OZZY OSBOURNE

If you need to read a bio to learn about who Ozzy Osbourne is, then you’re in the wrong profession.  
 
Ozzy Osbourne’s career has spanned four decades and his music is as relevant today as ever. On any given day you can hear his music blasting at sporting events, in the movies, on the radio, in TV commercials, video games or on your iPod.    Ozzy’s not only a legend and an icon, but is a pioneer in his genre of music.  He has helped open the door for countless bands by giving them their big break by taking them on tour or by taking them on Ozzfest, his all-day metal festival which is now in its 13th year.   Ozzy also opened the door for celebrities to have their own reality TV shows (although I’m not sure he wants to take credit for that).
 
Ozzy has always been an innovator.  He leads and others follow.  He was the first front man to leave a hugely successful band and have equal or greater success as a solo artist.  He was the first to have his own hard rock/metal touring festival.   He was the first to have a celebrity-reality television program.   There’s no doubt that Ozzy’s impact will be felt for generations to come.
 
Here are some milestones from Grammy Award-winning Ozzy Osbourne’s 38-year career:

THE SEVENTIES:

• Ozzy releases his first record with Black Sabbath in 1970 (released Friday, February    13th). The self-titled record goes platinum that same year in the U.K. and U.S.

• Ozzy releases 10 records with Black Sabbath.

• Black Sabbath has sold over 50 million records (to date) worldwide.

• Black Sabbath embarks on several world tours and performs to legions of fans around the globe.

• Black Sabbath performs at the first California Jam in June 1974 to over 250,000 fans.

• Ozzy leaves Black Sabbath and goes solo in 1979.

THE EIGHTIES:

• Ozzy releases his first solo record Blizzard Of Ozz in 1980. The record quickly goes 4x Platinum.

• Ozzy releases seven records throughout the decade. Each one sells well over two million copies.

• Ozzy has sold over 50 million CD's as a solo artist worldwide.

• Ozzy performs at the US Festival in 1983 in front of 250,000 fans.

• Ozzy performs at Live Aid in 1985, the legendary benefit concert for world hunger.

• Ozzy performs at the Moscow Peace Festival in 1989. This was the first major rock concert in the Soviet Republic by Western artists.

THE NINETIES:

• Ozzy releases five records this decade. Each record goes multi-platinum.

• Ozzy has performed to millions of fans around the world. His live concerts are guaranteed sell-outs.

• Ozzy wins a Grammy Award in 1993 for Best Metal Performance for "I Don't Want To Change the World."

• Ozzy and his wife/manager Sharon launch OZZfest in 1996, the first national music festival of its kind dedicated to hard rock music and breaking new artists.

• 1.4 million fans attend the annual OZZfest music festival which Ozzy headlines.

• Ozzy donates a portion of the OZZfest proceeds to various charities across the country including Lifebeat.

THE NEW MILLENIUM:

• Ozzy wins a Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 2000 as a part of Black Sabbath for "Iron Man."

• Ozzy (with Black Sabbath) headlines OZZfest 2001. Over 1 million-plus fans attended 32 sold-out dates.

• Noted film director Penelope Spheeris shoots a full-length documentary on OZZfest titled "We Sold Our Souls For Rock 'n' Roll," that debuts at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. Ozzy also appears in the Adam Sandler film "Little Nicky” and “Austin Powers Goldmember” (with  the Osbournes).

• Ozzy receives an MTV Movie Awards 2001 nomination for "Best Cameo" for his role in "Little Nicky."

• Ozzy has released 13 albums during his 20-year career with Epic Records.

• Ozzy receives a Star on the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, April 12, 2002.

• "The Osbournes" debuts on MTV to a record-breaking audience for a new program. Further episodes create a national sensation around the Osbourne family and ratings skyrocket to become the highest-ever in MTV's 22 year history.  “The Osbournes” is still the highest rated series in MTV’s history.

• Ozzy dines with President Bush at the Washington Correspondents Association Dinner in May 2002.

• Ozzy performs the Black Sabbath classic “Paranoid” for Queen Elizabeth’s 50th Jubilee celebration at Buckingham Palace in June 2002

• Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly & Jack host ABC-TV’s “American Music Awards” in January 2003.

• Ozzy, Kelly & Jack’s Emmy-nominated “Pepsi Twist” commercial airs during Superbowl XXXVII (2003).

• Ozzy & Kelly hit #1 on the UK singles charts with their remake of the Black Sabbath classic “Changes.”  The single sold over 1 million copies.

• Ozzy and Sharon debut another MTV success with their “Battle For Ozzfest” weekly series (2004).   

• Ozzy’s gold-certified Prince Of Darkness box set was released in March 2005 on Epic Records.

• Ozzy performs “Crazy Train” from atop the New England Patriots football helmet September 8, 2005 as the surprise guest at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts for ABC TV's prime-time "NFL Opening Kickoff 2005."

• Ozzy releases the DualDisc Under Cover in late 2005.

• Ozzy and Black Sabbath inducted at The Second Annual UK Music Hall of Fame Ceremony.

• Ozzy inducted as a member of Black Sabbath into the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2006.

• Ozzy releases Black Rain--his first album with new studio material in six years—in May 2007. The album entered the Billboard 200 album chart at #3 with over 150,000 copies sold in the U.S. Black Rain also debuted in the Top Ten on the album charts in 10 other countries: #2 (Norway), #2 (Finland), #2 (Sweden), #5 (Canada), #5 (Czech Republic), #6 (Japan), #6 (Denmark), #7 (Austria), # 8 (UK), # 9 (Germany) and #10 (New Zealand).  Black Rain album sells more than one million copies worldwide and is certified Platinum in Canada and Gold in the United States.

• OZZY’s first single from Black Rain, “I Don’t Wanna Stop,” becomes the biggest rock song of his career, spending 20 weeks at #1 on the R&R Rock Chart, peaking at #1 on the R&R Active Rock chart and garnered a 2008 Grammy nomination in the “Best Hard Rock Performance” category. The song is also the lead track from EA’s Madden NFL ’08.

• OZZY honored on VH-1’s “Rock Honors” in May 2007.

• OZZY’s OZZY completes an 11-month world tour in April 2008 by performing to an audience of nearly 40,000 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

• OZZY & Metallica co-headline the 13TH year of OZZfest on August 9th in Dallas, TX establishing OZZfest as an annual destination festival.

• OZZY to start work on new studio album in August 2008.