What It Was Like to Be Ozzy Osbourne in the Summer of 1981

In the summer of 1981, Ozzy Osbourne was pulling off a comeback that few people could have predicted. Only two years after being fired from Black Sabbath, Ozzy was crossing America with Randy Rhoads, watching Blizzard of Ozz climb the charts and introducing audiences to songs from Diary of a Madman before the album had even been released. But the view from inside Ozzy’s life was much more complicated. His first marriage was falling apart. His relationship with Sharon Arden had become both romantic and professional. Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake, two of the musicians who helped build his new sound, had already been removed from the touring band. And the young guitarist at the center of his comeback was becoming a star in his own right. This video looks beyond the albums and concert dates to explore what Ozzy’s daily life actually looked like during that strange summer, including a record-store appearance in Greenwich Village, a rambling conversation about fireworks and stray dogs, and a visit to Walt Disney World with Randy Rhoads, Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge before the final show of the tour. It was one of the most exciting periods of Ozzy’s career, but success had arrived long before stability did. #OzzyOsbourne #RandyRhoads #BlizzardOfOzz #DiaryOfAMadman #RockHistory