I Am Ozzy

Do you know who Ozzy Osbourne is?

Are you a fan?
Hopefully you know more about him than the MTV reality show about his family life called “The Osbournes“!

In the 1970’s, Ozzy was the lead vocalist of the epic heavy metal band from England, “Black Sabbath“.

His drug and alcohol problems caused him to get kicked out of the band that he helped found.
After that he was ready to give up on rock ‘n roll…but the daughter of Black Sabbath‘s manager became the manager of his solo career and she eventually became his wife.

With her help, Ozzy Osbourne became more popular as a solo artist than when he was with Sabbath.

Ozzy‘s antics in his younger days are infamous though.

For example, when his manager / soon-to-be wife was trying to get Ozzy a record contract for his solo career (which was no small feat due to his well-known addiction problems), she suggested that he show up to the meeting with the record executives with some white doves as a sign of peace.
But he showed up drunk…and bit the head of one of the doves clean off!

It made quite the impression!
He got the record deal but was forbidden from stepping foot in the record company’s office again!

Another time, during a concert, a fan threw a live bat onto the stage…and Ozzy bit that animal’s head off too! (He had to get rabies shots after that).

At one time in the 1980s, Ozzy urinated on “The Alamo” in the U.S. state of Texas.
“The Alamo”, it seems, is a state treasure and for that the Governor Of Texas (who was future U.S. President George W. Bush) banned Ozzy from stepping foot on Texas soil for ten years!

Ironically, during Bush’s presidency Ozzy was invited to a White House dinner and President Bush gave a glowing speech to Ozzy in which he said, among other things,  that his mother (Barbara Bush) listens to Ozzy‘s music.
Somehow I can’t imagine Mrs. Bush enjoying Ozzy Osbourne‘s music!

Anyways, Ozzy Osbourne, “The Godfather Of Metal”, will be releasing a new album next year.

And next month, his autobiography, titled “I Am Ozzy” will be in bookstores.

The cover of Ozzy Osbourne's autobiograhy

I want to read it!

And due in theaters in 2010 is a documentary about Ozzy‘s life (produced by his son, Jack Osbourne), titled “Wreckage Of My Past (The Story Of Ozzy Osbourne)“.