What was Ozzy Osbourne's real name? Late Black Sabbath singer's career highlights explored

Ozzy Osbourne's real name was John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne. The late Black Sabbath singer was also referred to by different nicknames throughout his music career. One of his most famous nicknames was "Prince of Darkness." He gained the nickname after leading Black Sabbath, whose music genre is described as heavy metal. Additionally, he is also known as "The Godfather of Heavy Metal" because of his contribution to the genre.

Some have accused Osbourne of praising the devil through his music. Black Sabbath's song lyrics usually delve into the world of dark, apocalyptic, and existential themes. Their songs are often about war, madness, and the occult.

A few other nicknames that Ozzy Osbourne was called by his fans include The Great Ozz, The Wizard of Ozz, Blizzard Ozz, and The Mad Man. Keep reading to learn some of the career highlights of "The Godfather of Heavy Metal."

What are Ozzy Osbourne's career highlights?

Ozzy Osbourne's popularity stemmed from his lead role as a vocalist for Black Sabbath. He was one of the founding members of the heavy metal band in 1968, and helped the band grow to what it is today. However, after spiraling because of alcohol and drug use, Osbourne was kicked out of the band in 1978. This did not end his music career.

After being fired from Black Sabbath, Ozzy went on to perform by himself and released 13 studio albums as a solo artist. At the time, he was managed by his wife, Sharon Osbourne.

These are all the studio albums Ozzy Osbourne recorded as a solo artist:

• Blizzard of Ozz - 1980
• Diary of a Madman - 1981
• Bark at the Moon - 1983
• The Ultimate Sin - 1986
• No Rest for the Wicked - 1988
• No More Tears - 1991
• Ozzmosis - 1995
• Down to Earth - 2001
• Under Cover - 2005
• Black Rain - 2007
• Scream - 2010
• Ordinary Man - 2020
• Patient Number 9 - 2022

As a solo artist, he released his first album titled Blizzard of Ozz in 1980. Over the years, Osbourne has rejoined his original band time and again, helping them with their final studio album, 13, which was released in 2013.

Another highlight in Ozzy's career is the annual music festival, "Ozzfest," created and managed by Sharon Osbourne. The reason why Ozzfest was established was because The Prince of Darkness was not allowed to perform at the Lollapalooza festival.

In the early 2000s, Ozzy Osbourne got his own reality show called The Osbournes, which first premiered on MTV in 2002. It went on for four seasons and ended in 2005. Despite its short-lived time on television, millions of fans watched the reality show.

Furthermore, with more than 100 million albums sold, Ozzy has also received a few awards and recognition in his lifetime. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. The first was in 2006 as a member of Black Sabbath, and the second was as a solo artist, 18 years later. He was also inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame twice, both as a solo artist and as a part of Black Sabbath.

Other awards he has received include the Global Icon Award at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2014 and the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 2015. Rolling Stone put him at 112 on the list of 200 Greatest Singers of All Time in 2023.

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Ozzy Osbourne’s legendary status in rock and metal is marked by his influential roles both as Black Sabbath’s frontman and as a successful solo artist. The Prince of Darkness' passing is mourned by fans worldwide today.

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