Unlike most tall tales in rock history, the legends of Ozzy Osbourne are more truth than myth. But beyond the crazy train running off the rails, the diary of this madman is the story of one of rock's most unique and enduring front men, with fan appeal that transcends generations and popular trends.
For nearly 40 years and hundreds of shows, Ozzy has won his fans over onstage -- often with a fire hose in hand, wielded with love. "I love my fans more than they'll ever love me," Ozzy says. "I'm not one of those guys that would ever say that they're privileged to see me. To be honest, and I'm not trying to be slurpy, it's a privilege for me to see them. My job is to give them the best fucking night out they could possibly have, that's what we're there for. There's no sex, drugs or rock and roll that could compete with a great gig; it's fucking awesome."
Billboard will fete Ozzy with the Legend of Live award at the 2009 Billboard Touring Awards, set for November 5 at New York's Roosevelt Hotel. The Legend of Live award recognizes an individual who has made significant and lasting contributions to live music and the touring business, and acknowledges the recipient's commitment to the art of performing live and reaching fans through the concert experience.
Osbourne has reached -- and mooned, and doused -- hundreds of thousands of fans, and rocked them all.
"Ozzy's whole thing has always been touring and performing live," says Sharon Osbourne. "Ozzy's touring has been responsible for everything. The one thing about Ozzy, and why he has stood the test of time, is because we're not relying on whether KROCK is going to play his record or not. He had a career other than that as a performer."
Simply put, Ozzy has altered the course of rock music, first through his work with Black Sabbath and then as a solo artist. His impact on live music, including pioneering with Sharon the multi-act hard rock festival touring with Ozzfest, will be felt for many years to come.
Ozzy's career has spanned four decades and he has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide -- 50 million with Black Sabbath and millions more solo. But few would have forecasted such a future for Osbourne back in his humble, gritty beginnings in working class Birmingham, England. "Where I was raised as a young guy, there was not much hope for the future," Ozzy admits. As a youth, Ozzy says he loved the Four Seasons, Chuck Berry and "Little Richard was fuckin' great, man."
And then, as with so many artists, the Beatles came along and opened Ozzy's eyes. "They came from Liverpool, which was approximately 60 miles North of where I come from," Osbourne recalls. "So all of a sudden it was in my grasp, but I never thought it would be as successful as it became."
Sharon Osbourne first saw her future husband perform with Black Sabbath as a young teenager, as Sabbath was managed by her father, Don Arden. "It was in 1970 at the Marquis in London," she recalls. "I remember that it was absolutely packed in the club in London, and perspiration was dripping from the walls."
With monster riffs and a heavy, dark tone, Sabbath "was a sound that I had never heard before," she says. "I did like it, but it was just so different. I don't know whether it was the music I liked, or rather the atmosphere that the music got going when it was performed live. I was just trying to make it out, 'What is this?'"
Sabbath fired Ozzy in 1979, reportedly for his legendary excesses. Once again, Ozzy's prospects did not look good. "When Sabbath and I parted company, to be honest, I felt well, that was worth a shot for a while," Ozzy recalls. "I had a good time, it was the longest party of my life, really."
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