and
Ozzy himself staring into an abyss increasingly dominated by a lifestyle
of abuse, he took charge.
Put a stop to it. Ceased to drink. Started a diet. Got
a Lifecycle. Invited a younger, fresher, fitter and rejuvenated Ozzy
Osbourne to come out and play. Retired the previous version.
The resultant "No
More Tears" album became his biggest ever seller in America.
With more than 2 million copies sold, his 18 month world tour saw
consistent 2.5 hour marathon sets and his legend entertained a whole
slew of new followers enjoying the Ozzy energy alongside his
die-hardcore followers. And 1995's "Ozzmosis"
only furthered the reinvention.
You shouldn't be surprised that Ozzy Osbourne
pulled it off. Just remember once again, that he's always looking to
find something new and different to do.
This is the man who has consistently found the best
guitarists in rock 'n' roll, including the late, great Randy Rhoads in
1980 (a player who re-wrote the rules of guitar playing with his
extraordinary innovation and talent).
This is the man who has broken more major acts by
inviting them on arena tours when their U-hauls were barely big enough
to carry them, from
Metallica to
KoRn, from Motley Crue to Type O
Negative to Sepultura.
And this is the man, who to millions of people
worldwide, remains THE legend ... with more than 65 million albums sold
worldwide ... with consistently one of the top 5 most successful tours
in the world ... with a dedication and level of performance that insures
Ozzy Osbourne still remains at the top of the tree.
Ozzy Osbourne's life is never quiet. Or
uneventful. It hasn't been for more than 30 years. And it's not about to
change now...