OZZY OSBOURNE - FAMOUS BIPOLAR MUSICIAN
Born in Birmingham on December 3, 1948, John Michael Osbourne (Ozzy) is a British singer and writer. He was famous as the lead singer in Black Sabbath, a British musical band. He is ranked among the list of the Greatest 100 Heavy Metal Vocalist. He was also successful as a soloist and became more popular with his reality show, The Osbourn. He and his wife are known to be among the richest couples in Britain. Osbourne is also known for his annual event the Ossfest, which draws a lot of crowd. Osbourne’s metallic style was also loved by many.
Ozzy Osbourne’s musical career began early in his life. He attended Birchfield Road School where he formed a band with his classmate. They played heavy blue style of music with gloomy lyrics. Osbourne wrote the lyrics to Black Sabbath when his friend told him of a dream he had with a black figure at the side of his bird. Warner Brothers invested in Black Sabbath and it generated considerable revenue. Though the band was making money, Osbourne thought he was not popular because the managers they had at the time were often criminals. Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath due to his continuous drug use. He rehearsed with Necromandus band and then went solo. He formed a band, Ozzy Osbourne Band. They released their first album Blizzard of Ozz. The release of his album, No More Tears gave him more exposure as it was played more often on radio and television. Osbourne received the second annual VH1 Rock Honours and also inducted into the Birmingham Walk of Stars. He was also honoured on the Birmingham’s Hollywood-style Walk of Fame. He was also a judge at the 6th Independent Music Awards ceremony. He also received the Living Legend Award in Classic Rock Role of Honor.
Osbourne was believed to have suffered from bipolar disorder, which resulted in several bouts of depression. He suffered depression while with the Black Sabbath and was always under the influence of drugs, for which he was dismissed from the band. Following the death of members of the Ozzy Osbourn Band, he again fell into another bout of depression. He took a break and came back to music after he recovered. His suicide thoughts are said to be reflected in his music. On the lyrics of one of his recorded music, he said “Where to hide, suicide is the only way out. Don’t you know what it’s really about?”
Depression was also blamed for his aggressiveness during his shows. He would slaughter animals of bite off their heads during shows. He would also throw live animal parts into the crowd. He was also reported to act possessed and once slaughtered 70 cats. These show an advanced and more serious form of bipolar disorder.
Osbourne was heavily criticized for inciting rebellion in young people with his style of music. He was sued when two teenagers who committed suicide were believed to have been inspired by the lyrics of Osbourne’s music.
Osbourne married twice, first with Thelma Riley with whom he had three children and then later to Sharon Arden with whom he had three children. A family friend also came to live with them after the death of her mother but was not legally adopted. He now lives in Los Angeles and Buckinghamshire in Britain.