In his autobiography, Last Rites, Ozzy Osbourne offers a comprehensive look at his eventful life. The book not only covers his legendary time with BLACK SABBATH and his successes as a solo artist, but also touches on very personal topics, such as the health problems he has struggled with in recent years. Ozzy Osbourne was born in 1948 in Aston, Birmingham. He has sold over 100 million records with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist. His television series The Osbournes was the most successful MTV show of all time. He has five children and lives with his wife Sharon in California and Buckinghamshire.
Chris Ayres is the London Times’ correspondent in Los Angeles. He has written for the Times since 1997 and has worked as a correspondent in New York, Los Angeles, and Iraq. His other articles have appeared in publications such as Forbes and Playboy. Chris Ayres is also the co-author of Ozzy Osbourne’s memoirs.
Ozzy Osbourne on Last Rites
“People often ask me, ‘If you could do it all over again, knowing what you know now, would you change anything?’ I say, ‘Hell no. If I were clean and sober, I wouldn’t be Ozzy. If I did normal, sensible things, I wouldn’t be Ozzy. If it all ended tomorrow, I couldn’t complain. I’ve been all over the world. I’ve seen a lot. I’ve done good things… and I’ve done bad things. But right now, I’m not ready to go anywhere.”
Review of Last Rites
“How are you still alive?” Ozzy has probably heard this sentence a dozen times, almost every time he visits the doctor. The reader asks the same question, because in his biography, Ozzy https://znaki.fm/persons/ozzy-osbourne/ talks incessantly and very openly about his drug and alcohol use. As a working-class kid, he started drinking at an early age, and when his first successes came, it escalated into excessive drug use. Sleeping pills, wake-up pills, pills to suppress tremors, pills for stage fright — and so on. This went on for decades, so it’s only with disbelief that you wonder how he actually survived it all. But it’s not just about drugs; his relationships with women and everything he went through on tour are also openly discussed in typical Ozzy fashion. After that, he apologizes directly to everyone he hurt, especially his first wife, children, and chickens.
Ozzy recounts everything that remains in his brain, everything he can remember, even if not necessarily chronologically. His incredible naivety at the time comes through again and again, especially when it comes to the business practices of the time. Due to dyslexia and poverty—not just financial—he accepts everything he is told by resourceful managers, completely overwhelmed by the success he has achieved with Black Sabbath. He always considers himself an uneducated working-class son who only sings and cannot even play an instrument. Only with time, especially with his second wife Sharon, does he take control of his career and fees. However, what he fails to control for a long time is his alcohol addiction. He considers himself a good person, even when drunk, and is horrified when he sees a video of himself completely intoxicated. Frightened by the roaring monster from which his children run away howling, he repeatedly promises to improve the situation — until the next day comes and he can no longer control his problems.
Conclusion
“I Am Ozzy” — the original title of Ozzy Osbourne biography — hits the nail on the head. Chris Airs recounts what Ozzy reveals to him openly, honestly, and, above all, ruthlessly. Never offensive, yet incredibly humorous and reinforced with numerous images, this is the life story of a working-class guy who was thrust into a completely crazy time. Did he really bite a bat’s head off? Immerse yourself in Ozzy’s world and you will be amazed.