Blue plaque honour for Richard Burton and mentor in Neath Port Talbot
The campaign for the blue plaques was brought forward by the community in partnership with Neath Port Talbot council as part of a heritage strategy.Burton, who died in 1984, aged 58, starred in Hollywood blockbuster Cleopatra, and was known for his powerful performances in Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood and Shakespearean stage roles.The centenary celebrations will mark Burton's life and legacy. His mentor and adoptive father, Philip Burton, is also being honoured after taking in a wayward schoolboy, then named Richard Jenkins.Their relationship was recently shown in a film starring Harry Lawtey as a young Burton and Toby Jones as Philip, telling the story of the actor's formative years.It highlighted the profound influence Burton the elder had on Richard's career and success after spotting his talent for drama.
The actor's granddaughter said: "We are so excited that two blue plaques will be unveiled in honour of Philip and Richard Burton."Councillor Cen Phillips said the council was "delighted" to grant the plaques."We know that the creative spirit runs deep in Neath Port Talbot, the dramatic heart of Wales."By honouring both men, we are recognising the importance of mentors and teachers to our communities," he added.The plaques will be installed during the centenary week in November.
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Ozzy - dubbed the Prince of Darkness who defined heavy metal - has left millions of fans mourning his devastating passing. The Black Sabbath frontman, 76, took to the stage for the last time earlier this month, belting out a blistering five-song set alongside bandmates Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward. Billed as 'the greatest heavy metal show ever,' Ozzy beamed as thousands chanted his name - then watched proudly as his daughter Kelly's boyfriend, Slipknot star Sid Wilson, proposed to her. The rocker had vowed it would be his final gig - after years of hard living and a heartbreaking Parkinson's battle he revealed in 2020. And his last ever post on Instagram was a picture of a poster celebrating his last ever show - with a photo of him alongside his three bandmates. It read: "Ozzy Osbourne. Back to the Beginning." Ozzy's outrageous career ranged from biting the head off a bat mid-show to shocking record execs by snapping a dove's neck in a meeting. He also snorted a line of ants while on tour with the notorious Mötley Crüe band in the '80s. And he even made eyebrow-raising headlines off-stage - on one occasion he urinated on a US war memorial while wearing one of Sharon's dresses. Loved for his madcap antics, raw voice and larger-than-life persona, the Brummie icon leaves behind a heavy metal legacy that will never be forgotten. The full statement from his family read: "It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. "He was with his family and surrounded by love. "We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time. "Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis." Black Sabbath also posted a heartwarming post on X in tribute to the late rock pioneer. The post said: "Ozzy Forever!" Further tributes have already poured in for the legend following his family's announcement on Tuesday evening. David Coverdale, founder and lead singer of rock band Whitesnake - and rumoured to once be considered for the role of Black Sabbath frontman - shared a message on X. "My Sincere Condolences To Sharon, The Family, Friends & Fans," he wrote. 11 11 Although Ozzy's wild behaviour would have been enough to see some artists blacklisted, the star became a loveable rogue who captured fans' hearts across the globe. In 2001, Ozzy appealed to a whole new audience after appearing in reality TV show The Osbournes with his family. Its first series was the most-watched show ever on MTV and propelled Jack and Kelly into stardom, with the latter enjoying a music career of her own. Matriarch Sharon also carved out a successful showbiz career for herself - first as an X Factor judge, then host of her own show in the US. With the family's success growing, they hosted the 30th Annual American Music Awards and later the BRIT Awards in London. The hugely popular show ran until 2005 and portrayed heartbreaking moments for the family - including Sharon's battle with cancer and the quad bike accident that nearly killed Ozzy. The family later starred in the reality series The Osbournes Want to Believe and special The Osbournes: Night of Terror, which both focused on paranormal investigations. Ozzy Osbourne's iconic career The singer then pursued his love of music after hearing The Beatles hit She Loves You in 1963, aged 15. After appearing in a handful of school plays, Ozzy joined Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler in their first group Rare Breed in 1967. When that band split, the pair reunited in Polka Tulk Blues alongside Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. The group later became known as Black Sabbath and went onto shatter the music world with their whining guitar solos, Occult-based lyrics and Ozzy's screeching vocals. In 1970, the group gained a cult following in both the US and UK after releasing their eponymous first album. Black Sabbath saw incredible success with hit tracks such as Paranoid but discord in the group saw most of the original line-up leave. Ozzy himself quit the band in 1978, with a spiral into drug abuse leading to a divorce from first wife Thelma Mayfair, who he had two children with. It was then he first met a young Sharon Arden, who Ozzy at first wrote off as he believed she would think he was a "lunatic". But the singer could not be more wrong and the pair married in Hawaii in July 1982 before going on to have three children together, Aimee, Kelly and Jack. With Sharon's encouragement and help from her music manager dad Don, he began to carve out a successful solo career. His seminal first album Blizzard of Ozz in 1980 became a multi-platinum success thanks to Ozzy's howling vocals and macabre laugh on hit Crazy Train. Coupled with the Prince of Darkness' insane tour that saw him bite the head off a live bat, a string of successful tracks followed - cementing Ozzy as a rock legend around the world. In 1992, the singer announced his retirement but four years later created the beloved annual music festival Ozzfest with Sharon, which featured heavy metal acts touring the US and some of Europe. Ozzy returned to Black Sabbath in 1999, with the band winning a Grammy for best metal performance for the song Iron Man. They later earned the same award in 2013 after releasing single God Is Dead? from album 13. Born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham in 1948, the star had a string of jobs including labourer, plumber and abattoir worker after dropping out of school aged 15. He was raised by his parents Lilian and John, with three older sisters and two younger brothers, in a humble two-bed house. The youngster struggled in education with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, and dyslexia. And Ozzy became entangled with petty crime and served two months in prison for burglary. It was during his stint behind bars he gave himself his first tattoo, his iconic OZZY on the knuckles of his left hand. The singer then pursued his love of music after hearing The Beatles hit She Loves You in 1963. After appearing in a handful of school plays, Ozzy joined bassist Geezer Butler in their first group Rare Breed in 1967 at the age of 19. When that band split, the pair reunited in Polka Tulk Blues alongside Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. They renamed the group, originally called Earth, as Black Sabbath. The band took on satanic and occult themes, which were enough to see them condemned by future pope Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. 11 11 Some of Black Sabbath's most iconic hits featured on their second album Paranoid. Fans hailed the heavy metal artists for their classics including Iron Man and War Pigs. The skyrocketed to international fame with five consecutive platinum selling albums within three years. But Ozzy himself quit the band in 1978, with a spiral into drug abuse leading to a divorce from first wife Thelma Mayfair, who he had two children with. However by the 1980s, Black Sabbath signed Don Arden as their manager. This led Ozzy to meet his future wife Sharon - Arden's daughter. The pair eventually tied the knot on July 4, 1982 - a date set by Ozzy so he would never forget their anniversary. Although it wasn't always smooth sailing - Ozzy originally fobbed Sharon off because he believed she would think he was a "lunatic". But the singer could not be more wrong and the couple went on to have three children together, Aimee, Kelly and Jack. With Sharon's encouragement and help from her music manager dad Don, he began to carve out a successful solo career. 11 Ozzy later opened up about his first wife Thelma, to whom he was married for 11 years and welcomed two children with - Jessica and Louis. The rocker also adopted Thelma's son Elliot. He admitted the union had failed because of his career and drug use, calling himself "a complete idiot" for being "abusive" to her. Ozzy's seminal first album Blizzard of Ozz in 1980 became a multi-platinum success thanks to Ozzy's howling vocals and macabre laugh on hit Crazy Train. However, in 1989 Ozzy's hardcore partying lifestyle took a sinister turn when he tried to strangle Sharon. Although the couple have famously spoken about how they both gave as good as they got, the incident saw Ozzy seek help for his drug use. She agreed not to press charges if he went to rehab - a decision that allowed the icon to continue performing. In 1992, the singer announced his retirement but four years later created the beloved annual music festival Ozzfest with Sharon, which featured heavy metal acts touring the US and some of Europe. Ozzy returned to Black Sabbath in 1999, with the band winning a Grammy for best metal performance for the song Iron Man. They later earned the same award in 2013 after releasing single God Is Dead? from album 13. 11
