Trivia

His favorite band is The Beatles, who inspired him to become a musician when Beatlemania spread worldwide.

Before the success of The Osbournes (2002), he was known by most people as "the singer who bites heads off bats". This rumor traces back to one isolated incident. On January 20, 1982, at a concert in Des Moines, a bat wound up on stage, which had either been stuck in the rafters or thrown up there by a crazed fan. Osbourne bit it for a goof, thinking it was a rubber toy. He had to take a week of rabies shots. Despite a $25,000 donation later that year to the SPCA, the bat story grew to be an urban legend of its own, to the point where even numerous unrelated heavy metal bands were commonly accused of ritualistically killing live animals on stage.

Discovered only after he grew up that he is dyslexic, after being told for years that the reason he had trouble reading in school was because he was "dumb".

Made several suicide attempts as a teenager.

Every single one of his solo albums (of original material) has gone multi-platinum.

Was sued in recent years by former bandmates Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake for royalties on the Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. Ozzy retaliated by deleting their parts from the albums entirely and rerecording them with his then-current band.

Wife Sharon Osbourne is the daughter of his original manager, Don Arden. Arden dropped Osbourne, Sharon took over as his manager, and later married him.

Former neighbour of Pat Boone. Boone's cover of "Crazy Train" was used as the theme for "The Osbournes".

Diagnosed with Parkinson's Syndrome and will have to take daily medication for the rest of his life to combat the involuntary shudders associated with the condition. [May 2005]

His song "Suicide Solution" created controversy when a fan committed suicide. The fan's parents alleged that Ozzy was responsible and sued him. The suit was cleared completely.

Claims he sleeps with a bayonet under his bed.

Had two children from his first marriage (to Thelma Mayfair): Jessica Osbourne (born 1972) and Louis Osbourne (born 1975). He also adopted his first wife's son, Elliot Kingsley (born 1966), from a previous marriage. His children with second wife Sharon Osbourne are Aimee Osbourne (born 9-2-83), Kelly Osbourne (born 10-27-84), and Jack Osbourne (born 11-8-85).

His nickname "Ozzy" was actually a name that schoomates taunted him with as a child/teen.

Arrested in September 1989 after attempting to strangle wife Sharon Osbourne while drunk. He awoke in jail the next day not knowing why he was there. He and Sharon reconciled in October 1990 after Ozzy endured extensive drug rehabilitation.

As a child/teen, his family was so poor that there was no running water in their house.

The 2009 Sunday Times List estimated his net worth at $147 million.

He doesn't answer to his birth name John and will not respond to someone who calls him by it.

His dad's death in 1977 lead to several hospitalizations due to his depression

Was present for the births of children Jessica Osbourne, Aimee Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne, but not those of Louis Osbourne and Jack Osbourne.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6780 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Black Sabbath was voted the 85th Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artists of all time by Rolling Stone.

Daughter Aimee Osbourne opted out of appearing in the MTV reality show 'The Osbournes', but his and Sharon's two other children, Kelly and Jack, agreed to take part.

In 2007, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of Black Sabbath) and honored at the VH1 Rock Honors (as a solo artist.).

The song title S.A.T.O. (from the Diary of a Madman album album) is actually his wife's initials (Sharon Arden Thelma Osbourne.).

The cover of his 1982 live album "Speak of the Devil" was partially censored in some stores. The cover depicted a fanged Ozzy with blood (actually raspberry jelly) oozing from his mouth. The stores put a sticker over his mouth to obscure the "blood". Once Ozzy discovered this, he demanded that the sticker be removed or he would have his record company pull the album from those stores. Not wanting to lose the album sales of an Ozzy Osbourne recording, the stores adhered to Ozzy's wishes.

His remake with daughter Kelly Osbourne of the Black Sabbath song "Changes" went straight to #1 in the UK when it was released a week after his quad-bike accident.

Formed a band called Law after leaving Black Sabbath in 1979. They played 2 gigs before he changed their name to the Blizzard of Oz.

Reunited with Black Sabbath in 1985 for the Live Aid (1985) festival, and again in November of 1992 for the last night of Ozzy's so-called "final" tour. After the success of this show, the idea of a new Black Sabbath record and full tour was proposed, and the contracts were written up. However, Ozzy decided at the last minute not to sign them. It wasn't until December of 1997 that all four original members reunited again, to perform and record what would become the live album "Reunion".

Some of his many tattoos include the letters O-Z-Z-Y across his left knuckles, happy faces on both knees, "THANKS" on his right palm, a red hooded ghoul on his left chest, and a blue dragon on his right chest. The first two were self-made during a brief time in jail in the late 1960s.

He had a vasectomy in 1986.

Father of Kelly Osbourne, Jack Osbourne, and Aimee Osbourne by current wife Sharon Osbourne; and of Jessica Osbourne and Louis Osbourne by first wife Thelma Reilly.

Black Sabbath's name came from a 1963 film (Black Sabbath (1963)) starring Boris Karloff. Sabbath's early songs reflected the same types of themes that were the centerpiece of those movies. Ozzy later named one of his solo albums "Diary of a Madman", the title (Diary of a Madman (1963)) of a 1963 Vincent Price horror film.

Throws a bucket of water on the audience at his concerts.

Ozzy has long said that "Suicide Solution", a song about the dangers of alcoholism, was written as a tribute to former AC/DC vocalist Bon Scott (Bon Scott) who had died an alcohol-related death in 1980. However in 2002, the writer of "Suicide Solution (Ozzy's former bassist and main lyricist, Bob Daisley), revealed that the song actually alluded to Ozzy himself.

Was born the 4th of 6 children to Jack and Lillian Osbourne. His brothers are Paul Osbourneand Tony, and his sisters are Jean, Iris, and Gillian. His father died in 1977.

Black Sabbath were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame for their outstanding contribution to British music and integral part of British music culture. (16 November 2005).

Starring in the MTV reality show The Osbournes (2002), along with his wife and two of his children. (2002)

On December 8th, 2003 he was seriously injured while riding his ATV quad bike on the grounds of his Buckinghamshire estate in England. The accident occurred while he was taking a day off from his hectic promotional schedule surrounding the UK release of "Changes" - a duet with his daughter Kelly. He broke his collarbone, six ribs and a vertebra in his neck. The injuries were not considered to be life-threatening, though he has undergone some surgery.

Along with contemporary Alice Cooper, he was one of the first "shock rockers".

When he started out in music, the demand for rock singers in his hometown of Birmingham was so strong that anyone with their own microphone and PA amplifier could get a paying gig. Osbourne's father paid for the equipment, to spare him having to work a menial job after his failures in school.

Was the victim of a burglary at his Buckinghamshire (UK) home in November 2004. Almost £2 million worth of jewellery was stolen.

Much like the Hollywood Walk of Fame stars, he has a "Walk of Stars" star on Broad Street, Birmingham, England.

Touring the U.S. with Black Sabbath for the annual summer concert series, "Ozzfest". (June 2004)

Release of his autobiography, "I Am Ozzy" by Ozzy with Chris Ayres. (February 2010)

Grandfather of Isabelle, whose mother is Ozzy's daughter Jessica Osbourne.

Uncle of Terry Longden.

Lives in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire and Los Angeles, California.

He left school at fifteen and was employed as a construction site laborer, trainee plumber, apprentice toolmaker, car factory horn-tuner, and abattoir worker.

He didn't have a driver's license until he was 61. Prior to that, he had failed the driving test 19 times.

With wife Sharon Osbourne, he announced that the family had agreed to a deal with MTV, worth a reported $20 million, to do two more seasons of The Osbournes (2002), the highest rated show in the history of the channel. (May 2002)