On Tuesday the 22nd of July, Ozzy Osbourne – The Prince of Darkness – passed away. His outlandish, maniacal persona contributed to the success of his wildcard image, in both the heavy metal band ‘Black Sabbath’, in which he was the lead singer, and later in his solo career. Both a pioneer in, and embodiment of heavy metal, the legacy he leaves is lasting. What is Ozzy’s legacy? What cultural impact did he make?
Roots and origins
Hailing from the industrial city of Aston, Birmingham, Ozzy – alongside bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward – sought an escape from the bleak factory life. Through music, they sought to establish a name for themselves. What would later become Black Sabbath, was heavily influenced by their Aston roots. Life in the working-class industrial city was bleak. The inevitable fate for those who did not succeed in school was to work in a factory. The band turned to music as a way to escape such a life.
Creating Black Sabbath
Before Black Sabbath was a band name, however, it was an album title, featuring the eponymous song “Black Sabbath”. The name itself comes from the 1963 movie of the same name. It was chosen because of an encounter that Butler had with an apparition at the end of his bed – a result of a flirtation with the occult. The name gave the band a thematic direction. They were to be something sinister and mysterious that contrasted the euphoria of psychedelic rock.
The distinct, distorted guitar sound that characterises Black Sabbath was due to an accident involving Tony Iommi, who lost the tips of his two middle fingers. In order to play his guitar riffs, the amplifier volume had to be increased. Iommi learned how to play with the downtuned sound, generating the aggressive growl that characterises Black Sabbath. The combination of Osbourne’s primal vocals, occult imagery, and powerful guitar riffs resonated with listeners. Thus, the band we came to know was born.
Social unrest and ‘Paranoid’
The late 60s and early 70s were characterised by profound social unrest. The Vietnam War was deeply unpopular, spawning mass protests; Black folk had to confront a possible reality that they would gain no civil rights following the assassinations of Malcolm X and MLK. As the hippie movement grew, it appeared to indicate the breakdown of traditional values. During this period, Black Sabbath recorded and released their 1970 album ‘Paranoid’. Perhaps their most iconic album, it embodies who and what Black Sabbath was.
Songs like ‘Paranoid’, ‘War Pigs‘, and ‘Iron Man’ are Black Sabbath classics. With overwhelming guitar riffs and stupefying solos, the distinct distortion and electric vocals, the album helped elevate the band to mainstream success. ‘War Pigs’, in particular, is an anti-militarist anthem, mobilising gothic metaphor to condemn the Vietnam War. American state and military leaders are likened to “witches at black masses” while the soldiers sent to fight are “like pawns in chess”, sacrificed to the industrial military complex. The lyrics offer a unique critique of American intervention as opposed to protest. The state and military are evil, using sorcery to create war for fun. They watch the destruction unfold while the masses suffer. “War Pigs” demonstrates political awareness, rejecting the notion that they were a ‘group of satanists.’
‘Paranoid’ was met with huge success, reaching number one in the UK for 27 weeks. The album captured their range, with some songs like ‘Solitude’ and ‘Changes’ breaking from heavy metal convention, the latter being a painfully sad ballad with a foregrounded instrumental. ‘Paranoid’ marked Black Sabbath’s mainstream debut, marking them as a household name.
Going solo
Having skyrocketed to fame, the touring lifestyle began to take its toll on the band. Tours were plagued by addiction, especially affecting Osbourne. Due to his worsening excessive drug use, Osbourne was booted from the band in 1978. Black Sabbath recruited Ronnie James Dio to replace him as the leading vocalist, while Osbourne launched his solo career, quickly gathering devoted fans and gaining widespread success. He upheld his gothic image in his solo career, with classics such as ‘Crazy Train’ and ‘No More Tears’ perpetuating the format he had pioneered in the band.
On the 4th July 1982, Osbourne married Sharon Rachel Arden, with whom he had three children — Aimee, Kelly, and Jack. Now Sharon Osbourne, she helped manage Ozzy’s drug addiction. Controversy always loomed over him. The most notorious incident — which elevated him to legend status — was the biting of a bat’s head. It was an incident that would loom over Osbourne for the rest of his career.
Reality TV pioneer
In the early 2000s, Osbourne became the centrepiece of a reality TV show. ‘The Osbournes‘ followed Ozzy and his family’s everyday life. The humorous contrast between the mundanity of everyday life, like struggling to use a TV remote, and the wild rockstar lifestyle was a hit with audiences. The second season in 2002 drew 6.6 million viewers on MTV. It inspired an influx of celebrity reality shows like ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ and ‘The Real Housewives’, and came to be regarded as somewhat of a celebrity sitcom due to Osbourne’s profanity-laced antics.
Rock or Heavy Metal?
There is no doubt in my mind that the sound of Black Sabbath pioneered heavy metal. Bands like ‘Motorhead’ and ‘AC/DC’ would later be inspired by it. But did ‘Black Sabbath’ see themselves as a heavy metal band? According to Iommi, they regarded themselves as a “heavy rock” band. To be called Heavy Metal was somewhat insulting. Notwithstanding, the band did embrace this label, which became synonymous with Black Sabbath. Ozzy Osbourne’s impact on music and TV is undeniable. His final concert was two weeks before his death, a perfect send-off to the rock legend. The growling riffs, wailing vocals, and the dark, gothic image contributed to the success of the band and Osbourne himself.
