Ozzy Osbourne

From his stint with legendary metal band Black Sabbath, to his influential solo work, vocalist Ozzy Osbourne has become a major icon. Ozzy has not only had a successful music career, but a hit TV show, The Osbournes, and an annual festival, Ozzfest, under his belt. Ozzy has fought substance addictions, run-ins with the law, and backlash from religious groups, but he has come out strong at the end of it all, and has earned his place in the metal history books.

Ozzy Osbourne left Black Sabbath in 1979 due to his excessive substance abuse. Ozzy formed his own band and started his solo career with the 1980 debut album Blizzard Of Ozz. Featuring the guitar virtuoso Randy Rhodes, the album was a major hit, eventually selling over four million copies in the US alone. Ozzy’s sophomore release Diary Of A Madman showed the vocalist experimenting with a classical sound in the title track and a darker vibe both lyrically and musically.

In March of 1982, guitarist Randy Rhodes was killed in a freak airplane accident. Ozzy immediately went back on tour; his alcohol and drug intake would increase greatly after this incident, almost killing him in the process. Ozzy would eventually get sober later in the '80s after several mishaps, including almost strangling his wife Sharon.

After a few guitarists, Ozzy decided on Jake E. Lee, who stayed around for two albums, 1983’s Bark At The Moon and 1986’s The Ultimate Sin. During this time, Ozzy’s popularity waned a bit, but would pick back up in the late '80s/early '90s with the addition of guitarist Zakk Wylde.

Wylde was heavily involved in the songwriting process, most notably on 1998’s No Rest For The Wicked and 1991’s No More Tears. The latter, in particular, was a major success for Ozzy, who was introduced to a new generation of listeners with the popularity of single “No More Tears.”

Ozzfest was a festival started by the Osbourne family in 1996. At first, the festival was only a two-day event, but eventually turned into an annual festival. Ozzfest has given many bands their big breaks, including System Of A Down, Disturbed, and Slipknot. Ozzy has performed on the main stage of every Ozzfest to date, and the festival has become a major US summer tour.

After the lackluster reaction to 1995’s Ozzmosis, Ozzy took a break from recording a new album, waiting six years to follow up with Down To Earth. Another six years passed before Ozzy released his ninth studio album, Black Rain, which had a hit single, “I Don’t Wanna Stop.”

In 2002, The Osbournes debuted on MTV. Featuring the antics of Ozzy, wife Sharon, son Jack, and daughter Kelly, The Osbournes was one of the highest rated shows on MTV. The show went on for four years, and highlighted Sharon’s fight with cancer and Ozzy’s ATV accident.

Ozzy Osbourne - Vocals (Black Sabbath)
Zakk Wylde - Guitar (Black Label Society)
Rob “Blasko” Nicholson - Bass (Prong, Rob Zombie, Danzig)
Mike Bordin - Drums (Jerry Cantrell, Faith No More)
Adam Wakeman - Keyboards

Randy Rhodes - Guitar (1979-1982)
Bernie Tormé - Guitar (1982)
Brad Gillis - Guitar (1982)
Jake E. Lee - Guitar (1982-1987)
Joe Holmes - Guitar (1995-1998, 2000-2001)
Jerry Cantrell - Guitar (2004-2006)
Bob Daisley - Bass (1979-1981, 1983-1991)
Rudy Sarzo - Bass (1981-1982)
Phil Soussan - Bass (1986-1987)
Mike Inez - Bass (1989-1993)
Geezer Butler - Bass (1988, 1995)
Robert Trujillo - Bass (1996-2003)
Jason Newsted - Bass (2003)
Chris Wyse - Bass (2003-2005)
Lee Kerslake - Drums (1979-1981)
Tommy Aldridge - Drums (1981-1983)
Carmine Appice - Drums (1983)

Randy Castillo - Drums (1983-1993, 1995)
Deen Castronovo - Drums (1993-1997)
Don Airey - Keyboards (1980, 1983)
Mike Moran - Keyboards (1985-1986)
John Sinclair - Keyboards (1988-1991)
Rick Wakeman - Keyboards (1995)

1980 Blizzard Of Ozz (Jet)
1981 Diary Of A Madman (Jet)
1982 Speak Of The Devil (Jet)
1983 Bark At The Moon (Epic)
1986 The Ultimate Sin (Epic)
1987 Tribute: Randy Rhodes (Epic)
1988 No Rest For The Wicked (Epic)
1991 No More Tears (Epic)
1993 Live & Loud (Epic)
1995 Ozzmosis (Epic)
2001 Down To Earth (Epic)
2002 Live At Budokan (Epic)
2005 Under Cover (Epic)
2007 Black Rain (Epic)

Recommended Ozzy Osbourne Album:

Blizzard Of Ozz
After leaving Black Sabbath, vocalist Ozzy Osbourne released his first solo album in 1980. Blizzard Of Ozz is a classic metal album, one that has withstood the test of time, with “Crazy Train,” “I Don’t Know,” and “Mr. Crowley” the first big hits in Ozzy’s career, and a clear indication that he could go off on his own successfully. The album also has its share of underrated gems, including the '70s hard rocker “Steal Away (The Night)” and the epic “Revelation (Mother Earth).”