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Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy is third from left

John Michael Osbourne (born December 3, 1948), better known as Ozzy Osbourne, was the lead singer of the rock band Black Sabbath.

He was born in Aston, a suburb of Birmingham in England.

Osbourne was forced out of the group in 1979 by guitarist Tony Iommi at the height of Black Sabbath's popularity. Ozzy was devastated by it all, and during the two years after being fired from Sabbath, he continued his drug/alcohol abuse. He divorced his wife Thelma, and became more manic depressive over the years. Ozzy's saving grace became the woman who would become his wife, Sharon, and a young guitarist named Randy Rhoads. Randy's flashy, classical-inspired lead-guitar work (a huge innovation, at a time when bluesy leads were the norm in rock) was the stuff of legends. Ozzy produced a number of albums with Rhoads, being known for their live shows involving raw meat, dead/fake animals, and much negative press. Ozzy's most famous album to day, Blizzard of Ozz, was Ozzy's pinnacle with Rhoads.

Ozzy's antics continued to worsen, his alcohol and drug abuse continuing. His most famous stunts were the bitting off the head of a dove during a meeting with his newly signed record company, CBS. He was also hospitalized for rabies after biting the head off of a stunned bat during a concert. Ozzy's craziest antic was getting arrested after urinating on the Alamo in his wife's dress. Ozzy was banned from San Antonio, Texas for the next 10 years. Ozzy underwent a number of treatments for alcoholism and drug abuse.

Ozzy fell into a deep depression after Rhoads was killed in a plane crash when the drunken bus driver/ plane pilot crashed the plane with one other tour-mate and the pilot.

Ozzy's career in the 90s was a two-fold effort, continuing to make music without Rhoads, and getting clean. Rhoads's first replacement was Bernie Torme' shortly followed by Brad Gillis. Next came Jake E. Lee[?] who also played for the band Rough Cutt. Rhoads's more permanent replacement was a guitarist named Zakk Wylde, plucked for a New Jersy bar.

Ozzy's biggest success of the 90s was his venture named "Ozzfest," a venture created by his wife Sharon and managed loosely by his son Jack. Ozzfest was a quick hit with metal fans, allowing groups like Incubus and Papa Roach during the same decade. Some even had the pleasure to play with a reformed, yet much older Black Sabbath.

Ozzy's first new-material album in 7 years, "Down to Earth" met mediocre success.

Osbourne returned to celebrity status by the unlikely success of his own bizarre brand of reality television. The Osbournes, a program featuring the domestic life of Osbourne and his family (wife Sharon, children: Aimee, Jack, and Kelly), has turned into one of MTV's greatest hits.