Sincerest apologies to Metallica, for phoning it in on their entry. This one will have to involve a little more thought and explanation.
An a__hole, a coke head, and the world's sloppiest fn drunk, why it's RAWK AND RAWLLL'S ONE AND ONLY PRINCE OF FAHKING DAHKNESS HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAA
2. Ozzy Osbourne
Ousted frontman of the once greatest metal band, he wrote
Goodbye to Romance about the uncertainty he was facing about his future. And lets be sure, this wastoid toolbag had no right having such an incredible second act.
But with help from a series of hand picked hungry (and patient) young musicians, and a hyper-focused manager/wife, they kept the crazy train on the tracks all through the decade, and even had things on a high point in 1991 when most of these other noobs were starting to slip.
(Sharon took over management of Ozzy after her father, manager of Sabbath, fired him from Sabbath. Married a few years later)
It was supposed to be Ozzy Osbourne and the Blizzard of Ozz (the name of the band) but the Osbourne camp started right away with the personnel shenanigans, and took full control. By most accounts Randy Rhoads was never happy with things, not properly acknowledged or compensated, and the rest of the "band" was more or less a revolving door. Ozzy was generally a drunken loon at most times.
Blizzard of Ozz
Mr Crowley live 81
Flying High Again
Diary of a Madman
Randy dies on private plane, alongside a makeup artist and screwup bus driver/pilot.
Full account here and
more. Sounds like a clown show tour Shaaaaron
Jake E. Lee is brought in for the next two albums. He would ultimately be dumped, probably after asking for a fairer shake. Easy to surmise from all I've been reading that most Ozzy solo material was written by his band members in rehearsals.
Bark at the Moon
Shot in the Dark
Young Zakk Wylde auditions and takes Lee's job. To be fair, up to today 2022, Zakk Wylde doesn't seem to have any complaints and has come and gone from Ozzy's lineup freely, as he's pursued his own pretty moderately excellent career.
Ozzy's Moscow set 1989
1991:
No More Tears
Mama I'm Coming Home
OK OK enough about the music, how's it even that great.. it really isn't..
But Ozzy, man, he was the head of the ####### spear..
He truly was public enemy #1 , and particularly from church groups here in the states, he was the guy the moral majority usually wanted nailed to their highest cross. Also hauled into court multiple times when fans did murdery/suicidy things.
HE ATE A ####### DOVE. FOR DESSERT, A ####### BAT. SUCK IT COVID GUY
Peed on or near the Alamo. Snorted a line of ants.
Personal rock and roll hero to many of the dumbest rock and roll heroes, look no further than #1
I haven't often been giving much weight to post-MTV-era activities, unless truly remarkable, but a few things to consider with Ozzy..
Somehow still alive
INVENTED GARBAGE #### AROUND-RICH-A-HOLES-HOUSE REALITY TV .. THANK YOU WE LOVE IT
Ozzfest... killer!
I was never at any time a big Ozzy fan. I thought Shot In The Dark was pretty good and I slowly found the stuff in his catalog that I liked. Dead before I ever knew his name, I respect Randy Rhoads of course and even miss him, even more after catching up on his early years. I liked Jake E. Lee's Badlands album better than any Ozzy albums. (But I also love Zep first and foremost.)
I don't expect many people to come in here loving on Ozzy, or being into this pick. What I've tried to do all along was put myself back in time as best I can for a lot of this, and it always felt like he was - like I said, the head of the all-things-metal spear, in a way, and even as Iommi's Sabbath train ran off the tracks, team Ozzy never blinked and never stumbled (for long)
Early youtube goodness -
1974 California Jam, same festival as the Purple show in the Whitesnake entry
