John Michael "
Ozzy"
Osbourne (born 3 December
1948) is an English singer-songwriter and occasional actor, whose
career has spanned over 40 years.
Osbourne rose to prominence as lead vocalist of the pioneering English heavy metal band
Black Sabbath,
a band whose radically different, intentionally dark, doom sound
spawned the heavy metal genre. In his subsequent solo career Osbourne
achieved a multi-platinum status in addition to the one he had earned
with Black Sabbath. These things are what led Osbourne to become known
as the "Godfather of Heavy Metal". It was during his Sabbath days that,
due to their dark style of music, Osbourne became known as the "Prince
of Darkness". Osbourne has over 15 tattoos, the most famous of which
are the letters O-Z-Z-Y across the knuckles of his left hand. This was
his first tattoo, created by himself as a teenager with a sewing
needle and
pencil lead.
In the early 2000s, Osbourne's career expanded to a new medium when he became a star in his own reality show,
The Osbournes, alongside wife/manager Sharon and two of their three children, Kelly and Jack.