When Sharon met Ozzy: The Osbourne Story

Known for their contributions to rock music and ground-breaking reality television,  with their brutally honest portrayal of family life, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne have captivated audiences for decades.

Marked by fame, scandal and love, their relationship tells the story of two people who built an empire under the glare of public scrutiny.

Following Ozzy’s tragic death after a long battle with Parkinson’s, Sharon has spoken of her heartbreak at losing her husband and best friend. From their first famous meeting in a London office, to their final hours together at the family home in Buckinghamshire, the couple represented one of rock and roll’s most enduring love stories.

Where is Ozzy Osbourne from?

Born in Aston in December 1948, Ozzy was inspired to try for a career in music after hearing the Beatles’ single, She Loves You, in 1963, as it made him realise he was “going to be a rock star”. On leaving school at 15, he took several regular jobs including labouring on a construction site and working in a car factory.

In 1967, he joined his first band, Rare Breed, as lead singer. After they split up. Ozzy and bass guitarist Terence “Geezer” Butler formed a new rock band, Polka Tulk Blues, in 1968. They finally became Black Sabbath in 1969, after a few name changes. Ozzy was an eccentric and theatrical frontman and the band made their performances as scary as possible, believing audiences enjoyed being frightened, in the same way as people liked horror films. He earned the nickname, The Prince of Darkness.

How did Sharon and Ozzy meet?

Sharon’s dad, Don Arden, a famous promoter and entrepreneur, became Black Sabbath’s manager. Previously having managed legendary artists including the Small Faces, Little Richard, Gene Vincent and Jerry Lee Lewis, he was a formidable businessman.

Sharon, born in London in 1952, was working for her father as receptionist at his office in fashionable Carnaby Street in 1970. Years later, she recalled her first meeting with Ozzy, aged 18 and 22 respectively, wasn’t even remotely romantic. She said he entered her father’s office “barefoot and completely dishevelled,” a first impression that stuck. Although it didn’t immediately spark romance, it was certainly memorable.

Years later, Ozzy said meeting Sharon had been the “best moment” of his life. Black Sabbath had been recording their best-selling second album, Paranoid, released in 1970. He later admitted he was attracted to Sharon the first time he saw her, but he joked, “She probably thought I was a lunatic!” He said the best thing about having Don Arden as their manager was seeing Sharon regularly, although their relationship was purely professional and platonic throughout the 1970s, when Black Sabbath enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame.

Their first album, called Black Sabbath, was released on 13th February 1970 by Vertigo Records and shot straight to number eight in the UK charts and number 23 on the US Billboard 200, remaining in the charts for more than a year. They released eight albums in the 1970s and attracted a global following.

A second chance and a new era

Ozzy married first wife Thelma Riley in 1971 and they had two children, Jessica and Louis. He also adopted Riley’s son Elliot, five, from a previous relationship. However, the marriage ultimately failed, as Ozzy’s widely reported abuse of alcohol and drugs, especially while on tour, took its toll on family life.

By 1979, Black Sabbath fired the singer due to his spiralling addictions and he began living in isolation in a Los Angeles hotel, lost and aimless. At this point, Sharon not only pulled him from his personal darkness, but also helped him to launch a solo career. They began a romantic relationship in 1979, and Sharon became his manager. With her guidance, he released the album, Blizzard of Ozz, in 1980, featuring iconic tracks like Crazy Train. It sold more than six million copies worldwide, proving Sharon was a visionary who still believed in his potential, even after the industry had written him off.

Building a legacy

They married on 4th July 1982, at a romantic ceremony in Hawaii, after his divorce from Thelma. As Ozzy Osbourne’s wife and manager, Sharon pushed him to reinvent himself – not just in music, but in love, business and family. Together, they went on to have three children: Aimée, now 41, Kelly, 40, and Jack, 39.

Kelly and Jack joined their parents in The Osbournes, MTV’s first real foray into celebrity reality TV. Premiering in 2002, the show became a cultural phenomenon, averaging more than five million viewers per episode. It presented the family as chaotic, but ultimately close-knit and loving. Ozzy, previously known as the hard-living rocker, was reintroduced as an endearing father. Sharon emerged as the no-nonsense matriarch who kept the family together.

Beyond television, the Osbournes left their mark with Ozzfest, a travelling music festival, which helped launch the careers of bands such as Slipknot, Disturbed, and System of a Down.

Loyalty through challenging times

The strength of their bond was repeatedly tested, after Ozzy’s struggles with addiction were often publicised by the press. In 2013, after a particularly difficult year, he publicly apologised to his family and recommitted to sobriety. However, it was a pattern that had continued throughout their married life.

For a brief time in 2016, the couple separated, but later that year, they renewed their vows in Las Vegas. Ozzy told Hello Magazine at the time, “Without Sharon, I am nothing. I love her.” In interviews, Sharon called their fights “legendary” and didn’t shy away from discussing the emotional pain she had felt. Their ability to face brutal truths only seemed to strengthen their connection.

Health battles

In 2003, Ozzy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, although he didn’t reveal it publicly until 2020. Coupled with a spinal injury from a car accident in 2003, his mobility and ability to perform on stage declined. Sharon described watching him as “heartbreaking” when he obviously missed live performances so much, saying, “The biggest love affair of Ozzy’s life is his audience.”

He attempted to return to touring, but had to cancel multiple performances, including a European tour in 2023, due to poor health. Sharon continued to support him, and together, they relaunched The Osbournes Podcast in 2023, with their three children. They also worked on a biopic about their relationship, with Sharon describing it as “wild, insane and dangerous – but rooted in undying love”.

Remembering Ozzy: A final farewell

Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne built a dynasty, working with music industry legends like Elton John, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, Slash of Guns and Roses and Motorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister over the years.

Ozzy gave his final performance on 5th July 2025, when he fronted Black Sabbath at their long-awaited reunion gig at Villa Park in Birmingham in front of 42,000 delighted fans. He gave everything he had, seated at a throne. While this was intended to signify a goodbye to performing live, fans had no idea their idol’s final farewell would come so soon.

On 22nd July 2025, Ozzy Osbourne passed away, aged 76, just weeks after he and Sharon celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary. He died surrounded by his family, as reported in a heartfelt statement shared by the Osbourne family.

His death marked the end of an era. With more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, a Grammy Award, and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Ozzy’s legacy lives on in the millions of fans who found solace, rebellion and truth in his music.