Search Results for: black sabbath

Call it “Diary of Another Madman.” Ozzy Osbourne, who titled his second solo album Diary of a Madman, is writing a Broadway musical based on the nutty Russian monk Rasputin. The Prince of Darkness already has material written for the project and plans to record it at a studio he is building in the famed Osbournes house, he said last week. Ozzy, who recently parted with his longtime label, also said that when he releases the songs, or any recordings for that matter, he’ll distribute them independently. “We don’t like record labels,” the singer’s wife and manager, Sharon, said, sticking… Read more »

George Harrison, Prince, John Mellencamp and Jackson Browne are among those who’ve made the list of nominees for the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot, a hall of fame spokesperson confirmed Monday. Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria for consideration include “the influence and significance of the artist’s contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll,” according to the organization. Several names that have not made the hall before are back for another try, including the Sex Pistols, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, country rock legend Gram Parsons,… Read more »

This news is either going to ease Prince and John Mellencamp’s possible midlife crises, or agitate them: They’re nominees for induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The late George Harrison and Jackson Browne are other first-timers on the ballot determining the hall’s class of 2004. Others looking to gain admittance to the Cleveland-based mecca after coming up short in previous voting, include: Punk pioneers the Sex Pistols; Ozzy Osbourne’s first family, Black Sabbath; “Freebird” purveyors Lynyrd Skynyrd; ZZ Top, the bearded rockers who were once MTV’s unlikeliest video stars; and poet/rocker Patti Smith. Nominees become eligible for… Read more »

In an interview with Barbara Walters airing Friday (September 12) on 20/20, Sharon Osbourne admits that she briefly left her husband, Ozzy Osbourne, last spring. The separation occurred around the time their son, Jack, entered rehab for alcohol and substance abuse. Sharon revealed to Walters that she left because Ozzy himself was abusing drugs and alcohol again. “I just said, ‘You just have to stop,’ and he didn’t. And I said, ‘Well then, I’m going,’” Sharon said. The separation only lasted a few days, with Sharon telling Walters, “The minute I left, the next morning, he gave up drinking. But… Read more »

Kelly Osbourne has signed a multi-album recording contract with Sanctuary Records Group. The label will on Sept. 30 re-release her 2002 Epic debut “Shut Up” under the name “Changes,” featuring a duet with her father, Ozzy Osbourne, on the title track. The repackaged album will also contain four bonus live cuts. The title track is a reworking of the Black Sabbath song of the same name, which appeared on the group’s 1972 album, “Black Sabbath, Vol. 4” (Warner Bros.). “Changes” will be released as single, and will contain new lyrics written by Ozzy and Kelly, according to Sanctuary. Kelly split… Read more »

Prince William, who turns 21 on Saturday, got birthday greetings from shock rocker Ozzy Osbourne. Osbourne, whose chaotic family life is the subject of an MTV reality series, invited the prince to come stay at his Beverly Hills mansion. “I’ve been told that you want to come and live in America. You’re more than welcome to come and live in my house,” Osbourne told a TV special celebrating William’s birthday. Excerpts from Friday’s show were released in advance by broadcaster ITV. “My daughter would be thrilled. My wife would. I would. And the dogs would!” the 54-year-old rocker said. A… Read more »

Headbangers of the world will unite once again this summer at Ozzfest, the annual road show of hard rock bands organized by America’s first couple of reality TV, the Osbournes. Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne and son Jack opened their Beverly Hills house to journalists on Tuesday to announce the lineup for the eighth annual outing of Ozzfest. Dressed in his best pair of tracksuit pants and a black T-shirt, a typically befuddled Ozzy slurred his way through the news conference while a svelte Sharon, as usual, took charge of proceedings, firing off insults at her guests and husband. Ozzy Osbourne,… Read more »

For those about to rock, the Rock Hall salutes you – by inducting several heroes of metal, punk and new wave into next year’s class. AC/DC, the Clash, the Police, and Elvis Costello and the Attractions will lead the class of 2003 when they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 10, organizers announced Thursday (November 7). Other artists recognized include blue-eyed soul singers the Righteous Brothers, whose “Unchained Melody” and Phil Spector-produced “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ ” remain classics. Sideman and non-performer inductees remain to be announced. AC/DC, who formed in 1973 and… Read more »

In the late 1970s, Elvis Costello wore a punk snarl to go along with his sharp suits and horn-rimmed glasses. Twenty-five years later, the prolific troubadour has replaced it with something more subtly sinister. Cruel Smile, a companion LP to Costello’s latest studio album, When I Was Cruel, features B-sides, rare cuts and live versions from that album, as well as a handful of fan favorites. Due October 1, the 14-track enhanced CD also includes the video for When I Was Cruel’s “45,” according to an Island Records spokesperson. Costello selected the tracks himself, most of which were previously unavailable… Read more »

When Ozzy Osbourne was chiefly known in middle America for decapitating winged creatures and urinating on the Alamo, he and his annual hard rock hoedown were greeted with protests, boycotts and prayer meetings. But, oh, what a difference a year makes. The former most-feared man in rock has now become its most beloved father figure, courtesy of the rib-tickling warts-and-all series “The Osbournes.” So as he returns to the road for the first time since becoming the toast of prime time, Ozzy and Ozzfest 2002 are being greeted not with protests but with open arms, and at least a few… Read more »