Is there any person that defines metal music more than Ozzy Osbourne? Not in our opinion. Not only was he part of one of the most famous metal bands ever, but he lived a metal lifestyle for the majority of his life.

And while some of his more harmful metal habits have had to go as he ages, he’s still a force to be reckoned with. Just ask his wife, Shannon, who never holds back. From his Black Sabbath career to his solo albums, to his reality TV show – Ozzy is one Grammy winner whose performances you don’t want to miss.

Humble Beginnings

Ozzy wasn’t always the metal rockstar we know him as. He came from an ordinary household in England and previously went by the name of John Michael Osbourne. He’d always been interested in music, but that wasn’t his priority when he dropped out of school at 15. He wanted the money and freedom he saw as being an adult. During this time, he started rehearsing with some local bands, but it wasn’t until after he was arrested at 17 that he got serious.

Black Sabbath was first called Earth, back when they were practicing in people’s garages. He and guitarist Tony Iommi changed the name to Black Sabbath, after seeing a particularly inspiring Boris Karloff movie.

The Rise to Fame

Theirs wasn’t the first metal band on the scene, but they had a different sound. There was something bluesy about their music, which was (and still is) unique. It gave their metal-genre music a new depth that competitors didn’t have. That’s one of the factors that led to their first albums’ success. After debuting in the 1970s, they put out four more albums in quick succession.

All that touring plus a divorce proved too much for Ozzy, who served a stint in rehab before he struck out as a solo artist. Whatever he figured out for himself in rehab and his earned/born talent helped his solo career take off just as fast and as well as Black Sabbath did.

Since then, he’s won a Grammy, acted in a few films, and even did a one-time revival album with his old band.