Latest news with #America'sGotTalent
Perth Now
9 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
'Bless you': Sharon Osbourne reacts to Gavin Rossdale's Ozzy Osbourne tribute
Sharon Osbourne has reacted to Gavin Rossdale's tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. The 72-year-old star made her first public comment since the passing of the Black Sabbath icon at the age of 76 on Tuesday (22.07.25) as she replied to the Bush frontman's Instagram post in honour of the Paranoid rocker. Gavin captioned a photo of himself and Ozzy: "RIP OZZY - a great man - a true legend. I met Ozzy through Jack just a few times but he was so warm and kind and funny and I love that memory. Sending much love to his family at this difficult time. Rest in power." Sharon responded: "Bless you." The former America's Got Talent judge had shared a family statement with her kids Aimee, 41, Kelly, 40, and Jack, 39, announcing the sad news of Ozzy's death. It 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." Tributes to Ozzy poured in from music luminaries following his passing, with Sir Elton John describing the star as "a dear friend and huge trailblazer". The Rocketman singer posted on Instagram: "He was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods. He was also one of the funniest people I've ever met. I will miss him dearly. To Sharon and the family, I send my condolences and love." Ozzy's death comes just weeks after he played a farewell gig with Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Terence 'Geezer' Butler at Villa Park in his home city of Birmingham and the trio all shared tributes to the heavy metal pioneer. Butler wrote on Instagram: "Thanks for all those years - we had some great fun. "Four kids from Aston - who'd have thought, eh? So glad we got to do it one more time, back in Aston. Love you." Guitarist Iommi added: "It's just such heartbreaking news that I can't really find the words, there won't be another like him. Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother." Ward posted on social media: "Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls... no, you're forever in my heart."
Cosmopolitan
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
The Trisha Paytas Baby Theory, Explained
Though Trisha Paytas has dropped enough of her lore on the internet to keep us entertained for nearly two decades, her name is currently trending for the weirdest reason. As the social media personality announced that she had welcomed her third baby, Aquaman Moses Paytas-Hacman, on July 22, reports surfaced that rock music legend Ozzy Osbourne tragically passed away at the age of 76. Naturally, the internet lost it due to the mere coincidence. If you're confused, allow us to break down how people landed on that bizarre theory in the first place. Here is the Trisha Paytas baby theory, explained. In case you're not familiar with Trisha, she gained a massive following of more than 10 million TikTok followers and 5 million YouTube subscribers thanks to her stint on reality shows like America's Got Talent and Celebrity Big Brother U.K. and hours worth of meme-worthy YouTube mukbangs. She has truly lived many different lives in the constantly swinging pendulum of culture, and her chronically online devotees are convinced that her three children have also lived past lives since she seemingly gave birth every time a prominent historical figure passed away. The strange theory started when Trisha welcomed her firstborn, Malibu Barbie, nearly a week after Queen Elizabeth II had died in September 2022. She gave birth to another daughter, Elvis, in May 2024. Though Elvis technically wasn't born when it happened, people kept the bit going when they tied her birth to Pope Francis's death on April 21, 2025. Coincidentally, it happened again when the Black Sabbath musician Ozzy Osbourne died on July 22, the same day Trisha announced her baby, Aquaman, was born on July 12. Yep. The social media personality broke her silence on April 22, 2025, when her name was trending online following Pope Francis's death. She reacted to the news in real time with her Just Trish podcast co-host, Oscar Gracey, who revealed that the internet has a theory that Trisha is a vessel for prominent public figures to reincarnate after they've passed away. 'I just don't get it,' Trisha said. 'Is it just any influential person that dies gets to come reincarnated as my baby?' Oscar explained that the online theories typically pointed to 'historic people in power' being reincarnated as her children. Trisha then playfully retorted, 'I don't understand why my womb is carrying all of these souls.' The more you know!
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne's Relationship: A Look Back at Their Decades-Long Marriage Before His Death
Though their relationship had its ups and downs, Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne were happily married before his death. The Black Sabbath frontman met the former America's Got Talent judge in 1970. Following his divorce from his first wife, Thelma Riley, Ozzy married Sharon in 1982. While they briefly split in 2016, Sharon told PEOPLE in September 2022 that they "never gave up on each other." "I mean, I wasn't a saint. Ozzy wasn't a saint," she said. "I gave him as good as he gave me. We're just meant to be." Meanwhile, when asked his proudest moment, Ozzy said it was "having a marriage that lasted." "I believe you only have one real love in your life. I'm still in love with my wife," he said. "That's the main thing." Just two weeks after the pair celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary, Ozzy's family confirmed to PEOPLE on July 22 that the legendary rock star had died at 76 years old. '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," his family said in the statement. "He was with his family and surrounded by love." In the wake of his death, here's a look back at Ozzy Osbourne's decades-long marriage with his wife, Sharon Osbourne. They met in 1970 Ozzy and Sharon's love story dates back to them first meeting in 1970. At the time, Sharon's father Don Arden was managing Ozzy's band Black Sabbath. In 1979, Ozzy was fired from the band over substance abuse issues, leading him to spend three months getting drunk and high in a hotel room before Sharon encouraged him to get back on his feet. Sharon then became Ozzy's manager and motivated him to pursue a solo career. Though he was married to his first wife, Riley, at the time, Ozzy and Sharon's professional relationship turned into a romantic one. Ozzy divorced Riley in 1982. They got married in 1982 Ozzy and Sharon tied the knot on July 4, 1982, in Hawaii. In honor of their 40th anniversary in July 2022, Sharon shared a sweet Instagram message to her husband: "2022 is a special year for me. It marks 40 years of marriage to my darling Ozzy," she wrote. "We first met when I was 18, over 52 years we have been friends, lovers, husband & wife, grandparents and soulmates," Sharon continued. "Always at each other's side. I love you Ozzy." They welcomed three children together While Ozzy was already a dad to two children from his first marriage, he and Sharon welcomed three kids together. Their eldest daughter, Aimée, was born on Sept. 2, 1983, in London. They then welcomed daughter Kelly on Oct. 27, 1984, followed by son Jack on Nov. 8, 1985. Two of their children, Kelly and Jack, appeared alongside Ozzy and Sharon in their family's MTV show, The Osbournes. The show ran for four seasons from 2002 until 2005. Jack and Ozzy also costarred in Ozzy & Jack's World Detour from 2016 until 2018. During an appearance on New York's Q1043 radio program in August 2020, Aimée explained that she didn't want to sacrifice her privacy by appearing on the family show. "For me, I had grown up around having a pretty well-known dad anyway, and ... I always really valued my privacy within that family," she said. "It definitely worked great for the rest of my family, but for me, and who I am, I just knew it was never something that I would have been able to consider realistically." Their relationship was volatile Ozzy and Sharon's relationship was not without its ups and downs. In 2013, rumors began circulating that Ozzy — who struggled with addiction — had relapsed, and he and Sharon were preparing to get divorced. The Black Sabbath singer "set the record straight" in an April 2013 Facebook post, saying, "For the last year and a half I have been drinking and taking drugs. I was in a very dark place and was an a------ to the people I love most, my family. However, I am happy to say that I am now 44 days sober." He also clarified that he and Sharon were not divorcing: "I'm just trying to be a better person. I would like to apologize to Sharon, my family, my friends, and my band mates for my insane behavior during this period ... and my fans. God Bless, Ozzy," he wrote. In May 2016, the pair briefly split amid rumors of Ozzy's infidelity. But during an interview with Good Morning America that July, Ozzy said their relationship was "back on track." That same day, Sharon publicly forgave her husband during an episode of The Talk. "I forgive. It's going to take a long time to trust, but we've been together 36 years, 34 of marriage," she said. "I just can't think of my life without him." A few weeks later, Ozzy's former hairstylist Michelle Pugh confirmed to PEOPLE that she and Ozzy had a four-year affair that began in 2012, saying, "I can't deny that I fell in love with a married man that pursued me." At the time, a representative for Ozzy told PEOPLE that he was in "intense therapy" for a sex addiction and "would like to apologize to the other women he has been having sexual relationships with." Years later, Ozzy opened up about his affairs during a November 2020 interview with British GQ. "I've done some pretty outrageous things in my life. I regret cheating on my wife. I don't do it anymore," he said. "I got my reality check and I'm lucky she didn't leave me. I'm not proud of that. I was pissed off with myself. But I broke her heart." They renewed their vows in 2017 On Mother's Day in 2017, Ozzy and Sharon said "I do" for a second time. A few days later, Ozzy told Hello! that the special day — which took place in Las Vegas — meant more than their first nuptials. "For me, this was actually our real wedding day. This is the one that I will remember," he said. "Sharon and I have been through so much, and this honestly feels like a new beginning." He also acknowledged his previous infidelities, saying, "I made a huge mistake. Without Sharon, I am nothing. I love her. I can honestly say that I have never loved anybody other than my wife." Just a few days before their vow renewal, Sharon opened up about their reconciliation during an episode of The Talk. "35 years with someone is a hell of a long time. And I think I fell out of love with my husband and then fell back again," Sharon said. After being asked what made her "re-fall in love with Ozzy," Sharon said he was "trying so hard to be a better person," including working with a therapist "every day." "I just had a newfound love," she continued, adding that she "respected him because he's seriously trying to be a better person." She helped him through his health struggles Before his death in July 2025, Ozzy faced a string of health issues for several years. In October 2018, Ozzy underwent hand surgery after contracting an infection in his thumb, and a few months later, he was diagnosed with a severe upper respiratory infection. While Ozzy was recovering, he fell in his Los Angeles home, worsening injuries that were sustained back in a 2003 ATV accident and leading him to cancel all of his 2019 performances. Ozzy then underwent four spinal surgeries, the final taking place in September 2023. However, his health struggles were not behind him, as he was still dealing with the effects of his Parkinson's disease, which he revealed in 2020. As Sharon later shared, Ozzy was first diagnosed with Parkinson's — a nervous system disorder that affects movement — in 2003. During his September 2022 conversation with PEOPLE, Ozzy shared that his health struggles had brought him and Sharon closer together. "She has been the best," Ozzy said. "My whole family has been so good." Read the original article on People
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
From bat-biting antics & drug battles to rollercoaster reality show – how Ozzy truly earned title of Prince of Darkness
THERE was never any doubt what would be on his gravestone, according to the rocker himself: 'Here lies Ozzy Osbourne. He bit the head off a bat.' The singer - dubbed the 14 Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne has passed away aged 76 Credit: Getty 14 He was dubbed the 'Prince of Darkness' Credit: Redferns 14 He once famously bit the head off a bat Credit: Getty 14 The 1982 bat-biting stunt left Ozzy needing a rabies injection Ozzy - who has died aged 76 following a long battle with Parkinson's disease, just 17 days after playing a farewell gig with his band Black Sabbath - later recalled: 'Immediately, something felt wrong.' There was a foul taste, and he felt the severed head twitch in his mouth. Next thing the singer knew he was being rushed to A&E for emergency rabies shots. The teenage bat-thrower later insisted it was already dead, but Ozzy always maintained he felt it moving. Read more on Ozzy Osbourne 'If it's end of the road, I can't complain' How Ozzy Osbourne Emotional moment Whatever the truth, the incident grabbed global headlines and overshadowed a career of mind-boggling firsts. The Brummie - whose full name is John Michael Osbourne - started out as the wild frontman of the band credited with inventing heavy metal. He went on to help create a whole new genre of TV in 2002 as part of a ground-breaking reality series, The Osbournes, starring him, his manager-wife Sharon, 72, and two of their three children - Kelly, 40, and Jack, 39. Most read in Celebrity Their eldest daughter Aimee, 41, refused to take part in the MTV show because she didn't want to 'grow up on camera' and left home aged 16 as a result - something Sharon has since admitted she regrets deeply. The series, which ran for four years and paved the way for Paris Hilton and the Kardashians, won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program and at its peak, Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack were earning £3.7million each per season. Ozzy Osbourne top five greatest moments It followed Sharon's battle with colon cancer and Ozzy's near-miss in a quad bike crash, which kicked off years of failing health for the rocker. Ozzy admitted he was stunned by its success, telling Hot Press in December 2002: "I mean, before we did the TV show, I was Ozzy Osbourne the legendary rock'n'roller, and now I'm this f------ demi-god!" he added. "I'm on the front of all these f------ magazines ... f--- me, it's mad!" While Ozzy stepped away from the limelight following the end of the series, it kickstarted Sharon's reality TV career, with her joining the judging panel on The X Factor from 2004 until 2007, followed by America's Got Talent from 2007-2012, The Celebrity Apprentice in 2010 and Celeb Big Brother last year. Whirlwind romance Ozzy survived decades of booze and drug addiction which were regularly found to be at 'lethal' levels in his blood - and nearly cost him two marriages. As he said in March 2023, aged 74: 'I should have been dead a long time ago.' In 1971, aged 22, Ozzy married nightclub attendant Thelma Riley after a whirlwind romance, but quickly decided it was 'a terrible mistake'. So he numbed himself with booze and cocaine, which he got sent over from the US via air mail. Off his head, he would use a semi automatic to shoot mannequins he tied to trees at their cottage in Ranton, Staffs. And once, when Thelma asked Ozzy to feed her chickens, he instead shot them dead. He later admitted he also hit her. And he confessed he had been a 'disgusting' father to their two kids, Jessica, 53, and Louis, 50. When Thelma was in labour with Jessica, Ozzy insisted on driving her to hospital despite being intoxicated and not holding a licence. Ozzy's volatile behaviour from his drinking and drug abuse eventually saw the couple separate in the late 70s, with their divorce finalised in 1982. Even Ozzy's fellow bandmates could not stand his behaviour, and he was sacked from Black Sabbath on April 27, 1979. He thought it was the end, and locked himself in a hotel room for a three-month bender. Then one day, Sharon Levy turned up at the door. He later said of the woman who became his second wife: 'If it weren't for her, without a shadow of a doubt, I would be dead.' 14 Ozzy with his wife Sharon Credit: Rex 14 Ozzy and Sharon with their son Jack and daughters Kelly and Aimee in 1986 Credit: Getty - Contributor 14 The family had this cute snap taken in the USA Credit: Getty 14 Ozzy was a worldwide rock icon Credit: Handout 14 But he famously had his share of ups and downs during his whirlwind life Credit: Rex Features Sharon, then 27, was the daughter of Black Sabbath's manager Don Arden. They'd first met when she was 18 and working as her dad's receptionist. The singer wrote in his autobiography I Am Ozzy: 'I fell for Sharon so badly, man.' Sharon convinced the wreck that he could be a solo star, and that she should be the one to manage him. Debut solo album Blizzard of Ozz was released in September 1980 and went on to sell more than five million copies. She also amped up his satanic image, encouraging stage antics such as flinging animal entrails into the audience. It was during one of these innards-soaked shows that the infamous bat-biting episode took place, in Des Moines, Iowa on January 20, 1982. Years later Ozzy would moan: 'It's all my f***ing career is about, a f***ing bat.' 'Attempted murder ' Sharon and Ozzy wed in Hawaii on July 4, 1982, soon after Ozzy's divorce from Thelma, and welcomed daughter Aimee a year later. While Ozzy's solo career soared, so did his appetite for booze, illegal drugs and prescription pills. He later said: 'I was a beast. Absolutely terrifying.' The worst moment came in the early hours of September 3, 1989, when a zonked Ozzy told his wife: 'It's clear that you have to die,' before trying to strangle her. She fought him off and Ozzy was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, but Sharon later dropped the charges and he spent three months in rehab. Sharon told the Guardian in 2001: 'He was totally insane from all the drink and drugs he was doing, and well, these things happen.' Ozzy admitted once killing 17 of his family's cats while high on drugs, admitting: 'We had about 17, and I went crazy and shot them all. My wife found me under the piano in a white suit, a shotgun in one hand and a knife in the other.' The couple renewed their vows on an episode of The Osbournes, with Ozzy vowing to stay sober after he passed out in the hotel corridor on their original wedding day. However, true to form, he got so drunk he passed out again. Shock affair In 2016, Sharon took an overdose of pills after finding out Ozzy had a four-year affair with hairdresser Michelle Pugh. She told Loose Women: 'I took an overdose and locked myself in the bedroom. The maid tried to come in to clean the room and saw me.' Pugh described their relationship as 'life changing', claiming he made her feel like 'the most beautiful and worshipped woman in the world', and it was 'a struggle every day' when it ended. Sharon decided to end their 34-year marriage but forgave him months later, and has stood by him for the rest of his life. She explained in her memoir Unbreakable: 'As much as he's addicted to alcohol and drugs, I'm addicted to him.' The son of factory workers, Ozzy grew up in Aston, Birmingham. His mum was a keen singer and got her six kids to take part in 'family shows' at home. Ozzy's debut was at one of these gatherings, singing Cliff Richard's hit Living Doll. But he later admitted: 'I was a very nervous kid. Fear of impending doom ruled my life.' He struggled at school because of undiagnosed dyslexia, and left aged 15 for short-lived jobs including killing pigs in a slaughterhouse. Then he tried his hand at burglary, stealing shirts from a local shop. He was quickly nicked and, aged 17, spent six weeks in Birmingham's Winson Green prison. When released in the winter of 1966, he decided to have a go at the one thing he loved to do: singing. Ozzy later wrote that his dream had begun when he first heard The Beatles in 1963. He recalled: 'A light went on … for the first time I felt as though my life had meaning.' So he put up an inaccurate advert in a Birmingham music shop, which read: 'Ozzy Zig Needs Gig. Experienced frontman, owns own PA system.' Soon bassist Terry 'Geezer' Butler showed up on his doorstep. And eventually the same advert also drew guitarist and composer Tony Iommi. Together with drummer Bill Ward, they formed a group that started out under the name The Polka Tulk Blues Band, turned into Earth – and then finally became Black Sabbath. Ozzy said his main role from the start was to be 'the madman'. 14 Ozzy with the other members of Black Sabbath Credit: Getty 14 The band, pictured in 1970, were a worldwide phenomenon Credit: Getty 14 Ozzy said his role was to be the 'madman' Credit: Alamy 14 The rock legend made his final appearance at Villa Park Credit: @RossHalfin They played standard 12-bar blues at tiny gigs until Iommi noticed people queuing to see gothic Hammer Horror movies. He then decided to have a go at writing a song that 'sounded evil'. The result was the 1969 track Black Sabbath that immediately inspired the band to rename itself. Ominous, dark and doom-laden, with Ozzy's compelling monotone voice, it was unlike anything that had come before it. Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford later described it as 'probably the most evil song ever written'. Soon they had a record deal and their self-titled first album was released on Friday the 13th of February, 1970 - now widely considered the day heavy metal was born. It was a monster hit around the world and charismatic Ozzy was soon christened the Prince of Darkness. Health battle Although Ozzy managed a reunion with Black Sabbath, complete with a No1 album in 2011, and several tours, his health declined as he suffered from worsening tremors. A fall in 2019 left him in chronic pain. The following year he announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's and in 2023 he cancelled a planned world tour for health reasons. By that stage, according to Sharon, his main hobby was watching the History Channel. On July 5 this year, Ozzy played his final show - billed as Back to the Beginning - alongside the original Black Sabbath line up at Villa Park in Aston, Birmingham. Performing on a black throne a stone's throw from the pokey two-bedroomed home where he'd grown up, he was cheered by a crowd of over 40,000 spectators and nearly six million watching on livestream. Despite claiming he needed to have his blood pressure taken 15 times a day before his death, Ozzy had always been more concerned about Sharon's health than his own. Asked in 2022 what he would do if she died before him, he said: 'That's a f***ing no-no for me.' For his own part, he once told his wife: 'I want to be put in the ground in a nice garden somewhere, with a tree planted over my head.' He also said: 'It's ridiculous, really. My life should never have happened the way it did. But believe me, I'm grateful." 14 Ozzy's health never dampened his rock 'n' roll spirit Credit: @RossHalfin
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
From bat-biting antics & drug battles to rollercoaster reality show – how Ozzy truly earned title of Prince of Darkness
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THERE was never any doubt what would be on his gravestone, according to the rocker himself: 'Here lies Ozzy Osbourne. He bit the head off a bat.' The singer - dubbed the Prince of Darkness - always played up to his satanic image, so when a fan hurled what looked like a creepy rubber toy at him on stage in January 1982, he put its head in his mouth and chomped. 14 Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne has passed away aged 76 Credit: Getty 14 He was dubbed the 'Prince of Darkness' Credit: Redferns 14 He once famously bit the head off a bat Credit: Getty 14 The 1982 bat-biting stunt left Ozzy needing a rabies injection Ozzy - who has died aged 76 following a long battle with Parkinson's disease, just 17 days after playing a farewell gig with his band Black Sabbath - later recalled: 'Immediately, something felt wrong.' There was a foul taste, and he felt the severed head twitch in his mouth. Next thing the singer knew he was being rushed to A&E for emergency rabies shots. The teenage bat-thrower later insisted it was already dead, but Ozzy always maintained he felt it moving. Whatever the truth, the incident grabbed global headlines and overshadowed a career of mind-boggling firsts. The Brummie - whose full name is John Michael Osbourne - started out as the wild frontman of the band credited with inventing heavy metal. He went on to help create a whole new genre of TV in 2002 as part of a ground-breaking reality series, The Osbournes, starring him, his manager-wife Sharon, 72, and two of their three children - Kelly, 40, and Jack, 39. Their eldest daughter Aimee, 41, refused to take part in the MTV show because she didn't want to 'grow up on camera' and left home aged 16 as a result - something Sharon has since admitted she regrets deeply. The series, which ran for four years and paved the way for Paris Hilton and the Kardashians, won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program and at its peak, Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack were earning £3.7million each per season. Ozzy Osbourne top five greatest moments It followed Sharon's battle with colon cancer and Ozzy's near-miss in a quad bike crash, which kicked off years of failing health for the rocker. Ozzy admitted he was stunned by its success, telling Hot Press in December 2002: "I mean, before we did the TV show, I was Ozzy Osbourne the legendary rock'n'roller, and now I'm this f------ demi-god!" he added. "I'm on the front of all these f------ magazines ... f--- me, it's mad!" While Ozzy stepped away from the limelight following the end of the series, it kickstarted Sharon's reality TV career, with her joining the judging panel on The X Factor from 2004 until 2007, followed by America's Got Talent from 2007-2012, The Celebrity Apprentice in 2010 and Celeb Big Brother last year. Whirlwind romance Ozzy survived decades of booze and drug addiction which were regularly found to be at 'lethal' levels in his blood - and nearly cost him two marriages. As he said in March 2023, aged 74: 'I should have been dead a long time ago.' In 1971, aged 22, Ozzy married nightclub attendant Thelma Riley after a whirlwind romance, but quickly decided it was 'a terrible mistake'. So he numbed himself with booze and cocaine, which he got sent over from the US via air mail. Off his head, he would use a semi automatic to shoot mannequins he tied to trees at their cottage in Ranton, Staffs. And once, when Thelma asked Ozzy to feed her chickens, he instead shot them dead. He later admitted he also hit her. And he confessed he had been a 'disgusting' father to their two kids, Jessica, 53, and Louis, 50. When Thelma was in labour with Jessica, Ozzy insisted on driving her to hospital despite being intoxicated and not holding a licence. Ozzy's volatile behaviour from his drinking and drug abuse eventually saw the couple separate in the late 70s, with their divorce finalised in 1982. Even Ozzy's fellow bandmates could not stand his behaviour, and he was sacked from Black Sabbath on April 27, 1979. He thought it was the end, and locked himself in a hotel room for a three-month bender. Then one day, Sharon Levy turned up at the door. He later said of the woman who became his second wife: 'If it weren't for her, without a shadow of a doubt, I would be dead.' 14 Ozzy with his wife Sharon Credit: Rex 14 Ozzy and Sharon with their son Jack and daughters Kelly and Aimee in 1986 Credit: Getty - Contributor 14 The family had this cute snap taken in the USA Credit: Getty 14 Ozzy was a worldwide rock icon Credit: Handout 14 But he famously had his share of ups and downs during his whirlwind life Credit: Rex Features Sharon, then 27, was the daughter of Black Sabbath's manager Don Arden. They'd first met when she was 18 and working as her dad's receptionist. The singer wrote in his autobiography I Am Ozzy: 'I fell for Sharon so badly, man.' Sharon convinced the wreck that he could be a solo star, and that she should be the one to manage him. Debut solo album Blizzard of Ozz was released in September 1980 and went on to sell more than five million copies. She also amped up his satanic image, encouraging stage antics such as flinging animal entrails into the audience. It was during one of these innards-soaked shows that the infamous bat-biting episode took place, in Des Moines, Iowa on January 20, 1982. Years later Ozzy would moan: 'It's all my f***ing career is about, a f***ing bat.' 'Attempted murder' Sharon and Ozzy wed in Hawaii on July 4, 1982, soon after Ozzy's divorce from Thelma, and welcomed daughter Aimee a year later. While Ozzy's solo career soared, so did his appetite for booze, illegal drugs and prescription pills. He later said: 'I was a beast. Absolutely terrifying.' The worst moment came in the early hours of September 3, 1989, when a zonked Ozzy told his wife: 'It's clear that you have to die,' before trying to strangle her. She fought him off and Ozzy was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, but Sharon later dropped the charges and he spent three months in rehab. Sharon told the Guardian in 2001: 'He was totally insane from all the drink and drugs he was doing, and well, these things happen.' Ozzy admitted once killing 17 of his family's cats while high on drugs, admitting: 'We had about 17, and I went crazy and shot them all. My wife found me under the piano in a white suit, a shotgun in one hand and a knife in the other.' The couple renewed their vows on an episode of The Osbournes, with Ozzy vowing to stay sober after he passed out in the hotel corridor on their original wedding day. However, true to form, he got so drunk he passed out again. Shock affair In 2016, Sharon took an overdose of pills after finding out Ozzy had a four-year affair with hairdresser Michelle Pugh. She told Loose Women: 'I took an overdose and locked myself in the bedroom. The maid tried to come in to clean the room and saw me.' Pugh described their relationship as 'life changing', claiming he made her feel like 'the most beautiful and worshipped woman in the world', and it was 'a struggle every day' when it ended. Sharon decided to end their 34-year marriage but forgave him months later, and has stood by him for the rest of his life. She explained in her memoir Unbreakable: 'As much as he's addicted to alcohol and drugs, I'm addicted to him.' The son of factory workers, Ozzy grew up in Aston, Birmingham. His mum was a keen singer and got her six kids to take part in 'family shows' at home. Ozzy's debut was at one of these gatherings, singing Cliff Richard's hit Living Doll. But he later admitted: 'I was a very nervous kid. Fear of impending doom ruled my life.' He struggled at school because of undiagnosed dyslexia, and left aged 15 for short-lived jobs including killing pigs in a slaughterhouse. Then he tried his hand at burglary, stealing shirts from a local shop. He was quickly nicked and, aged 17, spent six weeks in Birmingham's Winson Green prison. When released in the winter of 1966, he decided to have a go at the one thing he loved to do: singing. Ozzy later wrote that his dream had begun when he first heard The Beatles in 1963. He recalled: 'A light went on … for the first time I felt as though my life had meaning.' So he put up an inaccurate advert in a Birmingham music shop, which read: 'Ozzy Zig Needs Gig. Experienced frontman, owns own PA system.' Soon bassist Terry 'Geezer' Butler showed up on his doorstep. And eventually the same advert also drew guitarist and composer Tony Iommi. Together with drummer Bill Ward, they formed a group that started out under the name The Polka Tulk Blues Band, turned into Earth – and then finally became Black Sabbath. Ozzy said his main role from the start was to be 'the madman'. 14 Ozzy with the other members of Black Sabbath Credit: Getty 14 The band, pictured in 1970, were a worldwide phenomenon Credit: Getty 14 Ozzy said his role was to be the 'madman' Credit: Alamy 14 The rock legend made his final appearance at Villa Park Credit: @RossHalfin They played standard 12-bar blues at tiny gigs until Iommi noticed people queuing to see gothic Hammer Horror movies. He then decided to have a go at writing a song that 'sounded evil'. The result was the 1969 track Black Sabbath that immediately inspired the band to rename itself. Ominous, dark and doom-laden, with Ozzy's compelling monotone voice, it was unlike anything that had come before it. Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford later described it as 'probably the most evil song ever written'. Soon they had a record deal and their self-titled first album was released on Friday the 13th of February, 1970 - now widely considered the day heavy metal was born. It was a monster hit around the world and charismatic Ozzy was soon christened the Prince of Darkness. Health battle Although Ozzy managed a reunion with Black Sabbath, complete with a No1 album in 2011, and several tours, his health declined as he suffered from worsening tremors. A fall in 2019 left him in chronic pain. The following year he announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's and in 2023 he cancelled a planned world tour for health reasons. By that stage, according to Sharon, his main hobby was watching the History Channel. On July 5 this year, Ozzy played his final show - billed as Back to the Beginning - alongside the original Black Sabbath line up at Villa Park in Aston, Birmingham. Performing on a black throne a stone's throw from the pokey two-bedroomed home where he'd grown up, he was cheered by a crowd of over 40,000 spectators and nearly six million watching on livestream. Despite claiming he needed to have his blood pressure taken 15 times a day before his death, Ozzy had always been more concerned about Sharon's health than his own. Asked in 2022 what he would do if she died before him, he said: 'That's a f***ing no-no for me.' For his own part, he once told his wife: 'I want to be put in the ground in a nice garden somewhere, with a tree planted over my head.' He also said: 'It's ridiculous, really. My life should never have happened the way it did. But believe me, I'm grateful."
