It was the mid-80s and I remember the first time I heard Ozzy Osborne. My sister Sue had the Blizzard of Ozz album and hearing songs like “Crazy Train”, “I Don’t Know” and “Suicide Solution” were my favorite tracks! I made a cassette copy of it and was instantly hooked on it. His 2nd album “Diary of a Mad Man” was simply incredible. ALL the songs ROCKED out! The cover would scare the daylights out of you but the music was something else.

Randy Rhoades who was Ozzy’s guitarist was pure genius. That dude was something else, in a league of his own! He was sadly killed in a plane crash and it was not the end by any means. Lots of kids in school were into the albums after the first two like “Bark at the Moon”, “Ultimate Sin”, etc. I didn’t stay much on board after Bark at the Moon since I was learning how to break-dance and DJ. Showing up with Ozzy records in my music crate might have gotten my ass kicked.

So I followed his music very lightly through the years and when the “Ozz Fest” thing started going on I always said I wanted to go but could never muster up the patience to hang with these kids that know nothing about music so I never went. I was also one of those people hooked on “The Osborne’s” TV show as well. When it was announced that he would only be doing a few dates on Ozzfest, Sharon went on a tour calling radio stations and working on the air on X 103 at the time, I scored the interview! I tried not to ask all the same questions all these other hacks in the marketplace do and that woman was THE greatest interview ever! We talked about the family, life after TV, the blowup she had with Iron Maiden etc. Once I got her to relax it seemed like the goal of talking about the concert and getting tickets sold as not as important.

On the reality show you can tell Ozzy just wanted to make music. There was one episode and he was shooting a video and he said “I’m the F***in prince of darkness man”. That was STELLAR and that is when I paid a little more attention to some of the exploiting that was starting to go on based on his personal history, drug use, etc. Would have been cool seeing him in the studio with Zak working on new stuff or whatever but I guess the most of the public finds it more entertaining to point and laugh than to get inside of the real talent one might possess.

When Sharon did the Charm School it was cool and it was something she did on her own without having to have her husband chime in incoherently on any of the episodes. Everyone was all saying “man he is messed up from all those drugs, etc”. In 2005 he learned he has Parkin Syndrome which has some of the same symptoms as Parkinson’s Disease. I guess that is not as funny as goofin’ on his troubled past but that is the truth. And it is hereditary and not caused by substance abuse.

So last night was watching the “Osborne’s Re-Loaded” show and I have to say that is was predictable. For me I am always entertained by anyone dropping the “F Bomb” on network TV even if it is bleeped. I was not amused by Ozzy who was dragged into this mess in the first place. It was sad to see that someone I was so captivated by as a kid being reduced to the “bobble head” and going along with every ridiculous plan his family comes up with to make a buck. Give me a good rock album any day! Leave the Circus to the clowns!