Sharon Osbourne has revealed what ran through her head the first time she laid eyes on Ozzy.
Talking in the new issue of Metal Hammer, the businesswoman and TV personality, who’s managed Ozzy since he went solo in 1979, reveals that she first saw her future husband when he was onstage with Black Sabbath at the Marquee Club in London.
She adds that the first words that came to her upon seeing him were, “What the fuck?”
Sharon explains: “I was 18 when I first heard of Black Sabbath, and I saw them at the Marquee. I had never heard anything like it – it was so different. At first I was like, ‘What the fuck is this?’”
She continues: “And then I saw Ozzy come out and the way he was performing. My whole thing was, I loved to see the singer with three back-up singers doing dances in evening suits. Maybe a bit of a brass section. And it was like, ‘What the fuck?’ And then I got into it. It was one of those magic nights where the Marquee was sweating.”
Sabbath were managed by Sharon’s father, Don Arden, and she took on the role of overseeing Ozzy’s career after the frontman was fired from the band. While speaking with Hammer, she describes that period, during which Ozzy was dealing with substance issues, as “the worst time of his life”.
“I didn’t understand at that time in my life about alcoholism and drug addiction,” she says. “I just thought people did too much of it and they could stop at any time they wanted, but they just didn’t want to. And Ozzy was in the worst time of his life.
“He thought, ‘It’s all over, I’ll go back to Birmingham and sit in the pub all day.’ And I said to him, ‘You can do it. You can definitely do it.’ And he didn’t think it would ever be a reality, and then look what happened. It was like something from a movie.”
Sharon and Ozzy married in 1982 and have three children: Aimee (born 1983), Kelly (1984) and Jack (1985). The family, except Aimee, starred in the reality TV series The Osbournes from 2002 to 2005. Sharon also judged on UK talent programme The X Factor from 2004 to 2007 and co-hosted US talk show The Talk from 2010 to 2021.
Ozzy and the original Sabbath lineup – composed of the singer, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – will both play their final-ever shows at the Back To The Beginning event at Villa Park, Birmingham, on July 5. Metallica, Slayer, Guns N’ Roses and other superstar rock and metal bands will appear at the all-day celebration, and proceeds will go to various local charities.
As well as the interview with Sharon, the new Hammer reveals the inside story of Sleep Token’s monumental ascent, as told by the people who saw it firsthand. There are two exclusive covers to collect. Order your copy now and get it delivered directly to your door.
