Ozzy Osbourne, also known as the Prince of Darkness, was fired from the heavy metal band Black Sabbath on April 27, 1979. The decision took place 43 years ago, after his 12 years with the band, but why was Ozzy Osbourne fired from Black Sabbath? Here we will talk all about it.
The topic arose after Ozzy’s reality TV appearance was disclosed a few days back. Osbourne was one of the band’s founding members and the lead singer for the entire time he was with them.
He was also a prominent contributor to the band’s rise and shine, singing every song till his exit. Ozzy was born on December 3, 1948, in Birmingham, and to date, he has explored numerous entertainment sectors, with his heart still being that of a songwriter and singer.
His career has been great, despite being fired from the band. His total album sale number is not precise but lies near 70 million. He is 74 and still plans his tours and reality shows, but he also has age-related problems, as depicted by his recent walking issue. Let’s get to the main point now and see why he was fired.
Why Was Ozzy Osbourne Fired From The Band Black Sabbath?
Ozzy Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath because of his drug abuse issue. Ozzy has accepted the fact numerous times on international shows that he was addicted to alcohol and other drugs during his peak.
But he also said that he avoided getting high before going on stage. He wasn’t alone in this endeavor. The entire band got used to substance abuse during the 1970s; it was confirmed by band guitarist and co-founder Tony Iommi.
Drug addiction broke the band, leading to its downfall and sourness among the members. Initially, in the 1970s, they were doing good, but things started getting sour and then became dire. When Technical Ecstasy was released in 1976, fans were disappointed.
Because of this, the band’s confidence dropped, especially Ozzy’s, making him even more dependent on drugs. When Never Say Die! came out, the band was completely broken, and with Ozzy missing the stage, the shows were a complete disaster.
A decision had to be made, and it was either to get Ozzy off the band or see Black Sabbath die. So Tony proposed this and, with acceptance from Butler and Ward, knocked off Ozzy in April 1979. The move was supposed to be positive, but he alone wasn’t the problem.
Tony disclosed that once they wasted 11 months in Los Angeles, did absolutely nothing, and lied to the record company, saying things were really great. Others were using Ozzy’s absence as an excuse to get off the task at hand and puff.
Ozzy Osbourne’s Drug Life: A Brief
As you might have already understood, Ozzy was very consistent, and if his words are to be trusted, he was high almost all the time for a period of two years, probably from 1977 to 1979. He has been banned from numerous places because of the things he did while intoxicated.
After he was fired from Black Sabbath, dope was the only thing he did for months, but he was then saved by his wife Sharon, who encouraged him to start a solo career.
Ozzy entered rehab but was drawn back into darkness again and again. The reality TV show, The Osbournes, tells a lot about how his habits affected his family and led his son Jack into addiction. He accepted that it was Jack’s confrontation that made him realize what he had been doing all this time. Ozzy has managed to be free from both drug and alcohol use in recent years. Let’s hope he continues doing so.
What Is Ozzy Osbourne Doing Now?
The metal vocalist’s health condition has declined a lot, having had multiple accidents and operations in the past decade. But he is coping with them and has a tour planned for May and June 2023. We will also see Ozzy and his wife, Sharon, on the upcoming reality TV show Home To Roost. In a recent interview, Ozzy claimed to be afraid that it might break the family again, as in the original show, which ran from 2002 – 2005.
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