Ozzy Osbourne

Scientists studied my blood.

They just couldn’t understand how I’d consumed so much s*** in my lifetime and was still alive. What did they discover? They found out that I’m f****** crazy; official, stamped on my head: nutter.

Music’s part of my life.

What else am I gonna do, sit around looking out the window? I like travelling, I like playing music to people and I like the lifestyle.

I’ve had to slow down a bit.

Back in the day we would do matinees, two shows a day. Now I have to do one day on, one day off. Every day would kill me.

It’s not the Ozzy Osbourne show That’s what I have to think when I’m in the studio with Black Sabbath. My own solo career has done really well, but when I’m back with the band I have to say, “OK, I’m back with Sabbath, I’m not the producer, I’m not the leader I’m just the singer”. That wasn’t easy at first. It took me a while to get my head around the fact that I wasn’t king of the castle.

Sometimes you’ve got to go back to basics.

Rick Rubin did a great job producing [current album] 13. He didn’t use any trickery or effects, he just had us playing naturally and it really worked.

The early days were my proudest. The fact that the four of us had an idea when we were kids, made some music, made an album and after that every day that followed was the greatest experience of my life. I tell you man, the journey was just fantastic.

These days it’s all about the music.

Almost all the stupid stuff written about me is true, apart from when people would say “Ozzy wouldn’t go on stage unless he’d killed 25 puppy dogs” – that one wasn’t true

It’s 45 years on and we’re still doing it. We’ve got a critically acclaimed album and a sell-out tour. Nobody gets drunk, nobody gets stoned, and it’s great. It’s just the music now and, honestly, it’s a lot of fun. Now that everybody’s sober I’m thinking; why didn’t we all do this earlier?

Going on stage with a hangover isn’t much fun.

I never used to go on stage drunk, but after the show my reward would be a bottle of booze. The problem is that then you’re hungover for the next gig, which never really works out well.
There were no limits to what I’d do in my crazy days

Most of the stories about my early days are true. I used to do the stupidest s***. I was crazy for about 38 years of the 45 I’ve been famous. During that period people used to say that Ozzy wouldn’t go on stage unless he’d killed 25 puppy dogs – that one wasn’t true.

The stupidest thing I’ve ever done was in Albuquerque. I was on a Ski lift going up a mountain and about 3,000ft in the air – or at least it seemed that high – and I decided I would just get up on the roof and go to sleep. If I’d slipped I’d have been f*****. Then later on, when I’d sobered up, a few people said to me “do you realise you were dancing on top of that thing last night?” I couldn’t believe it. I still shudder when I think about what could have happened.

I didn’t really believe in alcoholic blackouts at that point, but I must have had them ’cos believe me, if I was sober there’s no way I would have been on that f****** roof.

I used to dream of escaping my situation when I was a kid. I used to think, wouldn’t it be great if I won the football pools or my dad somehow made loads of money.

My life changed when I heard the Beatles “She Loves You” was on the radio and I immediately thought, that’s who I want to be. It hit me with such a bang. It’s not like I even sound like the Beatles – although some people say I do occasionally. It was the magic behind it all; I wanted to be one of them.

I can’t play an instrument but I can put on a show.

I was always the crazy guy. Back home they would get me to do all the stupid stuff, to steal this and that. The class lunatic, that was me. I’ve always just wanted to entertain people.

I suppose that was the beginning of my career really. I used to do the goofiest s*** just to make everyone laugh. My son said to me the other day as we were doing a TV show, “Dad do you think people are laughing with you or at you?” I said, “Jack, as long as they’re laughing I’m really not bothered.”

There’s a lot I don’t know I’m on the inside looking out. I don’t know why I’m still playing music after 45 years and I don’t know why people still like Black Sabbath, but they do and I’m really grateful for that.

I didn’t learn too much from my parents. When I was a kid you learned about life from your mates. My parents never told me about the dangers of alcohol or the dangers of smoking or anything about sex or relationships. I just thought you left school, got a job or a trade, got married and then went to the pub every Friday night.

I couldn’t conform to a normal life. I had regular jobs and they would last about five minutes and I would have to leave, I just couldn’t handle it.

Sabbath was meant to happen. When I met Tony [Lommi] and Bill [Ward] they were looking for a singer and a bass player and it just seemed like fate. We were four kids from Aston who generated so much success and money for people it was unbelievable. Being in a van with those lads touring around Europe in the early days, we just had so much fun; it was better than normal working a day job that’s for sure.

I’m the prince of darkness. I’m not the guy you ask for parental advice – I’m the crazy dad.

Saying that, I probably had children too early I was 21 and was just following what people I knew had done. It really wasn’t fair on my family or my ex-wife.

Abu Dhabi intrigues me. I’ve never been before and I’m really unsure as to how we’re going to be received. I’m confused and excited about it all.