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Ozzy & Me: Life Lessons, Wild Stories, and Unexpected Epiphanies from Forty Years of Friendship with the Prince of Darkness
An entertaining, heartwarming memoir detailing the adventures and valuable life lessons learned from the author’s four decades of friendship with Ozzy Osbourne and the Osbourne family.
Stephen Rea was born in Northern Ireland in 1969, the same year “The Troubles” began. Violence was everywhere. His grandmother was nearly killed when gunmen opened fire on the wrong house, leaving young Stephen to pick at the bullet holes in the walls. He found refuge from this turmoil in heavy metal—especially the music of Ozzy Osbourne. As a pre-internet teenager, he hunted down dozens of live concert bootlegs—corresponding by mail with collectors around the world—and devoured every music magazine he could find.
In late 1984, when Stephen was fifteen, he read about a huge festival in Rio de Janeiro that January called “Rock In Rio” whose bill included AC/DC, Queen, and Osbourne. As a lark, he mentioned it to his dad, and was stunned when he said they should go. He was even more shocked when his mother, looking for information about how to get tickets, began a correspondence with Osbourne’s secretary, who scored the family VIP passes and introduced them to Osbourne in Brazil. Thus began a friendship with Ozzy, his wife Sharon and the rest of the Osbourne family that has continued for decades.
While traveling on tour in the mid-nineties, Ozzy gifted Stephen a pair of fancy leather notebooks and told him to keep a record of their adventures and conversations. The result is Ozzy & Me: a beautiful behind-the-scenes memoir that proves the life-affirming, soul-nourishing power of music—and disproves the notion that you should never meet your heroes.
Stephen Rea was born in Northern Ireland in 1969, the same year “The Troubles” began. Violence was everywhere. His grandmother was nearly killed when gunmen opened fire on the wrong house, leaving young Stephen to pick at the bullet holes in the walls. He found refuge from this turmoil in heavy metal—especially the music of Ozzy Osbourne. As a pre-internet teenager, he hunted down dozens of live concert bootlegs—corresponding by mail with collectors around the world—and devoured every music magazine he could find.
In late 1984, when Stephen was fifteen, he read about a huge festival in Rio de Janeiro that January called “Rock In Rio” whose bill included AC/DC, Queen, and Osbourne. As a lark, he mentioned it to his dad, and was stunned when he said they should go. He was even more shocked when his mother, looking for information about how to get tickets, began a correspondence with Osbourne’s secretary, who scored the family VIP passes and introduced them to Osbourne in Brazil. Thus began a friendship with Ozzy, his wife Sharon and the rest of the Osbourne family that has continued for decades.
While traveling on tour in the mid-nineties, Ozzy gifted Stephen a pair of fancy leather notebooks and told him to keep a record of their adventures and conversations. The result is Ozzy & Me: a beautiful behind-the-scenes memoir that proves the life-affirming, soul-nourishing power of music—and disproves the notion that you should never meet your heroes.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published November 11, 2025
30 people are currently reading
543 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Rea
4 books3 followersStephen Rea is a freelance writer in New Orleans who has contributed to national and international newspapers, magazines, and Web sites for over twenty years. He worked for England's Daily News and Western Daily Press in the features, sports, and entertainment departments. When he was only seventeen, the Sun daily newspaper chose him as their first-ever trainee reporter, and he covered a range of news stories, from the Gulf War and terrorist attacks in London to the resignation of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Rea attended Campbell College in his hometown of Belfast, Northern Ireland. He studied journalism at the United Kingdom's National Council for the Training of Journalists before joining the Sun. After moving to New Orleans, Rea won a writing grant from the Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival in 2006.
Rea, a soccer lover, discovered an Irish bar in the Mid-City area called Finn McCool's, an eccentric blend of locals and ex-pats. The men eventually formed a club team and joined a league - the perfect place for him to play soccer and express his love of the game. He wrote His first book Finn McCool's Football Club while he was displaced to Houston, Texas, after Hurricane Katrina, and the story follows not only Rea's struggles through that difficult period, but the rest of the team's as well. In 2018 his second book, World Cup Fever, was released.
Stephen Rea's eclectic life has led him to more than one hundred countries, all seven continents, and all fifty U.S. states. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he spent his childhood against the backdrop of bombings and shootings in that country during the seventies and eighties. At the age of sixteen, he went on tour with rock star Ozzy Osbourne and later traveled the world as his assistant road manager, contributing a chapter to Osbourne's official biography Diary of a Madman. He lives with his wife in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he writes and teaches writing.
Rea attended Campbell College in his hometown of Belfast, Northern Ireland. He studied journalism at the United Kingdom's National Council for the Training of Journalists before joining the Sun. After moving to New Orleans, Rea won a writing grant from the Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival in 2006.
Rea, a soccer lover, discovered an Irish bar in the Mid-City area called Finn McCool's, an eccentric blend of locals and ex-pats. The men eventually formed a club team and joined a league - the perfect place for him to play soccer and express his love of the game. He wrote His first book Finn McCool's Football Club while he was displaced to Houston, Texas, after Hurricane Katrina, and the story follows not only Rea's struggles through that difficult period, but the rest of the team's as well. In 2018 his second book, World Cup Fever, was released.
Stephen Rea's eclectic life has led him to more than one hundred countries, all seven continents, and all fifty U.S. states. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he spent his childhood against the backdrop of bombings and shootings in that country during the seventies and eighties. At the age of sixteen, he went on tour with rock star Ozzy Osbourne and later traveled the world as his assistant road manager, contributing a chapter to Osbourne's official biography Diary of a Madman. He lives with his wife in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he writes and teaches writing.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 17, 2025
Great story of the legend but not my cuppa for the format
December 12, 2025
If you’re an Ozzy Osbourne fan — and especially if you’ve devoured I Am Ozzy, Diary of a Madman, and even the deep-cut memoirs — Ozzy & Me feels like opening a backstage door you didn’t know existed. Stephen Rea’s book isn’t just another retelling of the familiar myths; it’s a deeply personal, unexpectedly touching chronicle of a friendship that survived the madness, the mayhem, and the decades.
Unlike Ozzy’s own books, which are loud, outrageous, and hilarious in their own voice, Rea’s memoir offers something different: a human-angle portrait of Ozzy that only a longtime friend could write. Rea doesn’t try to imitate Ozzy’s storytelling style, and that’s what makes the book so refreshing. Instead of the standard rock-star bio energy, we get a blend of humor, humility, and honest reflection from someone who stood close enough to feel the heat — but far enough to actually remember what happened.
What Makes It Stand Out for Hardcore Ozzy Fans
1. A new perspective on old stories
You know the classics: the bat, the dove, the hotel chaos, the unfiltered spontaneity that turned Ozzy into legend. But Rea retells some of these moments with the context of a friend watching it unfold — equal parts admiration, exasperation, and awe. For fans who already know the lore, this second angle adds depth and nuance.
2. A portrait of Ozzy as a person, not just a rock icon
Rea shows Ozzy’s contradictions in a way that feels real: the sweetness behind the chaos, the surprising wisdom behind the impulsiveness, the loyalty behind the wildness. This isn’t “The Prince of Darkness” as a caricature — it’s Ozzy as a human being who cares deeply, feels deeply, and tries his best, even when his best sometimes ends in mayhem.
3. Rea’s own story is unexpectedly interesting
He’s not just a side character in the Ozzy Universe. His career in journalism, his bizarre life detours, and his constant orbit around the Osbourne family provide the memoir with a backbone that’s more than just “rock star stories.” You get a sense of how Ozzy shaped him — but also how he shaped Ozzy’s world in subtle ways.
4. Humor without cruelty
Some rock memoirs lean on mockery. Rea doesn’t. He shares the madness with affection, never at Ozzy’s expense. The stories are wild, but they’re never mean, which makes the whole thing warm, funny, and genuinely enjoyable.
If you're already obsessed with Ozzy’s own autobiographies, you'll find this book fills in the emotional and interpersonal blanks — things Ozzy might shrug off or laugh about, Rea treats with insight.
For a devoted Ozzy lover, this book hits differently
You’ll recognize the voice, the antics, the heart, but from the side angle of someone who genuinely loves him. It’s almost like hearing Sharon, Zakk Wylde, or Geezer Butler talk — but with more humility and more ordinary-person wonder about how he ended up in Ozzy’s world at all.
Ozzy & Me is not just a companion to Ozzy’s own books — it’s a perfect complement, offering emotional depth, context, and warmth that hardcore fans will appreciate. It’s wild where it needs to be, thoughtful where it counts, and bursting with affection for one of rock’s most chaotic, complicated, and strangely tender icons.
If you love Ozzy, this book feels like spending a few more hours in his orbit — and honestly, what fan wouldn’t want that?
Unlike Ozzy’s own books, which are loud, outrageous, and hilarious in their own voice, Rea’s memoir offers something different: a human-angle portrait of Ozzy that only a longtime friend could write. Rea doesn’t try to imitate Ozzy’s storytelling style, and that’s what makes the book so refreshing. Instead of the standard rock-star bio energy, we get a blend of humor, humility, and honest reflection from someone who stood close enough to feel the heat — but far enough to actually remember what happened.
What Makes It Stand Out for Hardcore Ozzy Fans
1. A new perspective on old stories
You know the classics: the bat, the dove, the hotel chaos, the unfiltered spontaneity that turned Ozzy into legend. But Rea retells some of these moments with the context of a friend watching it unfold — equal parts admiration, exasperation, and awe. For fans who already know the lore, this second angle adds depth and nuance.
2. A portrait of Ozzy as a person, not just a rock icon
Rea shows Ozzy’s contradictions in a way that feels real: the sweetness behind the chaos, the surprising wisdom behind the impulsiveness, the loyalty behind the wildness. This isn’t “The Prince of Darkness” as a caricature — it’s Ozzy as a human being who cares deeply, feels deeply, and tries his best, even when his best sometimes ends in mayhem.
3. Rea’s own story is unexpectedly interesting
He’s not just a side character in the Ozzy Universe. His career in journalism, his bizarre life detours, and his constant orbit around the Osbourne family provide the memoir with a backbone that’s more than just “rock star stories.” You get a sense of how Ozzy shaped him — but also how he shaped Ozzy’s world in subtle ways.
4. Humor without cruelty
Some rock memoirs lean on mockery. Rea doesn’t. He shares the madness with affection, never at Ozzy’s expense. The stories are wild, but they’re never mean, which makes the whole thing warm, funny, and genuinely enjoyable.
If you're already obsessed with Ozzy’s own autobiographies, you'll find this book fills in the emotional and interpersonal blanks — things Ozzy might shrug off or laugh about, Rea treats with insight.
For a devoted Ozzy lover, this book hits differently
You’ll recognize the voice, the antics, the heart, but from the side angle of someone who genuinely loves him. It’s almost like hearing Sharon, Zakk Wylde, or Geezer Butler talk — but with more humility and more ordinary-person wonder about how he ended up in Ozzy’s world at all.
Ozzy & Me is not just a companion to Ozzy’s own books — it’s a perfect complement, offering emotional depth, context, and warmth that hardcore fans will appreciate. It’s wild where it needs to be, thoughtful where it counts, and bursting with affection for one of rock’s most chaotic, complicated, and strangely tender icons.
If you love Ozzy, this book feels like spending a few more hours in his orbit — and honestly, what fan wouldn’t want that?
December 8, 2025
As a person who never listened to Ozzy or knew anything about his life, this was a fun read! Stephen lived out a real life fan fiction with his idol.
November 12, 2025
Livin' the dream
Stephen Rea writes that he would've "sold his soul to Satan" when he was a teenager for the chance to work for Ozzy Osbourne, and I'd venture that'd be a price worth paying to have toured the world with his rock idol and, best of all, to become a treasured friend of the family.
This book is like reading a dream, and it is astonishing how a 16-year-old Irish kid got his parents to go with him to Brazil to see Ozzy perform, not only meeting with but having breakfast with Ozzy and posing for a Kerrang! cover with him. From there, Rea joins Ozzy for over 200 shows, first as a fan, then a guest of the family, and finally as an employee.
The stories Rea relates of his decades with Ozzy, Sharon, and their family reflect the human side of the rock legend. It's definitely full of the anecdotes you'd expect, like Ozzy hurling stink bombs at an opening act or drugging roadies so he could shave off their hair or eyebrows. But what I truly appreciate are the moments of true connection and affection between Rea and the family, from Sharon keeping in touch with teenage Rea's mom enough to know he'd done well on his exams, to Sharon insisting she fix him something for breakfast when he was a guest at her home, to Ozzy inviting him to spend the holidays with the family. At one point, Rea marvels at why the Osbournes would be so astonishingly generous toward him, giving him platinum records or paying for his travel and accommodations. He's told that the family considers him one of their very true friends, and he's treated accordingly.
This is a beautiful story of fandom and friendship, and I'm grateful to Rea for sharing these stories so the rest of us cam appreciate them vicariously.
Stephen Rea writes that he would've "sold his soul to Satan" when he was a teenager for the chance to work for Ozzy Osbourne, and I'd venture that'd be a price worth paying to have toured the world with his rock idol and, best of all, to become a treasured friend of the family.
This book is like reading a dream, and it is astonishing how a 16-year-old Irish kid got his parents to go with him to Brazil to see Ozzy perform, not only meeting with but having breakfast with Ozzy and posing for a Kerrang! cover with him. From there, Rea joins Ozzy for over 200 shows, first as a fan, then a guest of the family, and finally as an employee.
The stories Rea relates of his decades with Ozzy, Sharon, and their family reflect the human side of the rock legend. It's definitely full of the anecdotes you'd expect, like Ozzy hurling stink bombs at an opening act or drugging roadies so he could shave off their hair or eyebrows. But what I truly appreciate are the moments of true connection and affection between Rea and the family, from Sharon keeping in touch with teenage Rea's mom enough to know he'd done well on his exams, to Sharon insisting she fix him something for breakfast when he was a guest at her home, to Ozzy inviting him to spend the holidays with the family. At one point, Rea marvels at why the Osbournes would be so astonishingly generous toward him, giving him platinum records or paying for his travel and accommodations. He's told that the family considers him one of their very true friends, and he's treated accordingly.
This is a beautiful story of fandom and friendship, and I'm grateful to Rea for sharing these stories so the rest of us cam appreciate them vicariously.
January 11, 2026
Ozzy and Me tells the story of the friendship between Ozzy Osbourne and Stephen Rea, a young man from Belfast, who first met the Prince of Darkness when Stephen was only 15 years old and already a rabid fan of Osbournes. Osbourne was performing at a music festival in Rio di Janiero, Brazil, and Stephen's mother had been in touch with Osbournes management who had basically told her that if he could get to Rio, there would be a ticket waiting for him. That was the start of a long friendship. Stephen knew everything about every recording and became a go-to source for all things Ozzie. He became part of Ozzie's touring group, frequently missing school to go on tour in Europe. The relationship endured and despite hair-raising stories of drugs and alcohol, what comes through in the book is Ozzie's underlying humanity.
One of the really genuine things that speaks highly to Stephen's relationship to Ozzie is the forward to the book, written by Ozzie's son Jack just after Ozzie's funeral. It is a moving tribute to a friendship the was longstanding and close.
Stephen is an acquaintance of mine, and I knew that the book had been written and that they had a publication date, and then Ozzie died. So, I had been waiting for the book for about a year before Ozzie's death. The book didn't disappoint me.
One of the really genuine things that speaks highly to Stephen's relationship to Ozzie is the forward to the book, written by Ozzie's son Jack just after Ozzie's funeral. It is a moving tribute to a friendship the was longstanding and close.
Stephen is an acquaintance of mine, and I knew that the book had been written and that they had a publication date, and then Ozzie died. So, I had been waiting for the book for about a year before Ozzie's death. The book didn't disappoint me.
November 26, 2025
Hello! I really enjoyed your story; the imagery was so strong that I could picture it in panels as I read.
I’m a commission-based comic/webtoon artist, and if you ever want to turn some scenes into a comic, I’d be excited to bring them to life visually.
You’re always welcome to view my work on Instagram (eve_verse_) or add me on Discord (bennett_lol) if you'd like to know more.
Whenever you reach out on Discord or Instagram, including a screenshot of this conversation will help me identify you quickly.
I’m a commission-based comic/webtoon artist, and if you ever want to turn some scenes into a comic, I’d be excited to bring them to life visually.
You’re always welcome to view my work on Instagram (eve_verse_) or add me on Discord (bennett_lol) if you'd like to know more.
Whenever you reach out on Discord or Instagram, including a screenshot of this conversation will help me identify you quickly.
November 16, 2025
An “Almost Famous” story with Ozzy Osbourne. Started with a VIP experience including lunch with Ozzy in Rio when Stephen was a teenager. Book follows his 40+ years being a roadie, personal assistant and close friend of the Osbourne family.
Don’t need to be an Osbourne fan to enjoy the book. But does help if you have a little knowledge on who the family is.
Don’t need to be an Osbourne fan to enjoy the book. But does help if you have a little knowledge on who the family is.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Nice
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Good
November 12, 2025
Fantastic story and wonderful writing!
December 7, 2025
A wonderful memoir of an unlikely friendship with not only Ozzy but the whole Osbourne clan.
December 29, 2025
This book was fantastic from someone who started off being the world’s biggest fan and how it captured a lifelong friendship
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews