Read Online Unbreakable: My New Autobiography by Sharon Osbourne - Free Book Online
Authors: Sharon Osbourne
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called Quartz. My father had tried to sign Sabbath back in 1970, and that’s when I saw them at the Marquee and was blown away. It wasn’t to be: they were hijacked by Don’s assistant and a bodyguard, who went on to make a fortune with them.
Even though my father never forgave Sabbath for doing the dirty on him, he was a businessman and when Quartz said they wanted Tony Iommi to produce their album, Don was more than happy. Suddenly we were on talking terms again, and that’s how, in late 1978, early 1979, Sabbath came back to ask my father for management. And of course he accepted.
When Ozzy was fired by the band in 1979, I took him under my wing. He was a real talent, a charismatic performer with great wit and likeability. I’d been unhappy at how he’d been treated – basically bullied – by them. The way I saw it, Ozzy had spent his life being bullied, at home, at school by Tony, among others, and now by Black Sabbath, because he was an insecure people-pleaser and everyone took advantage of that.
Sometime before, I had introduced Tony Iommi to Ronnie Dio (formerly of Rainbow) who then replaced Ozzy in Sabbath. So while Sabbath were in the studio doing a new album with Ronnie, Ozzy was in West Hollywood nursing his wounds and licking his paws. Tony and the gang didn’t like the fact that my father and I were still looking after him. They expected us to pull the plug. I didn’t see the need, so in the end they decided to leave us, going with another manager. It was that continuous on-off relationship my father had had with Black Sabbath taking yet another turn.
My job then was to find Ozzy a band so that he could write a new album and go into the studio on his own account. And the rest is history.
Over the years, Ozzy would play with Sabbath on and off. After he was fired, Sabbath did two studio albums and then a live record with Ronnie Dio. Then Geezer left, selling his portion of the name back to Tony. There is only a finite number of good musicians playing in Ozzy’s genre, and Geezer is one of the best bassists in hard rock. It wasn’t long before he was playing with Ozzy again, in Ozzy’s band, and when Ozzy was playing with another bassist, Geezer would go back to whatever formation Tony had come up with.
Then, from 1997 until 2005, if a project came up for Sabbath in which Ozzy was involved, I would manage it. The name Sabbath gradually began to get its credibility back. Too many reincarnations had put the name in the toilet. Without the original members, it had flatlined and had been on life support. And as far as Black Sabbath’s merchandising was concerned, it had no clout in the marketplace. Merchandise is not an add-on in this world. It’s a central part of the business.
From 1998 on, I took over responsibility for running the merchandising, cutting deals, approving the artwork and the rest of it. As the internet and social media grew in importance, I registered BlackSabbath.com as a domain name. All of this took time, effort and money.
In 2005, the British Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was inaugurated. It had existed in the States for many years. Ozzy was asked to be among the first artists to be inducted. He was touring with Black Sabbath when the invitation came, and I suggested that they induct Sabbath at the same time, and they agreed. Ozzy played at the induction with his own band, and also with Sabbath – with all the original members.
I had been lobbying for years to get them inducted into the US Hall of Fame, writing letters to everyone on the committee, so when it was agreed, in 2006, it was great news. It was an acknowledgement that Sabbath were now accepted by the mainstream. And, as is traditional, they were asked to play at the induction ceremony. Tony refused.
If he didn’t want to perform, then that was his prerogative. But it was strange. It made Sabbath the only band still alive and working never to have performed at their own induction.
The night before the ceremony,
Even though my father never forgave Sabbath for doing the dirty on him, he was a businessman and when Quartz said they wanted Tony Iommi to produce their album, Don was more than happy. Suddenly we were on talking terms again, and that’s how, in late 1978, early 1979, Sabbath came back to ask my father for management. And of course he accepted.
When Ozzy was fired by the band in 1979, I took him under my wing. He was a real talent, a charismatic performer with great wit and likeability. I’d been unhappy at how he’d been treated – basically bullied – by them. The way I saw it, Ozzy had spent his life being bullied, at home, at school by Tony, among others, and now by Black Sabbath, because he was an insecure people-pleaser and everyone took advantage of that.
Sometime before, I had introduced Tony Iommi to Ronnie Dio (formerly of Rainbow) who then replaced Ozzy in Sabbath. So while Sabbath were in the studio doing a new album with Ronnie, Ozzy was in West Hollywood nursing his wounds and licking his paws. Tony and the gang didn’t like the fact that my father and I were still looking after him. They expected us to pull the plug. I didn’t see the need, so in the end they decided to leave us, going with another manager. It was that continuous on-off relationship my father had had with Black Sabbath taking yet another turn.
My job then was to find Ozzy a band so that he could write a new album and go into the studio on his own account. And the rest is history.
Over the years, Ozzy would play with Sabbath on and off. After he was fired, Sabbath did two studio albums and then a live record with Ronnie Dio. Then Geezer left, selling his portion of the name back to Tony. There is only a finite number of good musicians playing in Ozzy’s genre, and Geezer is one of the best bassists in hard rock. It wasn’t long before he was playing with Ozzy again, in Ozzy’s band, and when Ozzy was playing with another bassist, Geezer would go back to whatever formation Tony had come up with.
Then, from 1997 until 2005, if a project came up for Sabbath in which Ozzy was involved, I would manage it. The name Sabbath gradually began to get its credibility back. Too many reincarnations had put the name in the toilet. Without the original members, it had flatlined and had been on life support. And as far as Black Sabbath’s merchandising was concerned, it had no clout in the marketplace. Merchandise is not an add-on in this world. It’s a central part of the business.
From 1998 on, I took over responsibility for running the merchandising, cutting deals, approving the artwork and the rest of it. As the internet and social media grew in importance, I registered BlackSabbath.com as a domain name. All of this took time, effort and money.
In 2005, the British Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was inaugurated. It had existed in the States for many years. Ozzy was asked to be among the first artists to be inducted. He was touring with Black Sabbath when the invitation came, and I suggested that they induct Sabbath at the same time, and they agreed. Ozzy played at the induction with his own band, and also with Sabbath – with all the original members.
I had been lobbying for years to get them inducted into the US Hall of Fame, writing letters to everyone on the committee, so when it was agreed, in 2006, it was great news. It was an acknowledgement that Sabbath were now accepted by the mainstream. And, as is traditional, they were asked to play at the induction ceremony. Tony refused.
If he didn’t want to perform, then that was his prerogative. But it was strange. It made Sabbath the only band still alive and working never to have performed at their own induction.
The night before the ceremony,
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