Some of the best, most talented celebrities are Sagittariuses, and Ozzy Osbourne was one of them. Born on December 3, 1947, the Prince of Darkness would have turned 77 years old today. Seventeen days before he died, Ozzy, who had Parkinson's, was back on stage with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward for the first time in twenty years - a full-circle, legendary reunion and his final goodbye.
© GettyThe man credited with inventing metal had a life full of ups and downs. He battled decades of drug and alcohol addiction, survived multiple overdoses, near-fatal injuries, rabies shots, arrests, lawsuits, and lived under a tabloid microscope. There's no denying he's a legend, and as we know from The Sandlot, "legends never die."
© Getty ImagesSomebody's baby boy
Before Ozzy was a father, he was somebody's son. He was born John Michael Osbourne and Liliian in Marston Green, and grew up in Aston, a working-class corner of Birmingham.
© FacebookHis mom, Lilian, was a quiet, non-practicing Catholic who worked long hours at the Lucas factory, while his dad, Jack, pulled night shifts as a toolmaker at GEC. He shared a tiny two-bedroom house with his three older sisters, Jean, Iris, and Gillian, plus his younger brothers, Paul and Tony. It was in that house that his nickname, “Ozzy,” was born.
© GettyBut his childhood wasn’t easy. He struggled with dyslexia, got teased for his Brummie accent, and went through trauma no kid should ever experience, including sexual abuse from school bullies when he was 11. He later admitted he tried to take his own life more than once as a teen.
The bat biting incident
No Ozzy story is complete without the bat incident. In 1982, during a show in Des Moines, a fan tossed what Ozzy thought was a rubber bat onto the stage. He picked it up, bit into it, and realized it was very real. He had to rush to the hospital for a round of rabies shots, and the moment instantly became one of the most infamous stories in music history.
A husband and father
Ozzy first became a dad with his ex-wife, Thelma Riley, welcoming two children, Jessica and Louis. He also helped raise Thelma’s son, Elliot, legally adopting him.
© Mega/The Grosby GroupThen came the chapter the world knows best.
© NBCHe married Sharon on July 4, 1982, and they had a 43-year love story. welcoming three children together: Aimee, the oldest and most private; Kelly, who followed in her parents' footsteps into the spotlight; and Jack. Altogether, Ozzy was the father of six children across two marriages.
© MirrorpixThe funniest man on reality TV
Before celebrity reality TV was even a thing, The Osbournes showed up and completely changed the game. What started as a simple look inside their Beverly Hills home turned into one of the most chaotic, hilarious, and unexpectedly heartfelt shows on MTV. Ozzy wasn’t the Prince of Darkness; he was the confused, mumbling, robe-wearing dad trying to figure out the remote, yell at the dogs, and navigate life with Sharon, Kelly, and Jack while the cameras rolled.
His last viral moment
Backstage at the reunion, Ozzy was there to watch his daughter, Kelly, get engaged. Her longtime boyfriend, Sid Wilson, got down on one knee, “You know I love you more than anything in the world,” he said before the rock icon chimed in hilariously, “F--- off, you’re not marrying my daughter.”
Kelly would probably never have met Sid if it weren't for Ozzy. They have known each other for over 20 years, first meeting in 1999 when Slipknot and Ozzy headlined Ozzfest.
Though he won't get to see his daughter say "I do" he passed away knowing she found real love. Rest in peace.
