Ozzy Osbourne is renowned as one of the most instrumental figures in the success of metal music. His success with Black Sabbath remains one of the most important aspects of the genre, and fans of the genre still grown up idolising the Prince of Darkness. Osbourne’s career began in Birmingham, as he was born in the second city in December 1948.
He was the fourth of six children and struggled throughout his school years. These difficulties led him to leave school for good when he was aged just 15, and he quickly started to earn a living by working in various jobs around the city. One of which was working in a slaughterhouse. Ozzy was no stranger to the authorities and committed a number of minor crimes throughout these early years, which led to him spending time behind bars.
Ozzy’s Love Of Music
Even throughout this tough period of his life, his love for music remained and acted as an escape from a life of crime. After being released from prison, he formed a band called Polka Tulk Blues alongside Terence Butler, Bill Ward and Tony Iommi. During this time as a band, they discovered the new metal genre, and record producers quickly saw their talent. However, they were forced to change their name, which was where Black Sabbath was born.
The Birth Of Black Sabbath And Success
Despite their debut album gaining negative reviews from critics, commercially it would be a huge success. The self-titled album would reach the top ten in the United Kingdom and also achieve success in the United States. Legendary songs such as ‘The Wizard’ were included in that album, but it was their second album that really captured the imagination. Paranoid was released in 1971 and became an instant success on both sides of the Atlantic.
It went straight to number one in the United Kingdom and reached as high as 12th in the charts in the United States. They were able to attract a huge number of fans due to the backlash that they received from experts and right-wing political groups. However, this just spurred the band on, and the releases of Master of Reality and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath over the following two years ensured that they were deserving of their place amongst music royalty.
Osbourne Leaves Black Sabbath
It wasn’t all plain sailing for the band, however, as Osbourne left the band in the early 80s. This was mainly down to the band not reaching the same heights as they were previously. Substance abuse also played its part within the dynamic of the band, and added tension among the members. They also lost fans during this era due to the Punk era. When Osbourne left the band, they continued touring and had numerous singers that tried to fill the void left by Ozzy.
However, none of them were able to do it, and they were never able to reach the same heights again. Ozzy would continue to excel, as he went on to release over ten studio albums before re-joining Black Sabbath for a final album titled 13. Their farewell tour was one of the biggest mental events in history, and few can argue about the impact that they had on the music scene.
