Often known as the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne has a deep affection for his family, from sharing screen time with his loved ones in the reality TV show “The Osbournes” to expressing his love for his wife, Sharon. Even composing songs dedicated to his children, it’s evident that Ozzy Osbourne is a family-oriented man.
In 1977, Osbourne was profoundly affected by the passing of his father, who succumbed to cancer. His father played a pivotal role in his upbringing. He was responsible for crafting the distinctive crosses worn by all the members of Black Sabbath. Even the crosses became quite popular in the late 1970s.
A year later, on the 1978 record “Never Say Die,” Ozzy disclosed to the Record Mirror that the album’s third track was a heartfelt tribute to his late father, Thomas ‘Jack’ Osbourne.
Osbourne explained his brief departure from the band before working on the album, “The initial reason I left was because my father died. He was 64, and he had cancer. There’s a song on the new album, ‘Junior’s Eyes,’ that’s a farewell song to my father, expressing my grief. We were like brothers.”
Osbourne further revealed that his father passed away on his daughter’s sixth birthday. Coincidentally, he left the world in the very same hospital room where she was born. He reflected, “It was surreal. It’s only now that I can discuss it with anyone. I embarrassed myself at the funeral; it was dreadful. I thought he was just unwell; I had no idea he was terminally ill. No, I couldn’t handle it. We had plans to go to Canada.”
However, Osbourne did acknowledge other reasons for his decision to take a break, including his widely publicized battle with substance abuse. He likened the life of a rock and roll superstar to a “24-hour-a-day job” that left him exhausted and sleep-deprived.
“I was drinking, taking a lot of pills so that I would have ended up as another rock and roll tragedy,” he confessed. “Life isn’t worth subjecting yourself to such torment. Now, I’m even attempting to quit smoking. I was on uppers and downers, going in circles. I’ve experienced two nervous breakdowns in the past decade.”
The loss of his father was particularly painful given that his father had a hand in shaping Sabbath’s distinctive style. After the thunderous debut of “Black Sabbath” in 1970, the band attracted diverse fans, from Satanists to witches.
They reached a point where self-proclaimed wizards began showing up at their gigs. The band frequently received invitations to participate in occult rituals. Ozzy’s father intervened when they declined these invitations. He was extremely concerned about the curses and threats directed at Black Sabbath.
Reflecting on that period, bassist Geezer Butler revealed to Metal Hammer that Jack Osbourne, Ozzy’s father, crafted protective jewelry for the band. He made each member a substantial cross out of spare metal. He had previously worked at a metal factory manufacturing car parts.
