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I Am Ozzy
I Am Ozzy
391 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
1986 people are currently reading
26974 people want to read
About the author
Ozzy Osbourne
123 books331 followersJohn Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne was the lead vocalist of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, a multi-platinum, award winning successful solo artist and the star of the reality show, The Osbournes. Considered by many to be the "Godfather of Heavy Metal," Ozzy enjoyed a career that spanned over five decades.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,122 reviews
November 25, 2011
Opening Line: "My father always said I would do something big one day."
I grew up in the 80’s so the Ozzy that I knew wasn’t the comical, stuttering MTV family man of today but the Prince of darkness. Black Sabbath’s scary, out of control singer who bit the head off of bats and doves and worshiped the devil. (Or so the rumours said) My brother used to play his records (yes I’m that old) during his rocker/bad boy phase (he’s now with the RCMP) and I remember being forced to listen to Ozzy Osbourne Crazy Train and Bark At The Moon 24 hours a day. Ozzy’s exploits with drugs, women and Satan were legendary. In those days he was the ultimate in heavy metal music, if you wanted to be cool there just wasn’t anybody badder or scarier.
So you can imagine how strange it was for me to see him years later bumbling around with his family on MTV. Who the hell was this guy? Although he did provide an excellent example of the 80’s campaign “this is what happens to your brain on drugs” (anyone remember that ad with the fried egg?) It was hard for me to comprehend that this was the same man, Ozzy was the devil not a man who lived in the English countryside with a wife and kids. I was intrigued enough that I had to read his biography, to figure out which Ozzy was the real Ozzy. The truth is though, they both are.
Honestly this is one of the better rock biographies out there and I give credit to co-author Chris Ayers who’s managed to piece together all of Ozzy’s insane stories yet still allowed his true voice to ring through. I did wonder how on earth Ozzy could possibly write a book much less remember anything after 40 years of drug and alcohol abuse but it turns out the godfather of heavy metal remembers quite a lot. We start at the beginning in England with “John” growing up in a poor factory town without enough to eat or an indoor toilet. Crazy from the get-go John always wanted more and his rise to fame is an amazing journey.
Ozzy admits early on to struggling with dyslexia and I can only assume that he dictated this, leaving Chris Ayers with his work cut out for him. He’s done a fantastic job though because this flows really well and every page is funny, fascinating, shocking, at times unbelievable and brutally honest. All the dirt is here too so if you’re a fan of the music then theres a plethora of information about album covers, lyrics, band politics and the truth behind the music. We also get to see a lot of other rock royalty joining in the debauchery. In the end I wondered (as Ozzy does) how he’s managed to stay alive through it all. All aboard ….
Some of the many highlights for me were;
32 pages of color photographs
His jobs in a meat processing factory and testing car horns (pardon?)
His rise to fame and first experiences in America, the land of plenty (of cocaine)
His sexual exploits with groupies including an aids scare
Details of his first marriage and trying to keep it together for the kids while seeing Sharon
Almost killing a vicar with hash cake
The real story behind the bat
The death of his guitarist in an airplane that crashed into his tour bus
Waking up in the middle of a freeway
Thinking Betty Ford could teach him to drink like a gentleman or James Bond
His remorse over the moments he missed in his children’s lives because he was always pissed
Buying a horse because he couldn’t pass his drivers test and riding it to the pub
The realization that guns and booze don’t mix
His numerous arrests including the infamous pissing on the Alamo
The chaos that ensued after the success of the Osborne’s
Meeting the president and the Queen
The horror when he wakes up in jail not knowing why he is there and is told he tried to kill Sharon.
How Sharon stuck by him through years of outrageous intoxicated behaviour.
Why he stutters and shakes
Where he is now
I grew up in the 80’s so the Ozzy that I knew wasn’t the comical, stuttering MTV family man of today but the Prince of darkness. Black Sabbath’s scary, out of control singer who bit the head off of bats and doves and worshiped the devil. (Or so the rumours said) My brother used to play his records (yes I’m that old) during his rocker/bad boy phase (he’s now with the RCMP) and I remember being forced to listen to Ozzy Osbourne Crazy Train and Bark At The Moon 24 hours a day. Ozzy’s exploits with drugs, women and Satan were legendary. In those days he was the ultimate in heavy metal music, if you wanted to be cool there just wasn’t anybody badder or scarier.
So you can imagine how strange it was for me to see him years later bumbling around with his family on MTV. Who the hell was this guy? Although he did provide an excellent example of the 80’s campaign “this is what happens to your brain on drugs” (anyone remember that ad with the fried egg?) It was hard for me to comprehend that this was the same man, Ozzy was the devil not a man who lived in the English countryside with a wife and kids. I was intrigued enough that I had to read his biography, to figure out which Ozzy was the real Ozzy. The truth is though, they both are.
Honestly this is one of the better rock biographies out there and I give credit to co-author Chris Ayers who’s managed to piece together all of Ozzy’s insane stories yet still allowed his true voice to ring through. I did wonder how on earth Ozzy could possibly write a book much less remember anything after 40 years of drug and alcohol abuse but it turns out the godfather of heavy metal remembers quite a lot. We start at the beginning in England with “John” growing up in a poor factory town without enough to eat or an indoor toilet. Crazy from the get-go John always wanted more and his rise to fame is an amazing journey.
Ozzy admits early on to struggling with dyslexia and I can only assume that he dictated this, leaving Chris Ayers with his work cut out for him. He’s done a fantastic job though because this flows really well and every page is funny, fascinating, shocking, at times unbelievable and brutally honest. All the dirt is here too so if you’re a fan of the music then theres a plethora of information about album covers, lyrics, band politics and the truth behind the music. We also get to see a lot of other rock royalty joining in the debauchery. In the end I wondered (as Ozzy does) how he’s managed to stay alive through it all. All aboard ….
Some of the many highlights for me were;
32 pages of color photographs
His jobs in a meat processing factory and testing car horns (pardon?)
His rise to fame and first experiences in America, the land of plenty (of cocaine)
His sexual exploits with groupies including an aids scare
Details of his first marriage and trying to keep it together for the kids while seeing Sharon
Almost killing a vicar with hash cake
The real story behind the bat
The death of his guitarist in an airplane that crashed into his tour bus
Waking up in the middle of a freeway
Thinking Betty Ford could teach him to drink like a gentleman or James Bond
His remorse over the moments he missed in his children’s lives because he was always pissed
Buying a horse because he couldn’t pass his drivers test and riding it to the pub
The realization that guns and booze don’t mix
His numerous arrests including the infamous pissing on the Alamo
The chaos that ensued after the success of the Osborne’s
Meeting the president and the Queen
The horror when he wakes up in jail not knowing why he is there and is told he tried to kill Sharon.
How Sharon stuck by him through years of outrageous intoxicated behaviour.
Why he stutters and shakes
Where he is now
Read
March 21, 2021This book is great and I would expect nothing less from the life of Ozzy. It is just as crazy as I would’ve hoped for. It is filled with lots of history on the sources of many of my favorite songs. You get to see where the start of Metal happened. It’s interesting to see what his first taste of America was like and how his life changed from one decade to the next.
September 5, 2025
Ozzy fucking Osbourne. Forever 🦇🖤
It’s been around six weeks since we lost the Prince Of Darkness, but what a whirlwind this past July felt like. From the highs of getting to see Ozzy one last time in person, at his final concert, where he put on an amazing show even though he was confined to his bat shaped throne. To the lows of losing him only a couple of weeks later. It threw my emotions through a loop, it’s why I’ve been quieter on here and taking my time with this autobiography (and reading in general) because every time I picked up this book since it would have me in tears. I was listening to it as an audiobook, but switched to a Kindle edition, and then got a physical copy for my shelves for my birthday.
I have finally accepted that I slipped into a depressive episode after Ozzy died, that I was already on the precipice of falling into anyway, which is hard to comprehend considering I didn’t personally know this man. But I grew up with his music and him on the TV, I think he has been a constant throughout my life and that’s why this celebrity death hit me harder than any other. Definitely would be how some people felt when Michael Jackson or David Bowie died, it’s more about what they represented to us. With Ozzy, it was how Black Sabbath were basically the pioneers of the Heavy Metal genre of music. So many bands today would not exist without them.
I had been rewatching his shows as a comfort throughout the beginning of this year as well, and managed to get to go to that aforementioned final Back To The Beginning concert last minute so it was truly like a whirlwind of emotions.
My thoughts have been with Jack, Kelly, and Sharon ever since. I recently read Jack’s autobiography, and am planning on reading the two of Sharon’s that I haven’t soon, and Kelly’s too. Then there is a second of Ozzy’s that is being posthumously published next month.
This is an open and honest memoir, which is both humorous and emotional in equal measure. It is an honest account of addiction in the crazy world of rock n’roll.
5 Stars 🤘
It’s been around six weeks since we lost the Prince Of Darkness, but what a whirlwind this past July felt like. From the highs of getting to see Ozzy one last time in person, at his final concert, where he put on an amazing show even though he was confined to his bat shaped throne. To the lows of losing him only a couple of weeks later. It threw my emotions through a loop, it’s why I’ve been quieter on here and taking my time with this autobiography (and reading in general) because every time I picked up this book since it would have me in tears. I was listening to it as an audiobook, but switched to a Kindle edition, and then got a physical copy for my shelves for my birthday.
I have finally accepted that I slipped into a depressive episode after Ozzy died, that I was already on the precipice of falling into anyway, which is hard to comprehend considering I didn’t personally know this man. But I grew up with his music and him on the TV, I think he has been a constant throughout my life and that’s why this celebrity death hit me harder than any other. Definitely would be how some people felt when Michael Jackson or David Bowie died, it’s more about what they represented to us. With Ozzy, it was how Black Sabbath were basically the pioneers of the Heavy Metal genre of music. So many bands today would not exist without them.
I had been rewatching his shows as a comfort throughout the beginning of this year as well, and managed to get to go to that aforementioned final Back To The Beginning concert last minute so it was truly like a whirlwind of emotions.
My thoughts have been with Jack, Kelly, and Sharon ever since. I recently read Jack’s autobiography, and am planning on reading the two of Sharon’s that I haven’t soon, and Kelly’s too. Then there is a second of Ozzy’s that is being posthumously published next month.
This is an open and honest memoir, which is both humorous and emotional in equal measure. It is an honest account of addiction in the crazy world of rock n’roll.
5 Stars 🤘
October 1, 2025
There are many things to like about this book. However, if you don’t like Ozzy, you won’t find them, at all. This book reads as though you were listening to him in person. His British accent permeates the pages that are full of pisses, fucks and bollocks, a testament to Chris Ayres—helping-hand author of this book—ability to edit himself out of the writing. In many respects this is a very honest book, that more than once leaves you wondering how is Ozzy still alive (old school rockers do seem to be made of stern stuff, ‘cause the amounts of drugs and alcohol filling this book are more serious than a bad car crash).
The good thing is that if you do find Ozzy’s ways funny or at least tolerable, you’ll have a good time reading this bio that it’s exactly what I was expecting when I got it: a wild ride through the even wilder side of The Prince of Darkness a.k.a THE bad boy of Heavy Metal (and if not THE at least The Original one).
The slaughterhouse labor, the prison term, the dyslexia, the guns, the blackouts, the Randy Rhoads airplane crash, the eating pigeons’ heads, the tremor, the mumbling, the bike accident, the many brushes with death —they're all here. But the best part —at least for me— is that accompanying all those scary, funny and extreme anecdotes about Ozzy’s life there is also a plethora of writing about recording, touring, and creating. In other words, about Ozzy’s music.
Ozzy credits his initiation to the world of music to a single moment when a light went on in his head while hearing the record With the Beatles (1963):
“It just sucked me in. Lennon and McCartney’s harmonies were like magic.”
Beyond that and throughout the book, Ozzy does talk about his music seriously, treating it with respect. He regards the survival of Black Sabbath as celestially ordained, and while there is much bile directed at miscreant band members and managers, not least Don Arden, there’s also respect for them.
Interestingly, Ozzy acknowledges that he was not entirely blameless in these squabbles, pinpointing the moment when his relationship with Arden began to go wrong. "It wasn't long after I almost pissed in my new father-in-law's face that he stopped calling me Ozzy." Arden is dead now, but Ozzy, once John Osbourne from Aston, has somehow pulled through. "My heart's in great shape, and my liver's like brand new,” he says, showing us that karmic justice is a concept that still evades him.
I give it 3.5 stars. I felt tempted to give it four but I prefer you to be pleasantly surprised than bitterly disappointed.
The good thing is that if you do find Ozzy’s ways funny or at least tolerable, you’ll have a good time reading this bio that it’s exactly what I was expecting when I got it: a wild ride through the even wilder side of The Prince of Darkness a.k.a THE bad boy of Heavy Metal (and if not THE at least The Original one).
The slaughterhouse labor, the prison term, the dyslexia, the guns, the blackouts, the Randy Rhoads airplane crash, the eating pigeons’ heads, the tremor, the mumbling, the bike accident, the many brushes with death —they're all here. But the best part —at least for me— is that accompanying all those scary, funny and extreme anecdotes about Ozzy’s life there is also a plethora of writing about recording, touring, and creating. In other words, about Ozzy’s music.
Ozzy credits his initiation to the world of music to a single moment when a light went on in his head while hearing the record With the Beatles (1963):
“It just sucked me in. Lennon and McCartney’s harmonies were like magic.”
Beyond that and throughout the book, Ozzy does talk about his music seriously, treating it with respect. He regards the survival of Black Sabbath as celestially ordained, and while there is much bile directed at miscreant band members and managers, not least Don Arden, there’s also respect for them.
Interestingly, Ozzy acknowledges that he was not entirely blameless in these squabbles, pinpointing the moment when his relationship with Arden began to go wrong. "It wasn't long after I almost pissed in my new father-in-law's face that he stopped calling me Ozzy." Arden is dead now, but Ozzy, once John Osbourne from Aston, has somehow pulled through. "My heart's in great shape, and my liver's like brand new,” he says, showing us that karmic justice is a concept that still evades him.
I give it 3.5 stars. I felt tempted to give it four but I prefer you to be pleasantly surprised than bitterly disappointed.
January 23, 2015
How this man is still alive is beyond me. There are people who [to quote the Hulkster] say their prayers and eat their vitamins, yet they choke on a peanut or cross the street on a red light and it's curtains for them. Curtains, I say! But this guy did just about every drug there is and now enjoys a decently healthy life while being a grandfather.
I love rock music, but I can't say that I'm this hardcore fan of Black Sabbath or Ozzy - I do love some of his songs (the well known tunes, to be honest) - but if it weren't for them, chances are I wouldn't be enjoying Metallica, Guns N' Roses and Van Halen. Still, I picked up this book mostly because I know that Ozzy is a character and he lived an insane life. More importantly: he lived to tell the tale.
The book really lets you get to know the guy - for example it was interesting to find out that the man known as The Prince of Darkness makes fun of occultism, satanism and all of that "bollocks". Generally, even though Ozzy lacks education in a traditional sense of the word, he is extremely bright and down-to-earth. You can't spot any trace of an ego while flipping through the pages, which is very impressive, considering he has every right to grow a big head, having reached the levels of success and wealth he has with no diplomas or shortcuts to pave the way.
But to tell you the truth, the main reason I loved this book is the fact that Ozzy is a complete rebel. A madman. Which one of us wouldn't love to "stick it to the man", to defy the establishment, to stop playing ball and throw the rulebook out the window? I [for one] would. He did just that - he knew for a fact he didn't want to wear a suit or work at a factory and get a gold watch once retirement hit him in his wrinkled old face. So he did something about it. And I truly applaud his reckless, juvenile, yet brilliant decision to go against the current and join a band instead of doing "the normal" thing in Aston and waste your life away at a factory.
I love rock music, but I can't say that I'm this hardcore fan of Black Sabbath or Ozzy - I do love some of his songs (the well known tunes, to be honest) - but if it weren't for them, chances are I wouldn't be enjoying Metallica, Guns N' Roses and Van Halen. Still, I picked up this book mostly because I know that Ozzy is a character and he lived an insane life. More importantly: he lived to tell the tale.
The book really lets you get to know the guy - for example it was interesting to find out that the man known as The Prince of Darkness makes fun of occultism, satanism and all of that "bollocks". Generally, even though Ozzy lacks education in a traditional sense of the word, he is extremely bright and down-to-earth. You can't spot any trace of an ego while flipping through the pages, which is very impressive, considering he has every right to grow a big head, having reached the levels of success and wealth he has with no diplomas or shortcuts to pave the way.
But to tell you the truth, the main reason I loved this book is the fact that Ozzy is a complete rebel. A madman. Which one of us wouldn't love to "stick it to the man", to defy the establishment, to stop playing ball and throw the rulebook out the window? I [for one] would. He did just that - he knew for a fact he didn't want to wear a suit or work at a factory and get a gold watch once retirement hit him in his wrinkled old face. So he did something about it. And I truly applaud his reckless, juvenile, yet brilliant decision to go against the current and join a band instead of doing "the normal" thing in Aston and waste your life away at a factory.
July 29, 2025
The best memoir to exist. Rest in peace. Proud to be a Brummie metalhead because of you. All my favourite music exists because of YOU.
❤️
❤️
July 27, 2025
The best thing about this book is that it's Ozzy telling it. Ozzy has always been a character. There's no one like him. I read a lot of autobiographies but never find myself laughing as much as I did with this one.
July 28, 2012
Wow, I am reading the most entertaining biography out there. This one I simply can't stop laughing - I am about half way through this book and can tell you that it is now my most favorite book. Since this is a library copy that I am reading I plan to still buy the book. I love Ozzy and his book so much. Even if you are not a Black Sabbath fan, I am sure you will enjoy this book. I recommend this book for reading to lighten their day and for a thoroughly relaxing little getaway from the stresses of the real world. I appreciate that Ozzy coming from a working class, poor background made something of himself and happen to like his music and voice. And the black knight just is a really good man with a good heart. He is one superstar/rock star that I will always support. Other men can learn by his example.
January 18, 2018
I think they had this idea in their heads that when I wasn’t being arrested for public intoxication, I went to a cave and hung upside down, drinking snakes’ blood. But I’m like Coco the Clown, me: at the end of the day, I come home, take off my greasepaint and my big red nose, and become Dad.
I'll admit to not being an Ozzy fan. I can normally be found listening to indie pop. I don't dislike him, but his music just does nothing for me. It doesn't make me swoon.
But my offline BFF begged me to read this, and I couldn't say no. Plus she has enough embarrassing middle school memories of me to blackmail me into reading this if I said no.
pictured:seventh grade Ellen Gail and her bff, talking to boys and eating poptarts
And it was actually pretty good. He admits freely to any number of illegal and horrid things, and occasionally expresses regret. The writing is jumbled and hazy, much like Ozzy's memory. But it has a charming realistic quality. Ozzy really doesn't give a fuck about making himself look better or whitewashing the past. It is what it is and fuck if you don't like it.
So, not what I'd normally go for, but it's always a joy to have someone shove a book at you and say, "READ THIS!"
I'll admit to not being an Ozzy fan. I can normally be found listening to indie pop. I don't dislike him, but his music just does nothing for me. It doesn't make me swoon.
But my offline BFF begged me to read this, and I couldn't say no. Plus she has enough embarrassing middle school memories of me to blackmail me into reading this if I said no.
pictured:seventh grade Ellen Gail and her bff, talking to boys and eating poptarts
And it was actually pretty good. He admits freely to any number of illegal and horrid things, and occasionally expresses regret. The writing is jumbled and hazy, much like Ozzy's memory. But it has a charming realistic quality. Ozzy really doesn't give a fuck about making himself look better or whitewashing the past. It is what it is and fuck if you don't like it.
So, not what I'd normally go for, but it's always a joy to have someone shove a book at you and say, "READ THIS!"
January 26, 2022
What a crazy ride, is Ozzy. This autobiography is laugh out loud funny at times, but also very sad. The Godfather of Metal is really just a man, afraid of being rejected, abandoned, made to feel like he doesn't belong. And so he plays the clown to make everybody like him. Takes drugs, and booze, and everything in excess just to fit in. But he does so much more than just fit in. A miracle life, a tragic life, a complicated and complex story about the bat-dove-head biting legend of rock-n-roll.
September 21, 2022
Sooo funny!
I had a great time reading it.
I had a great time reading it.
September 25, 2021
Crónica de la vida de Ozzy Osbourne, rockero procedente de Birmingham de origen humilde, que ha llegado a lo más alto del olimpo del rock.
Vida que se puede resumir en tres palabras: alcohol y drogas. Menudas historias y situaciones las que ha vivido este personaje, en una época dorada para la música rock, hoy en decadencia, pero que nos resistimos a olvidar los que la amamos.
Realmente lo veo poco interesante si no eres fan del personaje. Yo lo he disfrutado.
Vida que se puede resumir en tres palabras: alcohol y drogas. Menudas historias y situaciones las que ha vivido este personaje, en una época dorada para la música rock, hoy en decadencia, pero que nos resistimos a olvidar los que la amamos.
Realmente lo veo poco interesante si no eres fan del personaje. Yo lo he disfrutado.
March 17, 2010
The writing is truly atrocious. It reads like Ozzy dictated his life story into a tape recorder, handed it to the ghost writer, and said "Transcribe this word for word." Since Ozzy left school at 15, you can probably guess how that went.
But you don't read this book for the prose; you read it for the stories. And oh, the stories. The famous dove, bat, and Alamo tales are there, as are more behind the scenes accounts of band in-fighting and tragedy. Ozzy doesn't hold back on any of his crazy escapades and appears to take an honest look at his life. He cops to lots of bad choices and seems to be at peace with most of them. The excuses are rare, but the regrets are many. He doesn't try to hide anything, choosing to rather tell us what he did and let his audience judge him for themselves.
The odd thing is that, even though Ozzy is by no stretch of the imagination a good person (given the content of this book one could say he's a pretty despicable person), you still like the guy in the end. His love for his family comes through and he truly seems to appreciate everything life has given him.
But you don't read this book for the prose; you read it for the stories. And oh, the stories. The famous dove, bat, and Alamo tales are there, as are more behind the scenes accounts of band in-fighting and tragedy. Ozzy doesn't hold back on any of his crazy escapades and appears to take an honest look at his life. He cops to lots of bad choices and seems to be at peace with most of them. The excuses are rare, but the regrets are many. He doesn't try to hide anything, choosing to rather tell us what he did and let his audience judge him for themselves.
The odd thing is that, even though Ozzy is by no stretch of the imagination a good person (given the content of this book one could say he's a pretty despicable person), you still like the guy in the end. His love for his family comes through and he truly seems to appreciate everything life has given him.
December 30, 2012
Every time I watched the cover of this book I couldn’t get out of my head this song by Ozzy Osbourne "Over The Mountain". Just this part:
Playing over and over again.
And you know what, it's true!
It's free! (Well... At least it was when I downloaded it.)
This probably is the funniest autobiography out there. I literally burst out laughing several times. Once I was at work, reading and couldn’t stop laughing, I even had tears in my eyes from so much laughter… Everyone was staring at me… but who cares, it was a hell of an experience!
I want to go get my albums of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne, and give them a non-stop listening marathon.
It’s really interesting to get inside the world of a rock n roller, there are times when we’ve all fantasized about being one of them, and reading this kind of works give you a great insight of how not everything is glamour, money and awesomness in this world.
Ozzy Osbourne struggled a lot with lawyers, Music is like any other business and have to pay the millionaire taxes. Rumors from people saying he was a devil worshiper, an animal killer, among other things. And drugs.
I think this book would be of great help for people who might start doing drugs or going into alcoholism because it shows how bad things can get when you stop getting control and drugs do.
I totally recommend it for anyone looking for a good laugh even if you’re no fan of Ozzy’s, perhaps it’s not the best written book of literature but it will give you a great time and many things to think about.
And remember, he bit the head off a bat.
”Don’t need no astrology
It’s inside of you and me
You don’t need a ticket to fly with me
I’m free yeah”
Playing over and over again.
And you know what, it's true!
It's free! (Well... At least it was when I downloaded it.)
This probably is the funniest autobiography out there. I literally burst out laughing several times. Once I was at work, reading and couldn’t stop laughing, I even had tears in my eyes from so much laughter… Everyone was staring at me… but who cares, it was a hell of an experience!
I want to go get my albums of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne, and give them a non-stop listening marathon.
It’s really interesting to get inside the world of a rock n roller, there are times when we’ve all fantasized about being one of them, and reading this kind of works give you a great insight of how not everything is glamour, money and awesomness in this world.
Ozzy Osbourne struggled a lot with lawyers, Music is like any other business and have to pay the millionaire taxes. Rumors from people saying he was a devil worshiper, an animal killer, among other things. And drugs.
I think this book would be of great help for people who might start doing drugs or going into alcoholism because it shows how bad things can get when you stop getting control and drugs do.
I totally recommend it for anyone looking for a good laugh even if you’re no fan of Ozzy’s, perhaps it’s not the best written book of literature but it will give you a great time and many things to think about.
And remember, he bit the head off a bat.
January 5, 2025
He tenido momentos que me harté de reir por como se cuentan las cosas, y se nota que es una biografía por la manera en que se narra. Como músico es mi ídolo, pero como persona ha dejado mucho que desear... Para los fans del Heavy metal está muy curioso.
July 30, 2025
I finished this book on the day of Ozzy Osbourne’s funeral, and I honestly can't think of a more emotional way to get to know him.
Before reading, I didn’t know much about Ozzy beyond the metal-rock legend image and the “Prince of Darkness” nickname. I knew he’d done a lot of drugs and was a huge figure in rock history; but that was about it. What I didn’t expect was how entertaining this book would be. Ozzy doesn’t just perform on stage, he somehow turns his life story into a wild, hilarious, emotional ride. It’s written with so much honesty, weird innocence, self-awareness, and kindness that I couldn’t help but fall in love with him as a person.
I laughed, I cried, and I could not understand how can someone like this even exist? He’s chaotic and deeply human. I respected him more with every page. His love for his family, especially Sharon, really hit me hard. The way he tells his story is not only detailed and funny, but also full of depth. It’s easy to read and moving.
I’m not even a diehard fan of his music, but now I just want to keep learning more about him. I truly wish I had discovered him more deeply while he was still alive. He was a one-of-a-kind entertainer, and this memoir shows that in the best possible way.
Before reading, I didn’t know much about Ozzy beyond the metal-rock legend image and the “Prince of Darkness” nickname. I knew he’d done a lot of drugs and was a huge figure in rock history; but that was about it. What I didn’t expect was how entertaining this book would be. Ozzy doesn’t just perform on stage, he somehow turns his life story into a wild, hilarious, emotional ride. It’s written with so much honesty, weird innocence, self-awareness, and kindness that I couldn’t help but fall in love with him as a person.
I laughed, I cried, and I could not understand how can someone like this even exist? He’s chaotic and deeply human. I respected him more with every page. His love for his family, especially Sharon, really hit me hard. The way he tells his story is not only detailed and funny, but also full of depth. It’s easy to read and moving.
I’m not even a diehard fan of his music, but now I just want to keep learning more about him. I truly wish I had discovered him more deeply while he was still alive. He was a one-of-a-kind entertainer, and this memoir shows that in the best possible way.
March 9, 2022
Il principe delle tenebre e' un simpaticone un po' sfigato e si chiama Ozzy! Autobiografia rock riuscita quant'altre mai. Non pallosa ne' lagnosa, una cavalcata esilarante lungo i primi sessant'anni di vita di uno strano personaggio che, da ragazzino della classe operaia inglese, si trova ad essere una delle prime e piu' longeve icone rock planetarie. Ma non e' finita qui! Sorpresa nella sorpresa, al netto di qualche gigioneggiatura di troppo, siamo alle prese con un bel libro, divertente si, ma istruttivo assai su cosa voglia dire una dipendenza lunga una vita. Lettura salutare anche per i fan di Cristina D'Avena!
August 1, 2010
So far Ozzy and his ghost writer are hilarious and keep me in stitches!
August 11, 2025
5 Stars
Exactly what you'd expect from this legend.
He started very young on his own and met some Black Sabbath band members in school.
The drugs and drinking also started early. I don't know how anyone could function and be that successful with the amount he consumed.
If it wasn't for Sharon he wouldn't have made it past 40 or 50. She was the backbone of his career.
From his interviews he's definitely a good story teller. I wish this book had been longer but it's a compact version of his life.
He was a living legend and he will be missed in the music world.
This is worth the read if you're a fan.
RIP Ozzy.
Exactly what you'd expect from this legend.
He started very young on his own and met some Black Sabbath band members in school.
The drugs and drinking also started early. I don't know how anyone could function and be that successful with the amount he consumed.
If it wasn't for Sharon he wouldn't have made it past 40 or 50. She was the backbone of his career.
From his interviews he's definitely a good story teller. I wish this book had been longer but it's a compact version of his life.
He was a living legend and he will be missed in the music world.
This is worth the read if you're a fan.
RIP Ozzy.
March 12, 2022
I have never laughed as hard reading a book as I did with this one. I am not even a big Ozzy fan. But this book is very funny.
March 19, 2022
امسال این کتاب با عنوان «من آزی هستم» با ترجمهٔ آقای محمد بیگی و از نشر ایجاز منتشر شد.
اگر دوستدار آزی آزبورن/راک/متال باشید، به احتمال زیاد از این اتوبیوگرافی خوشتون میاد. اگر هم دوست نداشته باشید که نمیدونم. 😬
قبل از این دربارهٔ زندگی شخصی آزبورن و سرگذشت بلک سبث چیز زیادی نمیدونستم و برای همین تقریباً تمام مطالبش برام جدید بود.
من آزی هستم زندگینامهای نیست که قسمتهای پر از خطای زندگی آزبورن رو نادیده بگیره؛ اتفاقاً بیشترین چیزی که نوشته شده دربارهٔ آزی معتاد و الکلیه.
به نظرم ترجمه میتونست بهتر باشه. مدل روایت هم همینطور.
کتاب قسمتهایی داشت که از نظرم غمانگیز بودن. ولی برای من غمانگیزترین قسمت اینجا بود: «لمی اکنون یکی از دوستان بسیار نزدیکم است.» لمی عزیز:((
نتیجهٔ اخلاقی هم بگیریم. معتاد نشیم. ملتو کتک نزنیم. هرچی رسید دستمون رو گاز نگیریم.:)) بچههای خوبی باشیم.
اگر دوستدار آزی آزبورن/راک/متال باشید، به احتمال زیاد از این اتوبیوگرافی خوشتون میاد. اگر هم دوست نداشته باشید که نمیدونم. 😬
قبل از این دربارهٔ زندگی شخصی آزبورن و سرگذشت بلک سبث چیز زیادی نمیدونستم و برای همین تقریباً تمام مطالبش برام جدید بود.
من آزی هستم زندگینامهای نیست که قسمتهای پر از خطای زندگی آزبورن رو نادیده بگیره؛ اتفاقاً بیشترین چیزی که نوشته شده دربارهٔ آزی معتاد و الکلیه.
به نظرم ترجمه میتونست بهتر باشه. مدل روایت هم همینطور.
کتاب قسمتهایی داشت که از نظرم غمانگیز بودن. ولی برای من غمانگیزترین قسمت اینجا بود: «لمی اکنون یکی از دوستان بسیار نزدیکم است.» لمی عزیز:((
نتیجهٔ اخلاقی هم بگیریم. معتاد نشیم. ملتو کتک نزنیم. هرچی رسید دستمون رو گاز نگیریم.:)) بچههای خوبی باشیم.
June 9, 2018
I read this book when it first came out in 2010. I believe the allure was more not KNOWING who the heck he was, than knowing and wanting to learn more about his life.
I’m only writing this now, because I was annoyed at a few reviews of another author I like, David Sedaris. The only thing Ozzy has in common with Sedaris is his ability to shock AND make me LAUGH OUT LOUD. In some people’s view, it’s not truly literature nor worthy of their precious time. The comparison of the two ends there.
YES, Ozzy (w/assistance) had me hysterically laughing in bed at night to the point of tears & unfortunately, waking my other half in the process. His journey in life is both shocking and heartwarming. I too, don’t know how on earth he managed to stay alive through it all. I’m certainly happy that he did.
My love of both reading & music is quite varied from each end of the spectrum and pretty much everything in between! In my opinion, If an author or musician can make me feel any emotion enough to KEEP ME listening/READING, then they are a genius!
There is no NEED to be an award winning author. Save the literature and music snobs for others. Life is to be enjoyed no matter your personal beliefs or tastes. Life’s too short. (R.R.)
I liked Black Sabbath & Ozzy as a solo artist especially as a teenager. I believed all the stories of him biting the head off the bat & I actually thought he might even be a devil worshiper? I wasn’t cool with that thought, but what the heck did I know? I just liked his music and thought he was fairly nuts...was I wrong? I had to know now after all those years.
I’ve never been able to understand a word he says EVER! He just mumbles and I’m lucky if I can pick up a word here and there. Yet, I can understand the English (British) language when he SINGS! How is that possible and I needed to find out what made him tick.
I’m happy that, through this book, I had the pleasure of UNDERSTANDING the human, Ozzy Osbourne, who also happens to be immortal (just kidding sort of!) ; be a husband, father, friend, band-mate, businessman, addict, etc.
Yes, he’s had quite an interesting AND CRAZY life! Yes, perhaps he’s a bit nuts at times (being kind!), but he’s also a kind and gentle soul underneath it all. The book was well worth the read and I may just read it again!
As Dicken’s said: “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times”...which fits today’s “times” in my opinion. Therefore, I think we could all use a good laugh & perhaps shed a tear or two while doing so!
Read the book - and a give quick toast to Ozzy for making it this far!
I’m only writing this now, because I was annoyed at a few reviews of another author I like, David Sedaris. The only thing Ozzy has in common with Sedaris is his ability to shock AND make me LAUGH OUT LOUD. In some people’s view, it’s not truly literature nor worthy of their precious time. The comparison of the two ends there.
YES, Ozzy (w/assistance) had me hysterically laughing in bed at night to the point of tears & unfortunately, waking my other half in the process. His journey in life is both shocking and heartwarming. I too, don’t know how on earth he managed to stay alive through it all. I’m certainly happy that he did.
My love of both reading & music is quite varied from each end of the spectrum and pretty much everything in between! In my opinion, If an author or musician can make me feel any emotion enough to KEEP ME listening/READING, then they are a genius!
There is no NEED to be an award winning author. Save the literature and music snobs for others. Life is to be enjoyed no matter your personal beliefs or tastes. Life’s too short. (R.R.)
I liked Black Sabbath & Ozzy as a solo artist especially as a teenager. I believed all the stories of him biting the head off the bat & I actually thought he might even be a devil worshiper? I wasn’t cool with that thought, but what the heck did I know? I just liked his music and thought he was fairly nuts...was I wrong? I had to know now after all those years.
I’ve never been able to understand a word he says EVER! He just mumbles and I’m lucky if I can pick up a word here and there. Yet, I can understand the English (British) language when he SINGS! How is that possible and I needed to find out what made him tick.
I’m happy that, through this book, I had the pleasure of UNDERSTANDING the human, Ozzy Osbourne, who also happens to be immortal (just kidding sort of!) ; be a husband, father, friend, band-mate, businessman, addict, etc.
Yes, he’s had quite an interesting AND CRAZY life! Yes, perhaps he’s a bit nuts at times (being kind!), but he’s also a kind and gentle soul underneath it all. The book was well worth the read and I may just read it again!
As Dicken’s said: “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times”...which fits today’s “times” in my opinion. Therefore, I think we could all use a good laugh & perhaps shed a tear or two while doing so!
Read the book - and a give quick toast to Ozzy for making it this far!
March 19, 2012
Diese Bio ist fast das verückteste vor allem nicht fiktionale Werk, das ich je gelesen habe. Jedesmal denkt man - neiiin Ozzy mach das jetzt nicht und dann tut er es doch. Von den ersten Jobs in der Fabrik über das Schlachthaus bis zur Musikerkarriere vergisst Ozzy nie, woher er kommt und bleibt sich treu, obwohl er meist nicht ganz Herr seiner Sinne ist und wie eine geladene Waffe voller Unsinn und den Kopf voller Drogen und Alkohol durch sein Leben stolpert. Auch an ehrlicher Selbstkritik bezüglich seiner Drogensucht und unverzeichlicher Gewaltausbrüche gegenüber seinen Frauen spart er in dieser Biografie nicht und das macht ihn doppelt sympathisch.
Abgesehen von seiner eh schon wahnsinnig spannenden Dramaturgie des Lebens ist der sprachliche Stil des Buches zwar gut geschrieben aber voller Slangwörter, was ich mit einem normalen Wörterbuch in der Hand gar nicht geschafft hätte. Dank Leo-Online's Slangwörterbuch weiss ich jetzt so viele dirty words, dass meine Englischlehrerin in der Klosterschule (Schwester Marie-Agnes) wahrscheinlich der Schlag getroffen hätte. Aber ich habe viel gelernt und könnt nun schon in einem Pub in der Nähe von Birmingham diese ca. 20 Vokablen für unterschiedliche Schlägereien, bumsen, Beschimpfungen von Männern, Prostituierte.... (wohl gemerkt für jedes einzelne Wort) anbringen und somit auch vielleicht einen kleinen Eklat ala Ozzy Ozzbourne auslösen.
Also ich fands witzig, gross- und einzigartig und jetzt schau ich mir auf jeden Fall auch noch die Serie an.
Fazit macht irgendwie süchtig dieses Buch - aufpassen!
Abgesehen von seiner eh schon wahnsinnig spannenden Dramaturgie des Lebens ist der sprachliche Stil des Buches zwar gut geschrieben aber voller Slangwörter, was ich mit einem normalen Wörterbuch in der Hand gar nicht geschafft hätte. Dank Leo-Online's Slangwörterbuch weiss ich jetzt so viele dirty words, dass meine Englischlehrerin in der Klosterschule (Schwester Marie-Agnes) wahrscheinlich der Schlag getroffen hätte. Aber ich habe viel gelernt und könnt nun schon in einem Pub in der Nähe von Birmingham diese ca. 20 Vokablen für unterschiedliche Schlägereien, bumsen, Beschimpfungen von Männern, Prostituierte.... (wohl gemerkt für jedes einzelne Wort) anbringen und somit auch vielleicht einen kleinen Eklat ala Ozzy Ozzbourne auslösen.
Also ich fands witzig, gross- und einzigartig und jetzt schau ich mir auf jeden Fall auch noch die Serie an.
Fazit macht irgendwie süchtig dieses Buch - aufpassen!
July 26, 2025
i wish being a good artist meant being a good person. still, his music did help me (an understatement) and i can only be grateful for his work. rip ozzy.
July 10, 2012
As a long time fan of Ozzy, I was excited to find he had written an autobiography. Even if I've stopped following his recent activity, his music has been a constant in my life for at least thirty years. So I decided to read this book. I'd already heard so many of the stories, and remembered a lot of them from the news. So I didn't expect too much.
I was wrong. This book is phenomenal. It is everything an autobiography should be. Ozzy starts from childhood and goes straight up to the writing of his memoirs. He leaves no detail out. It is one amazing ride. That Ozzy has lived to 64 years old is nothing short of miraculous, and he knows it. He's done just about everything possible to get himself killed.
The writing in this book is top notch. It's what you would expect if Ozzy came to your house, sat down, and started telling you about his life. His voice is captured so perfectly and vividly that I could hear him speaking in my head. Hat's off to Ozzy's ghost writer, Chris Ayres, for not only capturing the voice but also organizing the stories in logical yet dramatic order. I honestly couldn't put this book down once I had picked it up.
The book did have its downsides. It dragged a bit around the two-thirds mark. By that time the pattern of drug-fueled freakout followed by waking up confused gets old. But then things pick up and the book flies to the finish. It's a bluntly honest look at Ozzy's life. I have more respect for him now than I ever did before. He's still the Prince of Darkness, God of Metal. But he's also a regular man who's amazed at his luck... which he has in spades.
Go read this book, even if you don't know who Ozzy is. You will love it.
I was wrong. This book is phenomenal. It is everything an autobiography should be. Ozzy starts from childhood and goes straight up to the writing of his memoirs. He leaves no detail out. It is one amazing ride. That Ozzy has lived to 64 years old is nothing short of miraculous, and he knows it. He's done just about everything possible to get himself killed.
The writing in this book is top notch. It's what you would expect if Ozzy came to your house, sat down, and started telling you about his life. His voice is captured so perfectly and vividly that I could hear him speaking in my head. Hat's off to Ozzy's ghost writer, Chris Ayres, for not only capturing the voice but also organizing the stories in logical yet dramatic order. I honestly couldn't put this book down once I had picked it up.
The book did have its downsides. It dragged a bit around the two-thirds mark. By that time the pattern of drug-fueled freakout followed by waking up confused gets old. But then things pick up and the book flies to the finish. It's a bluntly honest look at Ozzy's life. I have more respect for him now than I ever did before. He's still the Prince of Darkness, God of Metal. But he's also a regular man who's amazed at his luck... which he has in spades.
Go read this book, even if you don't know who Ozzy is. You will love it.
December 30, 2021
A fun memoir, pretty much what you would expect from the prince of darkness. Many of his stories are laugh out loud funny and I loved seeing references to Fleetwood Mac! Who would have thought that Black Sabbaths original goal would be to mimick Fleetwood Mac. Granted it was the bluesie Peter Green Mac, not the Mac of today but the thought of Black Sabbath as a blues band also blew my mind. It's amazing the different directions that these bands have taken and what they are now famous for.
Maybe I am naive but I was shocked at how often he cheated on Sharon and how she forgave him. It makes his recent infidelity and her reaction very interesting.
Maybe I am naive but I was shocked at how often he cheated on Sharon and how she forgave him. It makes his recent infidelity and her reaction very interesting.
August 15, 2025
Ozzy… the absolute legend. What a read this was. He was known as the Prince of Darkness, maybe a crazy drugger, off his rocker. And yea sure he was off his rocker for a long time because of his struggle with drugs and alcohol, but he was also an incredible person. He had a big heart, huge amounts of talent and a great sense of humor.
Ozzy loved his family and in this book you really see how much he loved, respected, appreciated, adored and needed his wife Sharon. And how close he was with Kelly and Jack despite the struggles of his addiction. On top of that, his outlook on life was realist.. and straightforward. I got some good advice from this book and this book was released in 2009!
And Ozzy’s music.. what a talent. He will forever be missed.
Ozzy loved his family and in this book you really see how much he loved, respected, appreciated, adored and needed his wife Sharon. And how close he was with Kelly and Jack despite the struggles of his addiction. On top of that, his outlook on life was realist.. and straightforward. I got some good advice from this book and this book was released in 2009!
And Ozzy’s music.. what a talent. He will forever be missed.
July 29, 2023
Ačiū, Ozzy, už tikrumą, paprastumą bei praplėstas mano suvokimo, tolerancijos ir priėmimo ribas ❤️
October 29, 2011
Where to begin.
Ozzy is the Alexander the Great of substance abuse, except that he didn't die in his early 30s despite every attempt to do so.
I believe that this book is proof that there is no underlying justice in the world. How can Dio be dead and this pickled human still live?
The inherent injustice aside, my wife said that she has never heard me laugh out loud so many times while reading a book. Laugh-horror is the only 'adjective' I can think of to describe my impression throughout the autobiography.
Ozzy moves from one spectacularly insane recollection to another with little commentary. The stories are simply unbelievable but, I think, completely true. For 'normal' people, drinking four bottles of Hennessey per day is impossible to comprehend, but, I suspect, Ozzy is underestimating his intake....certainly not including the coke and beer he ingested (he even says at one point "beer doesn't count.")
Initially, I was a bit disappointed with this book because I'd really hoped that it would spend time talking about the importance of heavy metal for Ozzy, how Black Sabbath came up with their sound in the late 60s and early 70s, their influences, what recording was like, etc. But, this book isn't really about that. It's a cathartic book for Ozzy, not a musical genre expose. That direction is either intentional or Ozzy simply can't remember anything before 1978. I think either possibility is believable but, the former is more likely since the underlying tone is "I am a freak. Don't do what I've done because even though I've lived, you will probably die."
This isn't to say that there isn't some musical analysis in the book, but, it's light. Music is a medium for substance abuse to Ozzy and that's what you will read in story after story of blackouts, familial neglect, life threatening accidents, public defecation, etc. It only slows down at one part when Ozzy talks about Randy Rhoads. Clearly Ozzy loved Randy Rhoads and the emotional impact of his senseless death seems to be one of the only things that penetrated Ozzy's substance abuse haze.
I tend to read a lot of books at once so, it can take me quite a while to get through one as I swap back in forth. Not in this case. I read it straight through. I don't really know why I liked this book so much. I'm not much of a rubber necker when it comes to human tragedy, but, this human train wreck is a story that shouldn't be missed, a highly recommended read.
Ozzy is the Alexander the Great of substance abuse, except that he didn't die in his early 30s despite every attempt to do so.
I believe that this book is proof that there is no underlying justice in the world. How can Dio be dead and this pickled human still live?
The inherent injustice aside, my wife said that she has never heard me laugh out loud so many times while reading a book. Laugh-horror is the only 'adjective' I can think of to describe my impression throughout the autobiography.
Ozzy moves from one spectacularly insane recollection to another with little commentary. The stories are simply unbelievable but, I think, completely true. For 'normal' people, drinking four bottles of Hennessey per day is impossible to comprehend, but, I suspect, Ozzy is underestimating his intake....certainly not including the coke and beer he ingested (he even says at one point "beer doesn't count.")
Initially, I was a bit disappointed with this book because I'd really hoped that it would spend time talking about the importance of heavy metal for Ozzy, how Black Sabbath came up with their sound in the late 60s and early 70s, their influences, what recording was like, etc. But, this book isn't really about that. It's a cathartic book for Ozzy, not a musical genre expose. That direction is either intentional or Ozzy simply can't remember anything before 1978. I think either possibility is believable but, the former is more likely since the underlying tone is "I am a freak. Don't do what I've done because even though I've lived, you will probably die."
This isn't to say that there isn't some musical analysis in the book, but, it's light. Music is a medium for substance abuse to Ozzy and that's what you will read in story after story of blackouts, familial neglect, life threatening accidents, public defecation, etc. It only slows down at one part when Ozzy talks about Randy Rhoads. Clearly Ozzy loved Randy Rhoads and the emotional impact of his senseless death seems to be one of the only things that penetrated Ozzy's substance abuse haze.
I tend to read a lot of books at once so, it can take me quite a while to get through one as I swap back in forth. Not in this case. I read it straight through. I don't really know why I liked this book so much. I'm not much of a rubber necker when it comes to human tragedy, but, this human train wreck is a story that shouldn't be missed, a highly recommended read.
January 25, 2010
Having grown up in the 80's and being a HUGE fan of Duran Duran and the likes, I admit that Ozzy Osbourne scared the bejeezus out of me. His music scared me...his pictures scared me...don't even get me started on his videos!
It wasn't until MTV started with "The Osbournes" that I saw a completely different side of him...and I actually loved him (and his nutty family!). I was so excited to read that he had a book coming out that I snatched it up as soon as I found it...
I must say, it is written as if Ozzy is sitting right next to you, only he doesn't mumble! I finished the book in two nights and have told all of my co-workers about it....funny....poignant...sad - you name it and the book will take you there.
I have never owned an Ozzy song/album/MP3/etc nor will I ever. I only know that I love this book and in some weird way its author. You really get to know a lot of background about the man himself, as well as his lovely wife, Sharon.
Not really knowing anything about the man, I truly can say I learned many interesting things that completely changed my view of Ozzy...all for the better. From bat-biting to the death of his guitarist in a horrible accident - every bit of his story was riveting.
I read many many books and this was just a fascinating read from cover to cover. Will it change your life? Probably not, but you'll really enjoy living in Ozzy's (long and crazy one) for awhile.
It wasn't until MTV started with "The Osbournes" that I saw a completely different side of him...and I actually loved him (and his nutty family!). I was so excited to read that he had a book coming out that I snatched it up as soon as I found it...
I must say, it is written as if Ozzy is sitting right next to you, only he doesn't mumble! I finished the book in two nights and have told all of my co-workers about it....funny....poignant...sad - you name it and the book will take you there.
I have never owned an Ozzy song/album/MP3/etc nor will I ever. I only know that I love this book and in some weird way its author. You really get to know a lot of background about the man himself, as well as his lovely wife, Sharon.
Not really knowing anything about the man, I truly can say I learned many interesting things that completely changed my view of Ozzy...all for the better. From bat-biting to the death of his guitarist in a horrible accident - every bit of his story was riveting.
I read many many books and this was just a fascinating read from cover to cover. Will it change your life? Probably not, but you'll really enjoy living in Ozzy's (long and crazy one) for awhile.
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