Ozzy Osbourne – Ozzfest and The Osbournes John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne (3 December 1948 – 22 July 2025) was an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to worldwide prominence in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which time he became known as the “Prince of Darkness.” His distinctive voice and commanding stage presence made him one of the most influential figures in the history of heavy metal. Ozzfest Ozzy Osbourne’s greatest financial success of the 1990s was Ozzfest, an annual traveling rock and heavy metal festival held in the United States and the United Kingdom. The event was conceived and organized by Ozzy and his wife, Sharon Osbourne, and featured many of the world’s leading heavy music acts. The idea for the festival came after Sharon was denied a request for Ozzy to participate in Lollapalooza. In response, she decided to create a festival of her own. Over the years, Ozzfest grew into the largest heavy metal festival in the United States and became an important showcase for emerging bands. Traditionally, Ozzfest featured two stages. The main stage hosted established artists, while the second stage, known as the Hot Topic Stage, was dedicated to newer or lesser-known bands. The first editions took place in Phoenix, Arizona, on 25 October 1996, and in Devore, California, on 26 October of the same year. The festival was an immediate success among metal fans and helped launch the careers of several bands that later achieved major commercial success. In 1997, Ozzy reunited with the original members of Black Sabbath and continued to perform with the band periodically thereafter. The Osbournes The Osbournes was an American reality television series that followed the domestic life of Ozzy Osbourne and his family: his wife Sharon, daughter Kelly, and son Jack. The couple also had an older daughter, Aimee Osbourne, who declined to participate in the show and publicly criticized the family’s exposure. As a result, she was often absent from or blurred in family photographs shown in the series. The program ran for 52 episodes across four seasons and premiered on MTV on 5 March 2002. Its first season became the highest-rated series in the network’s history at the time. The final episode aired on 21 March 2005. In addition to documenting the family’s everyday life, the series covered major events such as Sharon’s battle with cancer and Ozzy’s recovery from a serious ATV accident that nearly killed him. The show’s theme song was a jazz-swing version of “Crazy Train,” one of Ozzy’s biggest hits. Swing is a jazz subgenre that emerged in the United States in the late 1920s and early 1930s, characterized by a danceable rhythm, an emphasis on syncopation, and a strong association with large ensembles known as big bands. The success of the reality show led to other projects involving the family. Kelly Osbourne launched a brief music career, while Sharon Osbourne hosted The Sharon Osbourne Show. The Osbournes also appeared in parodies of the series at award shows and in the film Austin Powers in Goldmember. A recurring figure on the show was Robert Marcato, a friend of Jack and Kelly. Sharon temporarily took him in after his mother died of cancer. Although he appeared frequently, he was rarely the focus of storylines. Many viewers assumed that he had been adopted by the family, a claim Sharon later denied. In an interview with BBC Radio 2 in May 2009, Ozzy stated that he was “high during all the filming of The Osbournes” and that he never watched the episodes because of it. Censorship and reception In the United States, MTV censored profanity in the series with bleeps. Ironically, Ozzy said he preferred the censored version because the bleeps made the swearing even more noticeable. Canadian broadcasts on CTV and UK broadcasts on MTV and Channel 4 were aired uncensored. In some countries, including Australia, certain episodes were also shown in their uncensored form. Staging and production In later interviews, Jack and Kelly Osbourne revealed that some situations shown on the program — such as the visit from a dog therapist — had been arranged by MTV producers, indicating that part of the content was staged for television. After the show On 30 November and 1 December 2007, items belonging to the Osbourne family and featured on the show were auctioned to the public. Between 2016 and 2018, Ozzy and Jack starred in the reality series Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour, which initially aired on the History Channel before moving to A&E. The third season premiered on 13 June 2018 and also featured Kelly. On 2 August 2020, The Osbournes Want to Believe premiered on the Travel Channel, featuring members of the family commenting on videos and reports involving paranormal phenomena. Awards In addition to achieving some of the highest ratings in MTV history, The Osbournes won the 2002 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program. Alex