Early Life and Education of Ozzy Osbourne: A Complete Timeline
Discover the defining moments in the early life of Ozzy Osbourne. From birth to education, explore key events.
Ozzy Osbourne, born John Michael Osbourne, is a celebrated English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He gained fame in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Known for his distinct vocal style and stage presence, Osbourne became synonymous with the band's groundbreaking sound and dark imagery, earning him the moniker "Prince of Darkness." After being fired from Black Sabbath, he went on to achieve a successful solo career, solidifying his status as a rock icon and pioneering figure in heavy metal music. He has also appeared in reality television and various other media ventures.
December 1948: Ozzy's Birth
In December 1948, Ozzy Osbourne was born at Maternity Hospital in Marston Green.
1963: Inspiration from The Beatles
In 1963, after hearing The Beatles' first hit single, Osbourne became a fan and credited their song "She Loves You" with inspiring him to become a musician.
1971: Meeting and Marrying Thelma Riley
In 1971, Ozzy Osbourne met Thelma Riley at a nightclub in Birmingham and they were married later that year. Ozzy later called his first marriage "a terrible mistake".
1971: First Experience with Cocaine
In early 1971, Ozzy Osbourne had his first experience with cocaine at a hotel in Denver, Colorado, after a Black Sabbath show with Mountain. Mountain's guitarist, Leslie West, introduced him to the drug.
1978: Admitted to Substance Misuse
In 1978, Ozzy Osbourne admitted to Sounds magazine that he regularly got high and drunk, questioning the system that led people to substance misuse.
1979: Fired from Black Sabbath and Substance Misuse
In 1979, after being fired from Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne spent three months in his hotel room consuming vast amounts of alcohol and other drugs daily. He credits Sharon with saving his life by offering to manage him.
1981: Substance Misuse Issues During Early Solo Career
In 1981, Don Airey, keyboardist for Ozzy Osbourne, left the band due to the vocalist's substance-misuse issues. Former bassist Rudy Sarzo detailed the frustrations of touring with the vocalist, who was in a state of near-constant inebriation.
1981: Dove Head-Biting Incident
In 1981, Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a dove during a meeting with CBS Records executives in Los Angeles, leading to controversy and becoming a part of his infamous persona.
1981: CBS Europe Incident
In 1981, Ozzy Osbourne claims in his autobiography that he was invited to a meeting with the head of CBS Europe in Germany. Intoxicated, he performed a striptease on the table and then kissed the record executive on the lips. According to his wife Sharon, he had actually performed a goose-step up and down the table and urinated in the executive's wine, but was too drunk to remember.
1981: Randy Rhoads prediction about Ozzy and Sharon
In 1981, guitarist Randy Rhoads predicted that Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Arden would "probably get married someday".
January 1982: Bat Head-Biting Incident
On 20 January 1982, Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a bat during a performance in Des Moines, Iowa, resulting in him being treated for rabies after the bat bit him.
February 1982: Urinating on the Alamo Cenotaph
On February 18, 1982, Ozzy Osbourne drunkenly urinated on a cenotaph near the Alamo in Texas and was arrested, leading to a decade-long ban from the city. He also drunkenly fired his entire band and physically attacked Randy Rhoads and Rudy Sarzo.
March 1982: Death of Randy Rhoads
On March 19, 1982, Randy Rhoads, along with Andrew Aycock and Rachel Youngblood, died in a plane crash in Florida while on tour with Osbourne. This event led to Osbourne falling into a deep depression.
July 1982: Marriage to Sharon Arden
On July 4, 1982, Ozzy Osbourne married his manager Sharon Arden. The date was intentionally chosen so Ozzy wouldn't forget the anniversary.
September 1983: Birth of Daughter Aimee
In September 1983, Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Arden welcomed their first child, a daughter named Aimee.
1983: Murder Linked to "Bark at the Moon"
On New Year's Eve 1983, Canadian youth James Jollimore killed a woman and her two sons after listening to the song "Bark at the Moon", claiming the song influenced his actions.
May 1984: Arrested for Public Intoxication in Memphis
In May 1984, Ozzy Osbourne was arrested in Memphis, Tennessee, for public intoxication.
October 1984: Birth of Daughter Kelly
In October 1984, Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Arden welcomed their second child, a daughter named Kelly.
1984: Suicide Linked to "Suicide Solution"
In 1984, California teenager John McCollum committed suicide while listening to Ozzy Osbourne's "Suicide Solution", leading to allegations that Osbourne promoted suicide in his songs.
November 1985: Birth of Son Jack
In November 1985, Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Arden welcomed their third child, a son named Jack. After Jack's birth, Ozzy had a vasectomy.
August 1989: Attempted Strangulation of Sharon Osbourne
In August 1989, Sharon Osbourne claimed that Ozzy had tried to strangle her after returning home from the Moscow Music Peace Festival in a haze of alcohol and drugs. This led to Ozzy spending six months in rehabilitation.
1991: Waller v. Osbourne Lawsuit
In 1991, Ozzy Osbourne was sued by the parents of Michael Waller for $9 million due to his son's suicide, similar to the 1984 McCollum case, but the courts once again ruled in Osbourne's favour.
1992: Practicing Member of the Church of England
In 1992, The New York Times reported that Ozzy Osbourne was a practicing member of the Church of England and prayed before each show, countering accusations of Satanism.
2002: Diary of a Madman Booklet
According to Osbourne in the booklet to the 2002 edition of Diary of a Madman, the bat he bit the head off on January 20, 1982, was alive and bit him, resulting in Osbourne being treated for rabies.
2002: White House Correspondents' Association Dinner
In 2002, Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon attended the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, where President George W. Bush acknowledged Ozzy's presence and joked about his song titles.
December 2003: Quad Bike Accident and Emergency Surgery
On December 8, 2003, Ozzy Osbourne was rushed into emergency surgery after a quad bike accident on his estate, breaking his collar bone, eight ribs, and a neck vertebra.
2003: Over-Medication Incident
In 2003, Ozzy Osbourne revealed that he was nearly incapacitated by medication prescribed by a Beverly Hills doctor, who allegedly prescribed 13,000 doses of 32 drugs in one year. The doctor was later exonerated.
2004: Rolling Stone Article on Bat Incident
According to a 2004 Rolling Stone article, the bat that Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off in January 1982 was alive at the time.
May 2005: Diagnosis of Parkin Syndrome
In May 2005, Ozzy Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkin syndrome, a genetic condition with symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease, requiring daily medication.
2005: UK's Richest Couples
In 2005, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne were ranked among the UK's richest couples, with an estimated £100 million earned from recording, touring, and TV shows.
October 2010: TEDMED Conference and Genome Analysis
In October 2010, at the TEDMED Conference, scientists from Knome discussed their analysis of Ozzy Osbourne's whole genome, shedding light on his survival despite decades of substance misuse.
2010: Howard Stern Interview - Driver's License
In 2010, during an interview on the Howard Stern Show, Ozzy Osbourne revealed that it took him 19 attempts to pass his driver's license test due to being drunk.
2010: Favorite movie revealed
In a 2010 interview with Us Weekly, Ozzy Osbourne stated, "My favourite movie is Monty Python's Life of Brian".
2011: God Bless Ozzy Osbourne Documentary
In the 2011 documentary God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, he stated that The Beatles made him realize he was going to be a rock star.
January 2013: Minor Burns From House Fire
In January 2013, Ozzy Osbourne suffered minor burns after a small house fire.
April 2013: Relapse and Apology
In April 2013, Ozzy Osbourne revealed that he had relapsed into smoking, drinking, and drug use for the past year and a half, but had been sober again since early March. He apologized to his family, friends, bandmates, and fans.
December 2013: 65th Birthday Charity Request
On his 65th birthday on December 3, 2013, Ozzy Osbourne asked fans to celebrate by donating to the Royal Marsden cancer charity in London.
January 2019: Sale of Ozzy Plush Bat Toy
On 20 January 2019, Ozzy Osbourne commemorated the 37th anniversary of the bat incident by offering an "Ozzy Plush Bat" toy "with detachable head" for sale on his personal web-store.
February 2019: Moved to Intensive Care and Fall
By February 12, 2019, Ozzy Osbourne had been moved to intensive care and later cancelled all shows scheduled for 2019 after sustaining serious injuries from a fall at his home while recovering from pneumonia.
February 2019: Hospitalized Due to Flu Complications
On February 6, 2019, Ozzy Osbourne was hospitalized due to flu complications, leading to the postponement of the European leg of his "No More Tours II" tour.
2019: Spinal Damage Incident
In 2019, Ozzy Osbourne suffered an accident that resulted in spinal damage, which led to the cancellation of tours and a move towards smaller-scale performances.
January 2020: Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis Revealed
In January 2020, Ozzy Osbourne publicly revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in February 2019.
2020: Emphysema Diagnosis Revealed
In 2020, Ozzy Osbourne revealed that he had the smoking-induced lung condition, emphysema.
February 2021: Sober for Seven Years
In a February 2021 interview with Variety, Ozzy Osbourne revealed he had been sober for about seven years.
January 2023: Cancellation of European Leg of "No More Tours II"
In January 2023, Ozzy Osbourne announced the cancellation of the European leg of the "No More Tours II" after postponements, effectively retiring from touring due to spinal damage from a 2019 accident but planned smaller scale performances if his health permitted.
