All is sweetness and light between Ozzy Osbourne and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as the Prince of Darkness prepares for his second induction — this time as a solo artist.
Osbourne, you may recall, tried to get Black Sabbath off the 1999 nominations list, calling the nod “meaningless.” But luckily he went with the band in 2006, and he says so Advertising sign via email that becoming one of multiple Rock Hall inductees “feels big. I am more than an honor.”
The honor comes after his wife and manager Sharon Osbourne called out the Rock Hall last year for not considering Ozzy as a solo artist, despite being eligible since 2006. Osbourne began this career after leaving Black Sabbath acrimoniously in 1979 and noted eight consecutive multi-platinum albums starting with Blizzard of Oz in 1980. He also single-handedly released iconic songs such as 'Crazy Train', 'Flying High Again', 'Bark at the Moon', 'Shot in the Dark' and 'No More Tears'.
“I definitely wouldn't say I was confident” of solo success, Osbourne says, adding that the induction of Randy Rhoads, the singer's late songwriter, in the musical excellence category in 2021 “made me feel like we could do something. With any new musical venture there's always a certain amount of surprise that comes with seeing fans embrace it, because nobody wants to make a record and throw it away. I feel like I was invited to a party in 1980, and it hasn't stopped. Not bad for a guy who got fired from his last band.”
Comparing that induction to Sabbath “feels different,” Osbourne says, “because my solo career, it's been a much bigger part of my overall music career as a whole.” And after finishing fourth in the fan vote with more than 480,000 votes “I feel more special and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way.”
The big question, of course, is whether Osbourne will perform at the Oct. 19 induction ceremony in Cleveland. Although he has effectively retired from touring due to a variety of health issues, including Parkinson's disease, Osbourne continues to talk about performing again in some capacity. Could it be a two or three song set for the Rock Hall? “You never know,” he says, promising only that his outfit that night “will definitely be black.”
Osbourne has remained prolific as a recording artist, meanwhile, releasing two albums so far this decade – Ordinary Man in 2020, Patient number 9 in 2022 — and plans to do more. “I don't have a timetable,” says Osbourne, “but I do intend to start working on a new album sometime in the near future.”
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/ozzy-osbourne-rock-hall-induction-2024-1235662141/
