Reader Request - 03/17/11
Re: The Osbournes
Many, many thanks to MAM ( 
) for tracking down not one, but two (!)
pictures of Sharon Osbourne in her wedding dress when she & Ozzy renewed their wedding vows.
Reader Request - 03/16/11
The Osbournes
Hi Marty
I like the Osbournes and love watching their tv show.
I would so like to see a photo of Sharon in her wedding gown at the renewing of their vows.
Do you know where I can view one?
Sue T
Thanks, Sue!
I haven't touched The Osbournes pages in a long, long time - about 7 years.
Did a quick 'google,' and found nothing.
Maybe somebody else will have better luck finding it.
02/20/04
Returns to the Road
Ozzy 'I'm Not Dead' Osbourne
Apparently invincible, heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne said on Friday he would resume performing in the summer, even as he recovers from a near-fatal accident that left him in a coma late last year.
Osbourne, 55, will headline the ninth annual Ozzfest touring festival, which features more than a dozen hard rock acts, he and his wife/manager, Sharon, who organize the profitable event, said at a news conference.
Sporting a neck brace, Osbourne denied wild reports that a team of paramedics and a mobile surgery would be standing by at the side of the stage should anything happen.
"Number one, I'm not gonna die; I'm gonna make the tour," he said. "I'm not dead. I'm ready to rock, man."
Asked what medications the famously pharmaceuticals-friendly rocker was taking, his wife interrupted to say, "As much as he can."
Osbourne crashed his four-wheel all-terrain vehicle, or quad bike, on Dec. 8 at his estate in Buckinghamshire in southern England. The bike flipped over and landed on him, leaving him with fractures in eight ribs and a vertebra.
He had expressed fears, as recently as this week, that he might never perform again, but seemed a little taken aback when reporters asked about his health.
Ozzfest, which will play 26 venues across the United States, begins in Hartford, Connecticut on July 10 and wraps in West Palm Beach, Florida on Sept. 10.
The main lineup features such headbanging favorites as Judas Priest, Slayer and Slipknot. Representatives of several of the acts were at the news conference, all dressed appropriately in black.
"It's harder than hard, and my God, is it ugly," Sharon Osbourne said of the testosterone-fueled lineup.
Asked about the absence of more melodic, alternative rock acts, she said, "We're not gay!"
As the laughter died down, Rob Halford, the openly homosexual frontman for English heavy metal veterans Judas Priest piped up behind her, "I am."
"And proud," Sharon Osbourne said amid the renewed merriment.
The roster does include one female, Cristina Scabbia, the seductive singer with Italian metal band Lacuna Coil.
"I will keep my femininity, but I will be happy to share the energy and the passion," Scabbia said.
Ozzy 'I'm Not Dead' Osbourne
02/19/04
Fears May Never Perform Again
Ozzy Osbourne
Heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne said on Thursday he fears he may not be able to perform again after an accident on an all-terrain vehicle late last year that left him in a coma for eight days.
"In my left shoulder I have a piece of metal approximately that long, that deep and screws in," Osbourne said in an interview with ABC's Primetime television show, to be broadcast on Thursday evening. "And I'm really frightened that I won't be able to perform again 'cause that's the love of my life."
The 55-year-old rocker first shot to fame in the 1970s with Black Sabbath and remained in the public eye after he launched a solo career. At a concert in Des Moines, Iowa, he bit the head off a bat, which he has since said he thought was a toy.
In recent years his popularity has reached new heights with the success of the hit MTV reality series, "The Osbournes," in which he stars with wife, Sharon, and two of his three children.
Osbourne crashed his four-wheel all-terrain vehicle, or quad bike, on Dec. 8 at his estate in Buckinghamshire in southern England. The bike flipped over and landed on him, leaving him with fractures in eight ribs and a vertebra.
Ozzy Osbourne
02/13/04
Sad Talk Show Was Canceled
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne says she's disappointed her talk show was canceled and would like to host another program with her husband, rocker Ozzy Osbourne.
"I've had a complete blast doing it. I'm sorry that it had to go this way," she said Thursday on CNN's "Larry King Live."
"The Sharon Osbourne Show" was recently canceled because of low ratings, she said. She will shoot the program until May.
"I love doing TV," she added. "And for me to say, 'No, I never want to do it again,' I'd be a liar. Of course, I do. But I would ... feel better doing it with my husband."
Osbourne said she was unsure about returning to the show after her husband was injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident in England last year. But she was encouraged to come back, she said.
She added that her husband has little movement in his arm following the accident but will recover.
Osbourne kept the cancellation in perspective.
"In the scheme of life, it's nothing," she said.
Sharon Osbourne
02/12/04
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne, talk show host and wife of rock musician Ozzy Osbourne discusses the injuries her husband sustained in his all terrain vehicle accident during an exclusive interview with talk show host Larry King on the CNN program 'Larry King Live' taped Friday Feb. 6, 2004 in Los Angeles at the CNN studios. The interview is scheduled to be telecast Feb. 12, 2004 on CNN.
Photo by Rose M. Prouser
02/12/04
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne, talk show host and wife of rock musician Ozzy Osbourne recounts the agonizing flight she took from Los Angeles to London as she rushed to be at her husband's side following his all terrain vehicle accident at the estate outside London, during an interview with talk show host Larry King on the CNN program 'Larry King Live' taped February 6, 2004 in Los Angeles at the CNN studios. The interview is scheduled to be telecast February 12, 2004 on CNN.
Photo by Rose M. Prouser
02/08/04
Post Grammys
Jack Osbourne (L) and his sister Kelly arrive for the BMG post-Grammy party, February 8, 2004 at The Avalon in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California.
Photo by Jim Ruymen
02/08/04
Post Grammys
The Osbournes, from left, Sharon, Jack, Ozzy, and Kelly are photographed as they arrive at the EMI party after the Grammy Awards Sunday, Feb. 8, 2004 in Los Angeles.
Photo by Kim D. Johnson
02/08/04
The Grammys
Ozzie Osbourne and wife Sharon present the Grammy Award for best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal to Jordan Zevon (L) during the 46th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles February 8, 2004. The award was won by the late Warren Zevon for his song 'Disorder in the House.'
Photo by Gary Hershorn
02/08/04
The Grammys
Ozzie Osbourne and wife Sharon present the award for best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal during the 46th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles February 8, 2004. The award was won by Warren Zevon for his song 'Disorder in the House.'
Photo by Gary Hershorn
02/08/04
The Grammys
The Osbourne family poses with the guys from the television show 'Queer Eye for the Straighgt Guy' as they arrive at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2004, in Los Angeles. From left are, Jack Osbourne, actress Lindsey Lohan, Kelly Osbourne, Kyan Douglas, Sharon Osbourne, Carson Kressley and Thom Filicia.
Photo by Mark J. Terrill
02/08/04
Kelly & Sharon
Kelly Osborne, left, poses with her mother, Sharon, at music producer Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2004, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Photo by Mark J. Terrill
02/08/04
Kelly & Kelly
Singers Kelly Clarkson, left, and Kelly Osborne pose at music producer Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2004, in Beverly Hills.
Photo by Mark J. Terrill
02/08/04
Kelly & Jack
Kelly Osborne arrives with her brother Jack at music producer Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party, Saturday night, Feb. 7, 2004, in Beverly Hills.
Photo by Mark J. Terrill
02/08/04
Kelly
Kelly Osbounre poses as she arrives at the Clive Davis pre-Grammy party at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills February 7, 2004. The Grammy Awards will be presented in Los Angeles February 8 and telecast to a worldwide audience.
Photo by Fred Prouser
02/08/04
Kelly & Jack
Jack Osbourne escorts his sister Kelly Osbourne as they arrive at the Clive Davis pre-Grammy party at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills February 7, 2004. The Grammy Awards will be presented in Los Angeles February 8 and telecast to a worldwide audience.
Photo by Fred Prouser
02/03/04
Janet Jackson Should Have Bared Both Breasts
Sharon Osbourne
The FCC, MTV, CBS and the NFL are all angry about Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake's risque Super Bowl halftime show.
Sharon Osbourne is angry too - because she wanted to see more. "I was very disappointed by it and all I can say is, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake, I love you both and much respect to you, but own it! You did it, own it," she said during her syndicated Sharon Osbourne Show, airing Wednesday.
"And next time," the talk-show host added, "take both (breasts) out! Not just one - both! Come on! ... CBS says they 'regret the incident' and NFL says they're 'extremely disappointed.' Well I was disappointed in just seeing one."
Sharon Osbourne
01/30/04
Show Canceled
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne's attempts to strike out on her own have failed.
The wacky lady's daytime talker--featuring Ozzy's missus hosting in-bed interviews--has been axed by the Tribune stations, its main outlet.
Sources close to the production confirmed the cancellation to E! on Thursday.
No official statement has been issued by producers, but without the support of a major TV-station group, the show might as well be airing on local access.
"We haven't renewed the show," a Tribune spokesperson told the Chicago Tribune (part of the same corporate family). "We've told them we're not interested."
Replacing The Sharon Osbourne Show will be an as-yet untitled Larry Elder vehicle.
Critics have suggested that Sharon's in-your-face attitude, foul language and quirky guests just didn't sit well with daytime TV watchers.
The show debuted in September to poor ratings and failed to improve, averaging a mere 1.2 rating for the week ended January 11. By comparison, Ellen DeGeneres' new talk show averaged a 1.9 rating for the same week.
Still in production, the show will end sometime this summer.
Not that the news will come as any great disappointment to Mama Osbourne. She's reportedly been trying to get out of her contract ever since Ozzy's ATV accident in December.
Sharon Osbourne
01/25/04
Kelly Osbourne
Actor Elijah Wood (L) star of the film 'The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King' greets singer Kelly Osbourne at the New Line Cinema party after the 61st annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills January 25, 2004. The film won the award for best drama film.
Photo by Fred Greaves
01/16/04
Home After Accident
Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne is back home after injuring himself in an all-terrain vehicle accident in England more than a month ago.
His wife, Sharon Osbourne, told her talk-show audience during the episode she taped Thursday in Los Angeles that her husband had returned to their house in Beverly Hills, Calif., the previous night.
"I am so happy he's home I can't begin to tell you, but my poor husband is in so much agony, still in so much pain, he couldn't sleep all night and the one thing is ... he's got this metal rod ... instead of a collarbone now," she said during "The Sharon Osbourne Show" airing Jan. 22.
"I am just so happy that he's home 'cause all the time I ... felt so lonely, like I've lost something," she added. "You know that feeling when you know you've lost something and what is it? It's like, 'Oh, it's my husband!'"
The 55-year-old metal star stopped breathing twice and was in a coma for eight days after the Dec. 8 crash.
He fractured his collarbone, eight ribs and a neck vertebra when the 600-pound vehicle he was riding flipped and landed on top of him at his estate in Buckinghamshire, southern England. He spent a week on a ventilator.
Ozzy Osbourne
01/13/04
Has Rod for a Collarbone
Ozzy Osbourne
Rocker Ozzy Osbourne's collarbone has been replaced by a rod and he nearly lost his arm in an all-terrain vehicle accident last month, Sharon Osbourne said on her syndicated talk show Monday.
It was her first appearance on "The Sharon Osbourne Show" since her husband was injured in the ATV accident in England on Dec. 8.
Osbourne, 55, fractured his collarbone, eight ribs and a neck vertebra when the 600-pound vehicle he was riding flipped and landed on top of him at his estate in Buckinghamshire, southern England. He spent a week on a ventilator.
Sharon Osbourne said Ozzy had to have an artery transplant because part of his collarbone cut an artery leading to his arm, and he nearly had to have the arm amputated. At one point, he had no pulse.
She said he woke up from a coma and had no sense of smell or taste for a while. She also said he was convinced he had been on tour and had been in New Zealand and in Amsterdam, and in a bomb blast in Wales, for some reason.
Ozzy was also convinced he had bought a sheep dog and was asking about it. Sharon said he is doing much better now and he can't wait to heal enough to get back to the United States and to his fans.
Monday's show featured a tribute to Ozzy that chronicled the former Black Sabbath front man's life before and after the accident.
Meanwhile, MTV said "The Osbournes" reality series would return with five new episodes starting Tuesday, Jan. 27 (10:30 p.m. EST).
"Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly are back on MTV with all new adventures including Jack's 18th birthday, a trip to the tattoo parlor for some family members, a whole slew of new dogs and cats, massive new construction on the Beverly Hills house, and much, much more," the cable channel said Friday.
Ozzy Osbourne has canceled his upcoming 20-date tour of Britain to give him time to recover fully from his accident.
Ozzy Osbourne
01/10/04
Returning to Talk Show
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne will be back on the air Monday as host of her syndicated talk show.
It will be her first appearance on "The Sharon Osbourne Show" since her husband, rocker Ozzy Osbourne, was injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident in England last month.
Osbourne, 55, fractured his collarbone, eight ribs and a neck vertebra when the 600-pound vehicle he was riding flipped and landed on top of him at his estate in Buckinghamshire, southern England, on Dec. 8. He spent a week on a ventilator.
"We heard from Prince Charles and — never let anyone say he's a bad guy 'cause he's all right by the Osbournes — he sent my husband a bottle of scotch, which of course he's not going to drink!" Osbourne tells the audience. Excerpts from the show were released Friday.
Monday's show will feature a tribute to Ozzy that chronicles the rocker's life before and after the accident.
Meanwhile, MTV said "The Osbournes" reality series would return with five new episodes starting Tuesday, Jan. 27 (10:30 p.m. EST).
"Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly are back on MTV with all new adventures including Jack's 18th birthday, a trip to the tattoo parlor for some family members, a whole slew of new dogs and cats, massive new construction on the Beverly Hills house, and much, much more," the cable channel said Friday.
Osbourne has canceled his upcoming 20-date tour of Britain to give him time to recover fully from his accident.
Sharon Osbourne
01/09/04
Cancels His British Tour
Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne said Friday he has canceled his upcoming 20-date tour of Britain to give him time to recover fully from his accident on a quad bike last month.
"I am deeply disappointed, but it's out of my control," the former Black Sabbath front man said in a written statement. "Right now I need to concentrate on my recovery and unfortunately this is something I cannot rush."
Osbourne, 55, fractured his collarbone, eight ribs and a neck vertebra when the 600-pound vehicle he was riding flipped and landed on top of him at his estate in Buckinghamshire, southern England, on Dec. 8. He spent a week on a ventilator.
Osbourne, who is recovering at home on his estate, said he was looking forward to performing again "when the doctors tell me I am fit and ready."
The tour had been due to kick off on Feb. 15 with a concert at London's Wembley Arena. Osbourne has already postponed a series of tour dates in European cities later this month.
Ozzy Osbourne
01/03/04
'Died' Twice After Bike Crash
Ozzy Osbourne
Heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne said on Sunday he "died" twice after an accident on a quad bike that left him in a coma for eight days.
Osbourne's life was saved by bodyguard Sam Ruston who went to his aid after the December 8 crash at the star's country estate in Buckinghamshire, southern England.
"If it wasn't for Sam I probably wouldn't be here," Osbourne told Britain's Sunday Mirror newspaper.
"He had to bring me back to life twice."
The former frontman of heavy metal band Black Sabbath said he had learned a lesson from his brush with death.
"I'll never go near one of those damn bikes again...I am lucky to be here today and not paralyzed," he told the newspaper.
Osbourne fractured eight ribs and a vertebra in the accident.
"The doctors tell me every day it could have been a lot worse. I could be dead."
The 55-year old rocker first shot to fame in the 1970s with Black Sabbath and remained in the public eye after he launched a solo career. At a concert in Des Moines, Iowa he bit the head off a bat. He has since said he thought the bat was a toy.
One of the world's biggest heavy metal stars, selling more than 60 million albums in three-decades, his career is noted for its alcohol- and drug-fueled excess as well as its musical success. Earlier this year he revealed he had been sexually abused as a child when he lived in Birmingham, central England.
In recent years the rocker's popularity has reached new heights with the success of the hit reality TV series, "The Osbournes," in which he stars with wife Sharon and two of his three children.
Sharon told the newspaper she would have committed suicide had her husband died.
"If Ozzy had gone, I would have gone with him." she said.
Ozzy Osbourne
12/23/03
Out of Intensive Care
Ozzy Osbourne
Rocker Ozzy Osbourne has been moved out of intensive care as he recovers from the crash of an all-terrain vehicle two weeks ago, his family said Tuesday.
Osbourne, 55, fractured his collarbone, eight ribs and a neck vertebra when the 600-pound ATV flipped and landed on top of him at his estate in Buckinghamshire, southern England, on Dec. 8. He spent a week on a ventilator.
In a written statement, the Osbourne family said Ozzy had been moved from Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, west of London, to a private clinic.
Osbourne's wife Sharon said last week it would probably take six months for the former Black Sabbath frontman to recover fully.
"The Osbourne family are very happy that Ozzy has been allowed out of the intensive care unit for Christmas and would like to thank everyone for their kind support, well wishes and prayers," the statement said.
Osbourne's single "Changes," a duet with daughter Kelly, topped the British charts last week.
Ozzy Osbourne
12/22/03
May Not Be Home For Christmas
Ozzy
Although his condition has improved in the last few days, it's not clear whether Ozzy Osbourne will be able to leave the hospital and go home for Christmas. The 55-year-old rocker is still at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, England, where he has recuperating since injuring himself in an all-terrain vehicle crash on December 8. The hospital's medical director, Dr. Dick Jack, told U.K. newspaper the Scotsman that "Mr. Osbourne is very much better and continues to make steady progress. He has been breathing independently for five days now, is eating well and no longer confined to bed."
Ozzy sustained a broken collarbone, a damaged neck vertebra, and eight broken ribs in the crash, which occurred on the grounds of his estate. He needed a ventilator to breathe during his first week in the hospital.
Son Jack Osbourne flew home from Los Angeles to join the rest of the Osbourne family, who were hoping to spend the holiday at their mansion in Buckinghamshire. However, a spokesperson said, "They'll all be together but we still don't know about Ozzy. That's down to the hospital to decide."
Wife and manager Sharon Osbourne recently stated that it may take her husband six months to recover from his injuries. Once Ozzy is strong enough, doctors will surgically insert a steel plate into his neck to support the damaged vertebra.
Ozzy
12/14/03
Marks 35 Years in Biz
Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne has been many things throughout his multi-platinum career: lead singer of Black Sabbath, successful solo star and a veteran touring artist.
But as Ozzy marks the 35th anniversary of his career, there is no doubt that his starring part in MTV reality series "The Osbournes" ushered in a most unlikely role for him: that of mainstream pop-culture icon.
Much has already been said about Ozzy and his family in the saturation media coverage that followed the success of "The Osbournes," which documents the lives of Ozzy; his wife/manager, Sharon; and two of their children, Kelly and Jack (the Osbournes' daughter Aimee does not appear in the show). The reality show -- which debuted March 5, 2002, on MTV in the U.S. -- holds the record for the highest-rated series on MTV. "The Osbournes" also grabbed hit status in other countries, including Canada and Great Britain.
The Osbournes and MTV have re-upped for a third season, expected to begin in 2004, despite Ozzy's ATV accident Dec. 8.
Unlike other middle-aged rock stars whose glory days are behind them and are contemplating retirement, Ozzy has become a bigger star than ever. And he shows no signs of slowing down.
"Ozzy is a living legend," says Epic Records executive VP/GM Steve Barnett, who was once Black Sabbath's agent and has known Ozzy since 1971. "Ozzy is one of the few artists who's maintained his relevance with a young audience. He's stayed true to his craft, and he's very special. He's an incredibly passionate man, and in some ways he defies categorization."
MTV/MTV2 president Van Toffler says, "Ozzy is downright loveable. In many ways, he's the heart and soul of the Osbourne family. He represents everything that's right about rock 'n' roll -- you go with your gut and say what you feel."
Ozzy's journey in the music business has been a virtual roller-coaster ride.
Born Dec. 3, 1948, in Birmingham, England, John Michael Osbourne, nicknamed Ozzy, might have been just another high-school dropout with a prison record (for burglary) and doomed to a dead-end existence had he not discovered his musical calling.
With the Beatles as his biggest influence, a teenage Ozzy decided to pursue a full-time career in rock 'n' roll. He hooked up with a series of unknown bands that went nowhere fast until, in 1969, the Birmingham band he was in changed its name to Black Sabbath. The group previously had used the names Polka Tulk Blues Band (later shortened to Polka Tulk) and Earth.
Ozzy and Black Sabbath's classic lineup of guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Terence "Geezer" Butler and drummer Bill Ward enjoyed a wild ride during the next decade. The occult-inspired imagery that the band embraced led to controversy but also a rabidly loyal following, influencing countless people.
Beginning in 1970, the band released several hit albums, toured the world and pounded out such classic heavy-metal anthems as "Paranoid," "War Pigs" and "Iron Man."
By the late '70s, there were rifts in the band, and Ozzy's marriage to his first wife, Thelma, was also crumbling. With Ozzy's solo career seeming hopeless, manager Don Arden -- who had shepherded Black Sabbath's career in the latter half of the '70s -- parted ways with Black Sabbath and decided to manage Ozzy. Arden's daughter, Sharon, worked with her father and also took a special interest in Ozzy.
If Black Sabbath was known for mayhem and drug- and alcohol-induced debauchery, the solo Ozzy booted his reputation up to an even more outrageous level. With the help of Sharon, Ozzy assembled a backing band, and his first solo album, the successful "Blizzard of Ozz," was released in 1980.
"I first met Ozzy at a recording studio in England in 1979 or 1980, when he was recording his solo album," says Harvey Leeds, Epic senior VP of artist development and marketing. "Ozzy was sitting outside on the grass, and I remember he pulled me into the studio because he couldn't wait to play me his new songs. I remember hearing tracks 'Mr. Crowley' and 'Crazy Train' for the first time and thinking that this was the greatest music in the world and it would become an instant classic."
"Blizzard of Ozz" also sparked the creative songwriting partnership of Ozzy and guitarist Randy Rhoads -- whom many consider to be one of rock's greatest guitarists -- and bassist Bob Daisley.
By 1983, Sharon had fully taken the reins of Ozzy's career by becoming his manager. But to do that, she had to buy out Ozzy's management contract from her father at a reported cost of $1.5 million. The deal caused a bitter rift between father and daughter, and they remained estranged for almost 20 years until they reconciled last year.
It was during the "Blizzard of Ozz" era that Ozzy's reputation as the ultimate "madman of rock" took on a life of its own. It was fueled by Ozzy's antics, including an infamous 1981 incident in which he bit off the head of a live dove during a meeting with record-label executives.
"I wasn't there," Leeds says, "but it was literally the 'bite heard around the world.' Within moments of that happening, everyone at the company knew that there was an artist named Ozzy Osbourne at the label."
Then on March 19, 1982, Rhoads was killed during an airborne joy ride that ended when his plane crashed into a house. The accident also killed pilot Andrew Aycock and Ozzy's hairdresser, Rachel Youngblood. Ozzy, who was not in the plane, saved the life of a man who was in the house at the time -- a fact that often gets buried under the negative stories about the rock star.
If Rhoads' untimely death was Ozzy's low point that year, his marriage to Sharon could be considered one of the highlights of his life. The couple married July 4, 1982.
Throughout the '80s, Ozzy garnered more multi-platinum records and successful tours. But he was dogged by stints in rehab, hospitalizations for injuries and lawsuits against him claiming that his songs caused teenagers to commit suicide. None of the lawsuits were successful.
In the early '90s, Ozzy was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), leading him to prematurely announce his retirement from touring. His 1992 No More Tours trek was one of his most successful. He returned to touring in 1995, after learning that he did not have MS. The following year, Sharon launched the successful annual Ozzfest tour, with Ozzy as the headliner. Ozzfest has since become the premier touring festival for heavy metal and hard rock acts.
Then an MTV show would change the singer's life.
It may be common knowledge that "The Osbournes" TV series had its origins in the family's 2000 appearance on "MTV Cribs," a program that showcases the homes of celebrities.
But what may not be widely known is that years before MTV labeled "The Osbournes" the world's "first reality sitcom," Ozzy had been toying with the idea of having a forum to show his more humorous side.
"The MTV show is a natural evolution of Ozzy wanting to show his comedic talents," says Leeds. "He has said if he wasn't doing music, he'd want to be a stand-up comedian. We were even talking about doing a spoken-word comedy record about 10 years ago. Another idea he had was doing a parody of the movie 'My Dinner With Andre' called 'My Dinner With Ozzy."'
Although daughter Aimee chose not to participate in the show, Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly became media darlings. Most observers believe that the show's impact has been far-reaching, not just on TV but in the broader pop culture.
" 'The Osbournes' been a flash point for other celebrities to get their own reality shows," says Stan Soocher, University of Colorado at Denver associate professor of music and entertainment studies. "Doing a reality show is no longer considered a bad career move. 'The Osbournes' was the first reality series to show the inner workings of a dysfunctional but loving rock 'n' roll family."
The third season will likely not shy away from Jack's recent stint in rehab and Ozzy's ongoing struggle with drug and alcohol abuse. In July, the Osbourne family also lost longtime tour manager Bobby Thomson to throat cancer.
MTV executives say that although Sharon decides what can and cannot be filmed for the show, the series is ultimately a collaboration between the Osbournes and MTV.
People close to Ozzy note that his charitable side often does not win as much media coverage as the wild rock 'n' roll stories about him. For example, Leeds recalls that at one of Ozzy's concerts, the singer met a wheelchair-bound fan who wanted to ride his wheelchair across the country but did not have enough money to do so.
"Ozzy literally pulled money out of his pocket -- hundreds of dollars -- and gave it to the fan as seed money for his trip," Leeds says. "I always see Ozzy meeting with needy people."
Ozzy has also donated his money, time and services to dozens of charities through the years, including the International Rett Syndrome Assn. Leeds, whose daughter has Rett Syndrome, a developmental disorder, says that one of his most treasured memories of Ozzy is of the rock star donating money he won in a lawsuit to Rett Syndrome research. "He told me he was doing it for my daughter," Leeds says. "I was really touched."
Ozzy Osbourne
12/12/03
Stopped Breathing
Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating for more than a minute after a crash on an all-terrain vehicle, a newspaper quoted his wife as saying Friday.
Sharon Osbourne said a security guard who was with the rock star resuscitated him, the Daily Mirror tabloid reported.
"He had stopped breathing and the guard spotted it immediately," she was quoted as saying. "He had stopped breathing for a minute and a half and there was no pulse. But thank God, the security guard was there to revive him. He resuscitated him and got him breathing and his pulse going again. We are so, so grateful to him."
Osbourne fractured his left collarbone, eight ribs and a neck vertebra in Monday's accident at his estate in Buckinghamshire, southern England. He underwent emergency surgery after the crash to restore the flow to a damaged blood vessel.
He has been on a ventilator in intensive care at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, west of London. Hospital medical director Dr. Dick Jack has said he expects the 55-year-old "Black Sabbath" star to make a steady recovery.
Jack said Osbourne was "progressing well, but slowly."
"With each day he becomes less dependent on the ventilator," he said. "It is still too early to take him off entirely. Otherwise he is well, with no complications."
Sharon Osbourne reportedly said doctors did not yet know whether her husband would have any long-term effects.
"The doctors are hoping there hasn't been any lasting damage, but until Ozzy can actually come round and get off the ventilator and then they will know," she was quoted as saying.
She reportedly added that Ozzy Osbourne crashed as he drove over uneven ground and the bike landed on top of him.
Ozzy Osbourne
12/10/03
On The Mend
Ozzy Osbourne
British rocker Ozzy Osbourne is on the mend after a quad bike accident and must be feeling better because he has started moaning about the nurses, his daughter Kelly said on Wednesday.
But doctors have said that Osbourne, who fractured eight ribs and a vertebra in his neck, will have to stay on a ventilator for at least the next 24 hours. "He is comfortable and stable," a hospital spokesman said.
Kelly, who had just recorded the Black Sabbath track "Changes" with her father, told reporters: "He woke up today. He couldn't talk because of the tube in his mouth but he was able to mouth words. He told us that he loved us."
The tearful Kelly did manage to laugh when she added: "He has been complaining about the nurses so we know he's all right. He gave me the 'thumbs-up' and stuck his tongue out at me."
Asked about how the accident happened, Kelly said: "He was in a field and there was grass covering a hole and the bike went in the hole and fell on top of him."
Osbourne, who has mellowed from wild man of heavy rock to comical much-loved star of his reality TV series "The Osbournes," underwent emergency surgery after the crash on an all-terrain bike at his English country estate.
Dick Jack, medical director of the hospital treating Osbourne, said: "He is not yet ready to come off the ventilator and will stay on it for another 24 hours at least."
"He has made contact with the medical and nursing staff. He is fully aware of where he is and why he's here."
Ozzy, 55, first shot to fame in the 1970s as frontman of ground-breaking band Black Sabbath.
His viciously angry lyrics, gruesome stage stunts and disturbing images of evil earned the band cult status and he gained notoriety by biting a bat's head off at a concert in the United States. Ozzy has since said he thought it was a toy.
His wife Sharon made a 5,000 mile dash across the Atlantic on Tuesday to be at his hospital bedside.
After the accident, British bookmakers slashed the odds on Kelly and Ozzy's duet being top of the hit parade at Christmas, saying many people would buy it out of sympathy.
Tour manager Bill Greer said the Osbourne family were very moved by the flood of flowers, messages and cards sent by fans.
"It really means a lot to them and touches their heart that so many people have such concern about Ozzy's condition," he said.
Ozzy Osbourne
12/10/03
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne (R), daughter of British rocker Ozzy, walks out to speak to the media flanked by a bodyguard outside Wexham Park Hospital, Slough, near London, December 10, 2003, as her father recovers from injuries sustained in an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) crash. Osbourne, 55, is on a ventilator after fracturing eight ribs and a vertebra in his neck after the crash at his Buckinghamshire home in southern England on Monday afternoon.
Photo by Lee Besford
12/10/03
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne, daughter of British rocker Ozzy, looks down as she speaks to the media outside Wexham Park Hospital, Slough, near London, December 10, 2003, as her father recovers from injuries sustained during an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) crash. Osbourne, 55, is on a ventilator after fracturing eight ribs and a vertebra in his neck after the crash at his Buckinghamshire home in southern England on Monday afternoon.
Photo by Lee Besford
12/10/03
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne (news), daughter of British rocker Ozzy, speaks to the media outside Wexham Park Hospital, Slough, near London, December 10, 2003, as her father recovers from injuries sustained in an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) crash. Osbourne, 55, is on a ventilator after fracturing eight ribs and a vertebra in his neck after the crash at his Buckinghamshire home in southern England on Monday afternoon.
Photo by Lee Besford
12/09/03
On Ventilator
Ozzy Osbourne
British rocker Ozzy Osbourne will be on a ventilator for at least one more day after fracturing eight ribs and a vertebra in a quad bike crash, doctors said on Tuesday.
"We have begun, slowly begun, the process of getting him off the ventilator," said Dick Jack, medical director of the hospital where the former Black Sabbath lead singer and reality TV star is being treated.
Osbourne, who has mellowed from wild man of heavy rock to comical much-loved star of his reality TV series "The Osbournes," underwent emergency surgery overnight after the crash on an all-terrain bike at his English country estate.
His wife Sharon made a 5,000 mile dash across the Atlantic on Tuesday to be at his hospital bedside.
"I've not heard how he is since last night," she told reporters as she arrived at London's Heathrow airport. "I haven't managed to speak to him on the phone and I am going straight to hospital to see him."
"I heard about the accident from my husband's security guard. Apparently he was on his quad bike when he hit something and fell and the bike landed on top of him."
Osbourne's tour manager Bill Greer told reporters later that Sharon and the couple's daughter Kelly visited Ozzy but he was unable to talk to them because of his condition.
"I know they spent some time just talking with him and being by his side," Greer said.
"She really wanted me to wish thanks to everybody, all the well-wishers for all the messages, all the flowers, all the words of goodwill to Ozzy. It certainly means a lot to her and it means a lot to Ozzy as well."
Ozzy, 55, first shot to fame in the 1970s as frontman of ground-breaking band Black Sabbath.
His viciously angry lyrics, gruesome stage stunts and disturbing images of evil earned the band cult status and he gained notoriety by biting a bat's head off at a concert in the United States. Ozzy has since said he thought it was a toy.
He is in Britain to promote his latest single -- a soothing reworking of the Black Sabbath track "Changes," which he sings as a duet with Kelly.
After the accident, bookmakers William Hill slashed their odds on the song topping the charts at Christmas, saying many people would buy it out of sympathy.
Ozzy Osbourne
12/09/03
Ozzy & Kelly
US rock singer Ozzy Osbourne (L) and his daughter Kelly Osbourne perform on the German TV show 'Wetten, Dass...?' last Saturday (12/06/03). Ozzy Osbourne underwent emergency surgery after an accident riding a quad bike at his home in England, but his injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.
Photo by Joerg Koch
12/08/03
Hurt in ATV Accident
Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne was seriously injured Monday in an accident on the grounds of his estate in England and underwent emergency surgery, a spokeswoman said.
The 55-year-old rock star was riding a "quad bike," or all-terrain vehicle, on his Buckinghamshire property when the accident occurred, according to publicist Cindy Guagenti.
His injuries were not considered to be life-threatening, she said.
An examination showed Osbourne broke his collarbone, six ribs and a vertebra in his neck, according to Guagenti. He was in surgery Monday evening at an undisclosed English hospital.
The operation was intended to lift the collarbone, which was believed to be resting on a major artery and interrupting blood flow to his arm. Surgeons also were trying to stem "some bleeding into his lungs," Guagenti said.
Osbourne was taking a day off from promoting the United Kingdom release of "Changes," a duet with his daughter, Kelly, when the accident occurred.
Guagenti's office said no further information was immediately available.
"The Osbournes," the MTV reality show featuring the rocker, wife Sharon and their children, started production about a month ago on its third season, scheduled to begin Jan. 13.
It was not immediately known how the accident would affect production or how or whether it might be included in the series, an MTV spokeswoman said Monday.
On Saturday, a story on the Los Angeles Times Web site reported Osbourne's claim that he was overprescribed a variety of powerful anti-psychotic and tranquilizing drugs by a Beverly Hills doctor.
Osbourne said he developed a 42-pill per day habit that accounted for his odd behavior on the hit MTV show, including scenes in which Osbourne was seen mumbling, falling and appearing disoriented.
Last month, Osbourne told a British newspaper he'd been sexually molested as a child and suffered emotional effects from the abuse long into adulthood.
Ozzy Osbourne
12/07/03
Blames Doctor for Drugs
Ozzy Osbourne
Rocker Ozzy Osbourne claims he was overprescribed a host of powerful anti-psychotic and tranquilizing drugs by a Beverly Hills physician, leading to a 42-pill-per-day habit that also accounted for his perplexing behavior on the hit TV series "The Osbournes."
Osbourne's claim, supported by credit card records and other receipts, was reported Saturday on the Los Angeles Times' Web site.
The 55-year old rock star said he was prescribed Valium, Dexedrine, Mysoline and other powerful drugs, which medical experts asserted were, on its face, not proper for any one patient to take at one time.
Osbourne's doctor, David Kipper of Beverly Hills, has been investigated for overprescribing drugs to other celebrity patients, the newspaper reported.
The California Medical Board moved to revoke Kipper's license last week, accusing him of gross negligence in his treatment of other patients. No action has been taken.
Kipper did not immediately return calls to The Associated Press seeking comment. He declined comment in the Times article, saying in a statement that "ethical and medical privacy laws" barred him from discussing patient care.
"I have only good wishes for Mr. Osbourne and for his family and for their good health," the statement said.
Kipper's attorney, John Harwell, told the newspaper: "I can tell you that virtually every allegation you are reporting is inaccurate, incomplete or ... false."
Osbourne and his manager-wife, Sharon, believe the amount of drugs given to the rocker caused his oft-disoriented behavior on "The Osbournes." The show depicted many instances of Osbourne, glassy-eyed and mumbling, falling or acting in a stupefied, bizarre fashion.
"I was wiped out on pills," said Osbourne, who fired Kipper in September, more than a year after becoming his patient. "I couldn't talk. I couldn't walk. I could barely stand up. I was lumbering about like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. It got to the point where I was scared to close my eyes at night afraid I might not wake up."
Osbourne claimed he originally sought Kipper's assistance in June 2002 to kick a dependence on prescription narcotics, and was successfully treated with a 10-day detoxification regiment. But he turned to Kipper again when his wife was diagnosed with colon cancer, and soon was ingesting a host of pills that were allegedly used to treat his anxiety and depression.
Medical experts who reviewed Osbourne's prescription records said they could not make definitive judgments without examining Osbourne and knowing his medical history. But the doctors said the battery of medications prescribed by Kipper appeared excessive for any patient.
"The amount and potency of drugs being prescribed to this patient was outrageous," said Dr. Greg Thompson, director of the Drug Information Center at County USC Medical Center.
Kipper charged the couple $650,000 for his services until they fired him three months ago, the Times reported. The medications he prescribed cost them an additional $58,000.
Kipper carries a Screen Actors Guild card and has had bit parts in several films, including "As Good As It Gets," "Jackass: the Movie" and "Shallow Hal."
Sharon Osbourne said the family decided to fire Kipper after she and her husband attended a Chicago Cubs game, where the singer slurred his way through a rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." The scene was replayed repeatedly on national TV.
Osbourne's music fame began in the late 1960s with Black Sabbath, a British rock quartet. He began a solo successful career in 1979.
In March 2002, MTV launched its unscripted series about Osbourne's home life, portraying him as the doting patriarch of a dysfunctional family. The show was an immediate sensation, attracting record audiences for a cable show and spawning a multimedia cottage industry of books, DVDs, a clothing line, playing cards and other merchandising spin-offs.
Osbourne said he liked Kipper but realized he was under the spell of his doctor and prescription drugs.
"Looking back on it now, I see Dr. Kipper as sort of a friendly villain," Osbourne said. "He comes off as a really nice guy — that is, until you get the bill."
Ozzy Osbourne
12/05/03
'Family Christmas Special'
The Osbournes
MTV will give viewers a glimpse into the holiday season at the home of Ozzy Osbourne and his family with "The Osbourne Family Christmas Special," airing Dec. 11 on the cable network.
Promising to take "holiday specials to a bizarre new level," the program was taped at the family home in Beverly Hills, Calif., the staging ground for MTV's successful reality show, "The Osbournes."
A wide range of celebrity guests joined in on the festivities, including Jessica Simpson, who duets with Ozzy on "Winter Wonderland," and newlyweds Dave Navarro and Carmen Electra, who are shown baking holiday cookies. "Loveline" host Adam Carolla teams with Jack Osbourne to whip up cranberry sauce, while Kelly Osbourne serenades the guests with "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."
The show-stopper will be group reading of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" featuring matriarch Sharon Osbourne, OutKast's Big Boi, 'N Sync's JC Chasez, Eddie Griffin, Tracy Morgan, Anthony Anderson, Eva Mendes and Electra, to be followed by "a climactic caroling sing along."
The Osbournes
12/01/03
Was Sexually Abused as Child
Ozzy Osbourne
British heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne said in a newspaper interview on Monday that he was sexually abused as a child.
The former Black Sabbath frontman, who won a new generation of fans with a fly-on-the-wall TV series set in his Beverly Hills home, said the abuse took place when he was a schoolboy in central England.
"I was sexually abused as a kid," Osbourne, 54, said in an interview splashed across three pages of the Daily Mirror. "Two boys used to wait for me to come home after school.
"They felt me and touched me. It became a regular thing on the way home from school -- it seemed to go on forever."
He said he was too scared to tell his parents and that he needed counseling later in life to come to terms with it.
"When I was a kid, people did not talk about these things like they do know," he said. "I worked it out with a therapist."
Osbourne became of the world's biggest heavy metal stars, selling more than 60 million albums in a three-decade career noted for its alcohol- and drug-fueled excess.
He said he cut down his drinking after an ultimatum from his wife, Sharon, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2002.
"She left me for four days," he said. "I think I have had one glass of wine since."
The alcohol exacerbated a hereditary condition which gives him a pronounced tremor, which he controls with medication.
"Now I am only taking two pills three times a day and I feel a hell of a lot better for it," he said.
After performing for Britain's Queen Elizabeth and winning a third series of his reality TV show, Osbourne said he was surprised by his long-running success.
"I have a had an incredible life," he told the Mirror. "I am 55 on December 3 -- how I survived is a miracle."
Ozzy Osbourne
11/28/03
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne, right, daughter of Ozzy Osbourne, and friend Rob Aston arrive for the Top Of The Pops Live relaunch show at BBC Television Centre in London Friday, Nov. 28, 2003.
Photo by Ian West
11/15/03
Sharon Osbourne
Talk show host Sharon Osbourne wows her audience with some acrobatic moves during a segment airing November 17, 2003 on 'The Sharon Osbourne Show' thanks to modern burlesque stars The Wau Wau Sisters, Tanya Gagné (L) and Adrienne Truscott (R), in this undated publicity photograph. Co-host for the day Andy Dick and his 'Less Than Perfect' co-star Sherri Shepherd look on.
Photo by Chris Polk
11/06/03
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne is honored as 'Woman of the 21st Century' by the Women's Guild of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Photo by Alex Berliner
11/06/03
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne is honored as 'Woman of the 21st Century' by the Women's Guild of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Photo by Alex Berliner
11/06/03
Kelly Osbourne
Actress and singer Kelly Osbourne arrives for the MTV Europe music awards in Edinburgh, Scotland, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003.
Photo by Sang Tan
11/06/03
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne, the daughter of British rock star Ozzie Osbourne, arrives for the MTV Europe Awards in Edinburgh, November 6, 2003.
Photo by Stephen Hird
11/06/03
Sharon & Jack Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne and her son Jack pose together as they arrive for the Musicians Assistance Program benefit dinner November 5, 2003 at the Beverly Hills hotel in Beverly Hills. The program provides continuing treatment for music industry professionals suffering from drug or alcohol dependency. Sharon Osbourne is acting as host of the dinner.
Photo by Fred Prouser
11/06/03
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne is interviewed as she arrives for the Musicians Assistance Program benefit dinner November 5, 2003 at the Beverly Hills hotel in Beverly Hills. The program provides continuing treatment for music industry professionals suffering from drug or alcohol dependency. Osbourne is acting as host of the dinner.
Photo by Fred Prouser
11/06/03
Jack Osbourne
Jack Osbourne, the son of musician Ozzy Osbourne, poses as he arrives for the Musicians Assistance Program benefit dinner November 5, 2003 at the Beverly Hills hotel in Beverly Hills. The program provides continuing treatment for music industry professionals suffering from drug or alcohol dependency.
Photo by Fred Prouser
11/06/03
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne poses as she arrives for the Musicians Assistance Program benefit dinner November 5, 2003 at the Beverly Hills hotel in Beverly Hills. The program provides continuing treatment for music industry professionals suffering from drug or alcohol dependency. Sharon Osbourne is acting as host of the dinner. Photo by Fred Prouser
11/06/03
Sharon & Jack Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne and her son Jack pose together as they arrive for the Musicians Assistance Program benefit dinner November 5, 2003 at the Beverly Hills hotel in Beverly Hills. The program provides continuing treatment for music industry professionals suffering from drug or alcohol dependency. Sharon Osbourne is acting as host of the dinner.
Photo by Fred Prouser
10/31/03
Sharon Osbourne
Actor/director Quentin Tarantino shows talk show host Sharon Osbourne some fight moves from his new movie, 'Kill Bill,' while taping an episode of 'The Sharon Osbourne Show,' Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2003, in Los Angeles. While taping the show, Tarantino revealed for the first time he has a cameo appearance, which has become a Tarantino trademark, in the movie. The show will air Monday Nov. 3.
10/29/03
Sharon Osbourne
Talk show hostess Sharon Osbourne, right, in this undated photo, takes on wrestler 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin on her television show 'The Sharon Osbourne Show,' in Los Angeles.
Photo by Chris Polk
10/24/03
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne kicks-off the 2003 'Bogart Tour For A Cure' with an opening message at the Kodak Theatre in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California October 23, 2003. The event is the Bogart Pediatric Cancer Research Program's annual all-star musical tribute honoring entertainment industry role models and benefiting research at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles.
Photo by Jim Ruymen
10/23/03
Breast Molds in Auction
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne is putting a little bit of herself into the fight against breast cancer. Hand-painted molds of Osbourne's breasts were being auctioned online to benefit the Boarding for Breast Cancer Foundation, or B4BC, a nonprofit group co-founded by professional snowboarder Tina Basich.
The molds were displayed during Tuesday's taping of the syndicated talk show "The Sharon Osbourne Show" and caught guest Anthony Anderson's eye.
"I gotta have those at home," said Anderson, star of the WB sitcom "All About the Andersons." "I want to make the first opening bid at $5,000. ... So match that! Somebody match that!"
Osbourne, the wife of rock star Ozzy Osbourne, was treated for colon cancer, which is now in remission. The show with Basich and Anderson airs Thursday.
Sharon Osbourne
www.sharonosbourne.com
10/23/03
Reschedules European Tour
Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne has rescheduled his European tour. The trek will now take place in January and February of 2004. The dates were originally planned for this fall, but had to be scrapped when it was revealed that Osbourne was undergoing treatment for a worsening tremor. A specialist at Tufts University in Boston has put Osbourne on medication which causes dry mouth, thus affecting his ability to sing.
Osbourne told MTV.com last Friday (October 17), that the treatment has brought the tremor under control. He also categorically denied that he was afflicted with Parkinson's Disease.
Meanwhile, Osbourne's wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, will host the annual M.A.P. Awards on November 5 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. The event is a benefit for the Musicians Assistance Program, which helps musicians get help for drug and alcohol addiction regardless of their financial situation. This year's event will honor Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, blues guitarist Jimmie Vaughan, and music industry attorney John Branca.
Ozzy Osbourne
10/14/03
Scraps Tour
Ozzy Osbourne
Heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne said on Tuesday that he was being treated for a nervous tremor he blamed for almost destroying his life and had scrapped a planned European tour in order to recover.
The British-born rocker said he had been undergoing tests for the past three weeks for an involuntary shuddering that had become "markedly worse over the last two years."
"I was at the point where it felt as if this problem was practically destroying my life along with my self-esteem," said Osbourne, who has found a wide audience as a foul-mouthed, shuffling patriarch in MTV's hit reality series "The Osbournes" which takes viewers into his home.
"I was no longer comfortable being around people, which, as you can imagine, is not the best trait for a performer," Osbourne said.
Dr. Allan Ropper, the chairman of the neurology department at Tufts University in Boston and Osbourne's physician, said tests had showed Osbourne did not have Parkinson's disease and that his tremor was "coming under control with medication."
"Unfortunately, one of the side effects of the medication is dry mouth, which greatly impairs the voice. This problem usually subsides after three to four weeks, but the downside is that this will definitely affect Mr. Osbourne's ability to sing at this time," Ropper said.
Osbourne's European Tour, which had been scheduled to begin in Dublin on Oct. 22, will be rescheduled for early 2004, the statement from the performer said.
The tour, which had been rescheduled once after a previous cancellation, had been set to run through Dec. 5 in Munich.
Ozzy Osbourne
10/13/03
Wants To Play Ozzy
Jack Black
Red-hot actor Jack Black says he's the man to play Ozzy Osbourne in the long-awaited film version of the metal legend's life, according to the New York Post. In fact, Black made the case to Sharon Osbourne herself on her talk show this past Friday (October 10), telling Ozzy's wife that her husband "was a hero of mine as a kid and I have to say, I've been tracking the Ozzy film...if anyone's Ozzy, I'm Ozzy." Both Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell have been mentioned as possible actors to play Ozzy.
Jack Black's new movie, School Of Rock, debuted at Number One at the box office on the weekend of October 3, earning more than $20 million.
Ozzy, along with several other stars, will perform at London's legendary Royal Albert Hall on October 15, for Fashion Rocks For The Prince's Trust. All proceeds from the event go to the Prince's Trust, England's leading charity for young people.
Osbourne and his daughter Kelly will perform their rendition of Black Sabbath's "Changes" on an upcoming episode of the Sharon Osbourne Show. The duet appears on the new edition of Kelly's 2002 debut album Shut Up, which has been re-released by Sanctuary Records. The disk was originally released by Epic Records, who dropped Kelly late last year.
Jack Black
10/08/03
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne, right, celebrates her birthday with her daughter, Kelly, and rock legend Sir Elton John at a pajama party during the taping of 'The Sharon Osbourne Show' Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2003, in Los Angeles. In addition to singing 'Happy Birthday' on the episode, which airs on Oct. 9, Osbourne's birthday, Elton John serenades her with a lively rendition of 'The Bitch Is Back.'
10/07/03
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne (R) celebrates her birthday by inviting daughter Kelly and rock legend Sir Elton John to a pajama party on the set of her talk show in this undated publicity photograph. The episode will air on Osbourne's birthday October 9 on 'The Sharon Osbourne Show.'
10/06/03
Duet On Sharon's Show
Ozzy & Kelly Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne and his daughter, Kelly, will perform their rendition of Black Sabbath's "Changes" on an upcoming episode of the Sharon Osbourne Show. The duet appears on the new reissue of Kelly's 2002 debut album Shut Up, which was re-released by Sanctuary Records last Tuesday (September 30). The disc was originally released by Epic Records, who dropped Kelly late last year. Ozzy himself parted ways with the label shortly after that.
The original version of "Changes" appeared on the 1972 album, Black Sabbath Vol. 4.
The city council of Birmingham, England, refused last week to grant Ozzy the Freedom Of The City, the town's highest honor. Ozzy was born in Birmingham and formed Sabbath there. Councillors did not think he was an appropriate role model to receive the award.
Actor Johnny Depp is interested in playing Ozzy in a film version of the metal legend's life.
Ozzy is said to be writing a Broadway musical based on the life of notorious Russian monk Rasputin.
Ozzy & Kelly Osbourne
10/01/03
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne's talk show is off to a fast start, as is Ellen DeGeneres' new show. Osbourne is shown speaking about breast cancer research during the recording of Lifetime Television's 4th annual 'Women Rock! Songs From the Movies' benefit concert at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood Sept. 30, 2003.
Photo by Fred Prouser
09/18/03
Sharon Osbourne
Rock musician Tommy Lee shows off his new lotus flower tattoo to talk show host Sharon Osbourne during a taping of 'The Sharon Osbourne Show,' which will be telecast in the United States September 22, 2003. Osbourne attempts to play matchmaker on the segment, stating 'You guys belong together,' refering to Lee's on-again, off-again 'other half,' Pamela Anderson Anderson gets virtually the same advice when she joins Osbourne on her show September 19th.
09/11/03
Signs with Sanctuary
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne has signed a multi-album recording contract with Sanctuary Records Group.
The label will on Sept. 30 re-release her 2002 Epic debut "Shut Up" under the name "Changes," featuring a duet with her father, Ozzy Osbourne, on the title track. The repackaged album will also contain four bonus live cuts.
The title track is a reworking of the Black Sabbath song of the same name, which appeared on the group's 1972 album, "Black Sabbath, Vol. 4" (Warner Bros.). "Changes" will be released as single, and will contain new lyrics written by Ozzy and Kelly, according to Sanctuary.
Kelly split from Sony shortly after the release of "Shut Up," which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart and has sold 155,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Earlier this year, manager/family matriarch Sharon said Ozzy was in talks to leave Epic. A representative for the Osbournes had no comment on Ozzy's label status.
Kelly Osbourne
09/10/03
Says She Left Ozzy for Short Time
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne said she briefly left her husband, Ozzy, around the time their teenage son, Jack, entered rehab this spring.
The Osbourne matriarch said that while the family was waiting for a bed to become available for Jack at a treatment center, her rock-star husband continued abusing alcohol and prescription drugs himself.
"I just said, 'You just have to stop,' and he didn't. And I said, 'Well then, I'm going.' And I packed my bags, and I left," Sharon Osbourne told Barbara Walters in an interview for ABC's "20/20."
The separation lasted just a few days, she said.
"The minute I left, the next morning, he gave up drinking. But I needed to make sure that he was on a roll. That he really meant it," the 50-year-old Osbourne said. "And, after four days, I came back to see him. And he was trying so hard. So hard. Still is clean and sober."
Jack Osbourne, who spent two months in rehab for alcohol and drug abuse, acknowledged that he tried to commit suicide because he was so depressed about his mother's colon cancer, which is now in remission.
"I attempted to overdose," said the 17-year-old, who gained fame with the rest of his family on the MTV series "The Osbournes." "Take a whole bunch of pills and drink some absinthe."
The interview is scheduled to air at 10 p.m. EDT Friday.
Then on Monday, Sharon Osbourne's syndicated daytime talk show debuts.
Sharon Osbourne
08/30/03
Hosting British TV Series
Jack Osbourne
Jack Osbourne will give a "Brit's eye view" of Los Angeles in a new television series, Britain's Channel 4 said Friday.
The 17-year-old son of heavy metal star Ozzy Osbourne will host "Union Jack," which is scheduled to air in November. The program will follow Osbourne to parties, premieres and celebrity haunts and feature his opinions on the latest movies and music.
Channel 4 said the show would "give a fresh take on all things cool and strange in Hollywood."
Osbourne — along with sister Kelly, mother Sharon and father Ozzy, the former frontman for Black Sabbath — became an international star through the MTV reality series "The Osbournes," which follows the profanity-filled proceedings at the British-born rocker's Los Angeles home.
Earlier this year Jack Osbourne spent two months at a rehabilitation clinic undergoing treatment for alcohol and drug abuse.
Jack Osbourne
08/29/03
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne poses for photographers at a party hosted by P. Diddy after the MTV Video Music Awards in New York, Friday, Aug. 29, 2003.
Photo by Diane Bondareff
08/28/03
Kelly Osbourne
Pop singer Avril Lavigne (L) and Kelly Osbourne arrive at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards in Radio City Music Hall in New York, August 28, 2003.
Photo by Albert Ferreira
08/28/03
Kelly Osbourne
Rock group Duran Duran accepts the Lifetime Acievement award as Kelly Osbourne, applauds them at right, during the MTV Video Music Awards at New York's Radio City Music Hall Thursday, Aug. 28, 2003.
Photo by Julie Jacobson
08/28/03
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne arrives at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards in Radio City Music Hall in New York, August 28, 2003.
Photo by Peter Morgan
08/18/03
Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne sing 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' during the 7th inning stretch at Wrigley Field in Chicago, beneath a large likeness of Cubs' legendary broadcaster Harry Carey, on August 17, 2003 during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ozzy drew cheers, jeers and long stares for his rendition of baseball classic, while trying to accompany the song without singing most of the lyrics.
Photo by Stephen Green
08/18/03
Sharon Osbourne gets a few pointers from Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa before throwing out the first pitch at the Cubs-Dodgers game at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Aug. 17, 2003. Sharon was in Chicago with her husband Ozzy to promote her talk show, the Sharon Osbourne Show, which premieres in September.
Photo by Stephen Green
08/17/03
Ozzy Osbourne, center, and his wife, Sharon, right, get a hand from Cubs announcer Steve Stone, left, after singing during the seventh-inning stretch of the Los Angeles Dodgers-Chicago Cubs game Sunday, Aug. 17, 2003, in Chicago. The Cubs lost 3-0.
Photo by Brian Kersey
08/08/03
Talk Show Off To Slow Start
Sharon Osbourne
It seems like the moment it was announced that Sharon Osbourne was planning her own talk show, news has been trickling out that there's trouble on the set. Just a week ago, a staff person told the New York Post that the show's producers were unable to decide on the show's direction, which was resulting in lots of false starts and stops. Now comes word that the Osbournes matriarch herself caused the production staffers some headaches when she decided to stay in England rather than returning to the States last weekend to do some preliminary shooting.
PeopleNews reports that Mrs. Prince Of Darkness stayed in Britain and gave a last-minute call to the show's execs to let them know she was indisposed. The delay is thought to be temporary and not to affect the show's September start date.
The stress of the show's uncertainty has apparently taken its toll on some of its personnel. The Post reported that at least two staffers have been taken to the hospital--one after a seizure and one for an asthma attack.
The show is supposed to be a blend of the best of other talk shows--part celebrity interview, part stories about real people and a reality segment on Osbourne and her unconventional life--and it's set to debut on September 15.
Sharon Osbourne says that--no matter what television projects are cooking for the Osbourne family, her husband's Ozzfest tour is successful. "It's selling out this year," Sharon said. "So as far as Ozzy's musical career goes it's as big as it ever has been. So, this hasn't added to it because Ozzy always sells out."
Sharon Osbourne
07/20/03
Left to right, Diane Salvatore, editor in chief of the magazine Ladies Home Journal, Sharon Osbourne, television host Barbara Walters, and Jeannine Shao Collins, group publisher, pose for photographers at a party honoring Osbourne's cover photo on August's issue of the Ladies Home Journal which was released this week, New York, July 10, 2003.
Photo by Stuart Ramson
07/20/03
Sharon Osbourne (R) talks to Diane Salvatore, the editor in chief of the Ladies Home Journal, at a party honoring her cover photo on the magazine's August's issue which was released this week, in New York July 10, 2003. Osbourne, the wife of rocker Ozzy Osbourne, is to have her own television talkback show due to start in October.
Photo by Stuart Ramson
07/19/03
Chihuahua Killed by Coyotes
Lulu Osbourne
"The Osbournes" reality show has lost a member of the family.
Sharon Osbourne tells "Us Weekly" in its July 28 issue that her black Chihuahua, Lulu, was recently killed by coyotes that jumped a low fence at her home. "It's so heartbreaking," she says.
Osbourne tells the magazine the Osbournes' Pomeranian, Pipi, was attacked earlier this month, but was saved by her husband, Ozzy.
"Ozzy heard the screams and fought and got Pip out of the coyote's mouth," she says.
"The Osbournes" will return for 20 new episodes on MTV early next year. Filming at the family's Beverly Hills mansion will resume this fall, the network said earlier this month.
Lulu Osbourne
www.mtv.com/onair/osbournes
07/14/03
Will Watch Her Language
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne says she'll be watching her language on her new talk show.
Osbourne and her husband, Ozzy Osbourne, are known for their salty remarks on their MTV reality show, "The Osbournes."
"People come into my home (on MTV) and that's the way I choose to live my life," she told the Television Critics Association Sunday. "Now I'm coming into their homes."
"It just wouldn't be a cool thing," she said, to use profanity on the syndicated talk show set to premiere in the fall.
Osbourne, who has managed her husband's career, said she's looking forward to exploring her "passions," which include teenagers, women's rights and celebrities, on her new show.
She was asked if her 17-year-old son Jack, who had entered a rehabilitation clinic for drug and alcohol abuse, could be a guest on the show.
"Absolutely," she replied, if she were doing a show on addiction and he could illuminate the subject.
Sharon Osbourne
07/14/03
No-Show at Washington Concert
Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne was a no-show at Saturday night's Ozzfest concert at the new White River Amphitheatre (Auburn, WA).
There was no official explanation why Osbourne didn't perform, but front man David Draiman told the crowd, "Keep Ozzy in your prayers tonight. Let's hope he gets well soon."
Osbourne, whose family life is the subject of an MTV reality series, "The Osbournes," was reportedly recovering from laryngitis, which had caused him to miss a few previous shows. The Ozzfest Web site said Osbourne's doctor had ordered him to rest his vocal cords.
Ozzy Osbourne
www.ozzfest.com
www.mtv.com/onair/osbournes
07/11/03
Hosting Daytime TV Talk Show
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne, the wife of rocker Ozzy Osbourne, who became a celebrity in her own right from their famously foulmouthed MTV reality show, is bringing her rough-around-the-edges act to daytime television.
The spiky-haired Osbourne, photographed wearing pearls and a pink sweater on the cover of the August edition of the wholesome Ladies Home Journal magazine, will launch an hourlong talk show, named "Sharon," in September on the WB network.
The 50-year-old mother of three is realistic about finding a niche on daytime TV.
"I could never be as good as Oprah (Winfrey). ... I won't be recommending books. That's not my thing. My experience is life," Osbourne said in an interview with Reuters.
For Osbourne, life is full of drama.
Her son, Jack, was in a substance abuse treatment center this spring and her daughter Kelly recently tasted the high of recording her first album, only to be dumped soon after by her label. Osbourne herself is in remission from colon cancer.
Osbourne's fame started with the TV show that featured her at home with a slew of incontinent pets, her equally foulmouthed husband and a lot of "bleeps" on the soundtrack. It has just been renewed for a third season.
The British-born Osbourne hopes people will connect with her working-class sensibility, which she attributes to having left school at 15 to start working two jobs. She plans to interview people who "really interest" her.
"There is a woman I read about the other day that got arrested -- she was breast-feeding her baby while driving her car," Osbourne said. "There is a woman I'm going to be interviewing who was put in jail for playing music too loud in her home."
She may use her children as reporters to cover such events as the Teen Choice Awards for her show, which will be shot on a set made to look like her home. There will be a "Sharon-cam" hooked up to her house so she can talk to Ozzy when he is not touring.
She will also be turning to every good talk show's fodder. "I love celebrities," she said.
Sharon Osbourne
07/11/03
Sharon Osbourne talks to members of the media at a party honoring her cover photo on August's issue of the Ladies Home Journal magazine which was released this week, in New York July 10, 2003. Osbourne, the wife of rocker Ozzy Osbourne, is to have her own television talkback show due to start in October.
Photo by Stuart Ramson
