John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne is an English singer, songwriter and television personality. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the rock band Black Sabbath, whose sound was influential to the development of heavy metal. Ozzy Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 and has since had a successful solo career, releasing 11 studio albums, the first seven of which were all awarded multi-platinum certifications in the U.S., although he has reunited with Black Sabbath on several occasions, recording the album 13 in 2013. Osbourne’s longevity and success have earned him the informal title of “Godfather of Heavy Metal“.
Ozzy Osbourne’s total album sales from his years in Black Sabbath, combined with his solo work, is over 100 million. As a member of Black Sabbath, he was inducted into the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame as a solo artist and as a member of the band. Osbourne has a star on the Birmingham Walk of Stars in his hometown as well as the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards Ozzy Osbourne received the Global Icon Award. In the early 2000s, he became a TV star, appearing as himself in the MTV reality program The Osbournes, alongside wife/manager Sharon and two of their three children, Kelly and Jack.
