Ozzy Osbourne’s Addiction Story
Ozzy Osbourne is arguably the biggest rock and roll star that Birmingham has ever produced. ‘The Prince of Darkness’ first rose to fame in 1968 as the lead singer of Black Sabbath, a band that helped pioneer the heavy metal genre. After separating from the band in 1979, Ozzy would go on to have a successful solo career, releasing 13 studio albums and being inducted in the UK Music Hall of Fame.
However, behind this illustrious career was a long and deeply entrenched battle with numerous addictions. In what was a highly publicised struggle, Ozzy openly admits that he was in the grips of addiction for most of his adult life, a struggle that plagued both his career and his personal life.
Thankfully, Ozzy Osbourne has now been sober for over a decade. In this blog, we’ll breakdown how ‘The Godfather of Metal’ was able to overcome his addiction, and what you can do to help yourself if you think you or a loved one might have a problem with drugs or alcohol.
Ozzy’s Early Battles with Addiction
Even before being propelled to stardom, Ozzy Osbourne admits that he always had a problem with alcohol. Ozzy grew up a highly anxious person and often turned to drink so he could feel more comfortable in his own body. He was also brought up in the heavy-drinking, working-class culture of England in the 1960s, where spending evenings at the local pub and drinking to excess became commonplace for him.
His problem with alcohol only skyrocketed after forming Black Sabbath in 1968 and becoming the band’s rambunctious frontman. Indeed, Ozzy openly admits to indulging in the lifestyle of a rock-star from the get-go. From the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, he became notorious for his drunken escapades. In his inebriated state, he would experience extreme mood swings, getting into brawls with fellow band members and getting arrested for his boozy antics. His alcohol misuse soon became habitual - drinking almost every day and finding himself firmly within the grips of a crippling alcohol addiction.
Ozzy’s Addiction Story: The Middling Years
It was in 1971 when Ozzy was first introduced to cocaine and his trouble with addiction took on a whole new face. Married at the time, he admits that he was so numbed to the world from his abuse of the substance, that he couldn’t even remember when his two children Kelly and Jack were born.
At the time, Ozzy also experimented with psychedelic drugs and confessed to taking LSD almost every day across the course of two years. He has since reflected that he was either drunk or high every day whilst he was with the band. After divorcing and re-marrying, his new wife and future manager Sharon Osbourne, spoke of how she struggled to keep him safe during this period, and was completely unaware about the perils of alcoholism or drug addiction.
Ozzy’s Addiction Reaches Breaking Point
Ozzy’s alcohol and drug misuse would continue to spiral throughout his time with Black Sabbath. His addiction reached breaking point in 1979 when Ozzy was fired from the band for his unpredictable and violent behaviour when inebriated, alongside his inconsistent performances. After separating from the band, Ozzy perceived his stint as a rock star to be over. Upon receiving a hefty pay-out, he took to locking himself away in hotel rooms to abuse alcohol and drugs for months on end. It was only Sharon who helped pull him back from the brink numerous times, saving him from potentially taking his own life.
In late 1979, Ozzy formed ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ and set about forging a successful solo career for himself. Despite being fully aware of his addiction however, Ozzy felt too deeply entrenched in the lifestyle that had been laid out for him, and continued to drink heavily and abuse substances throughout the 1980s and 90s.
The Osbourne Family’s Struggle with Addiction
At this time, Ozzy’s addiction also started to deeply affect his family. Admitting to having depression in his teens, his son Jack would follow in his father’s footsteps and take to drink heavily to cope with his mental health issues, unbeknownst to his parents. Similarly, Ozzy’s daughter Kelly opened up about becoming addicted to prescription drugs during her teen years. Both fell victim to the fame that came with being the children of high-profile celebrities, as well as the strenuous relationship they had with Ozzy as a result of his addictions.
Thankfully however, both were able to recognise their addictions early, and they set about helping themselves by first admitting that they had a problem. They were then able to help themselves further out of their addiction by seeking professional support. After attending a rehabilitation clinic at the age of 17, Jack was able to achieve lasting sobriety, stating that he has never looked back since. Meanwhile, Kelly was also able to achieve sobriety after similarly seeking professional help.
Ozzy Osbourne Overcomes His Addictions By Seeking Help
It was not until the new millennium when Ozzy found the strength to help himself out of his addiction by seeking professional help. After further admitting to his problems, Ozzy decided to help himself – with the support of Sharon – by attending rehabilitation clinics and Alcoholic Anonymous sessions. He observed that although initially struggling to understand the purpose of the meetings - eventually the mere act of attending them had a monumental impact on him. They helped him to rationalise his issues, come to terms with them, and start putting in the healthier building blocks to drag himself out of the pit of addiction and achieve long-lasting sobriety.
In 2006, Ozzy was able to achieve a sustained period of sobriety, only experiencing a few momentary relapses before achieving full sobriety from 2013 onwards. Ozzy now continues to live out his career as a musician sober, believing that seeking professional help was one of the best choices he ever made, and that it may well have saved his life.
The Support Available at New Leaf Recovery
Ozzy Osbourne’s addiction story proves that it’s never too late to make a full recovery from alcohol or drug addiction. No matter how deeply entrenched or long-standing your problem with alcohol or substances might be, there is time to turn over a new leaf. Ozzy’s story, as well as Jack’s and Kelly’s stories, help to highlight that you can help yourself by first acknowledging that you have a problem, and then opening up to someone close to you so they can help support you. Seeking professional help is then the crucial last step for getting the vital, long-lasting support you need to make a sustained, log-term recovery.
If you or a loved one is struggling with an alcohol or substance problem, contact New Leaf Recovery today to find out how we can help guide you through the recovery process and help you to turn over a new leaf.