Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy's musical influence was the Beatles. He admired the Beatles and decided that he would like to try a career in music and be just like them.

Ozzy got his first chance at music when he met an old friend who had just formed a band that was named Approach, and they needed a singer. Ozzy felt he was the right man for the job and persuaded his father to buy him a $50 amplifier and microphone. Approach was a rhythmic band that Ozzy didn't like so he quit.

Ozzy and a friend, Terrance Butler, formed a band of their own named "Rare Breed." The band was going nowhere so they put an ad in the paper. Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, saw his ad and were interested. The four combined and formed a band called Polka Tulk. The band was blues and jazz with a "hard edge." The band eventually changed its name to Earth.

The band wasn't getting enough recognition. One day Terrance went to a theater and watched a horror movie titled Black Sabbath. After the movie he asked himself, "Why would people pay good money just to get the crap scared out of them?" After the band talked it over, they decided to change their image to be more "doomsey and "dark." They also decided to call the band Black Sabbath.

Black Sabbath's first album came out on Friday, February 13, 1970 under a record label named Vertigo. It was recorded in 8 hours on two four-track machines. The album cost only $1,200 to make. Ozzy took the album home one day to his dad and said, "Look, dad! It's me on a piece of plastic!" After listening to it John Osbourne gave his son the response, "Are you sure you're only smoking cigarettes?"

Black Sabbath's first album drew a lot of fans. Terrance became known as Geezer, while the rest of the band became known for their music. One night, Black Sabbath was approached by a witch and was asked to play at a satanic ceremony. Declining the offer, the band had a spell cast upon them. Ozzy asked his dad to make them crosses for protection. Bill Ward is the only member who has his original cross. The cross Ozzy wears now is made from 14 carat gold.

In 1977 several things happened to Ozzy that made him very depressed. Ozzy didn't like the way Tony was taking control of the band. Also, Ozzy was addicted to drugs and was constantly messed up. To add to his depression, Ozzy's father died. This put Ozzy in an emotional swell. To escape from it, Ozzy decided to leave Black Sabbath. He rejoined the band to make a new album "Never Say Die." Ozzy's addiction to drugs forced the band to fire him.

For six months straight, Ozzy spent every day in a hotel room drinking and getting high. He was in deep sorrow after leaving the band. One day Sharon Arden, the daughter of Ozzy's manager, came