Ozzy Osbourne’s reported mistress, hair colorist Michelle Pugh, opened up to People Magazine about her four year affair with the singer.
“When I say he gave me the greatest love of my life, I mean it,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively about Ozzy, whom she claims first pursued her one year after she first colored his hair in late 2011. “He made me feel like the most beautiful and worshipped woman in the world.”
Ozzy – who earlier this month told Good Morning America his 33-year marriage with wife Sharon, 63, was “back on track” after the two split in May – insists the relationship with Pugh was a purely physical one that resulted from his sex addiction.
“He is sorry if Ms. Pugh took their sexual relationship out of context,” the singer’s rep tells People exclusively in a statement. “He would like to apologize to the other women he has been having sexual relationships with. Since his relationship with Ms. Pugh was exposed, Ozzy has gone into intense therapy.”
However, Pugh maintains Ozzy, 67, was “unhappy” in his marriage and “consistently and willingly and generously” gave her “his love.”
“What attracted me to him? Chemistry,” says Pugh. “We just had it. It’s that indescribable thing in life, and you can’t deny it. And he didn’t.”
Aside from their physical relationship, Pugh says the duo also connected on an “emotional level” and would have long discussions about their “shared passions” for painting, history and current events. “My relationship was more with this really nice, sweet, funny and cool guy … John from England,” describes Pugh.
Acknowledging she is no longer in touch with Ozzy, Pugh says it’s a “struggle every day now” for her when she wakes. “I wake from my dreams, which some nights he’s in, and for a minute when I wake I’m peaceful,” she says. “Then the absence sets in. It’s horrible.”
Even so, the hair colorist says she has no ill will towards her former lover.
“He is a grown man. He is capable of making the decision to be with me. If he has chosen to not be, that is fine. I accept it and move on,” she says. “But he has been my best friend for the last few years, so of course I am grieving the loss for that.”
“I still love him,” continues Pugh. “And I would never exploit the truly personal and private parts of what we had. That’s not me. I’m going to stand tall and proud and say, ‘This is me. I’m not ashamed.’ I fell in love with a man that gave me the love I never knew I could receive.”
On Sunday, August 21st 2016 the Rock Against Dystrophy All Star Edition 2016 benefit concert will be at The Headliner in Neptune, New Jersey. The show will have TattooTony return to MC the event. The benefit will feature performances by High Octane, Broken Past, New Day Dawn, a special set from New Jersey’s metal legends T.T. Quick and will wrap up with a performance from the RAD All Stars.
Returning to lead the RAD All Stars is Mark Tornillo (T.T. Quick/Accept) and Bobby Blitz (Overkill) and joining them are Derek Tailor and Ron Lipnicki (Overkill), Chris Caffery (Savatage/Trans Siberian Orchestra), Mark Menghi (Metal Allegiance), David DiPetro (T.T. Quick), Max Portnoy (Next To None), Danny Watts (BulletBoys), Kenny Dubman and Scott Metaxas (Prophet).
As if all those individuals weren’t enough, things are kicked up a notch literally as Bumblefoot is joining the RAD All Stars. Still creating tons of talk with his latest album Little Brother Is Watching and stepping into Metal Allegiance to shred like no other, he is taking the time to give to fight against Muscular Dystrophy the extra kick only he can bring.
In 2009 brothers and Internet radio DJs Turbo and Jay Scorpion (both of whom have Spinal Muscular Atrophy) decided to take their love of rock and metal music, support from the rock and metal community, and desire to find a cure for Muscular Dystrophy and turned it into Rock Against Dystrophy. The purpose of Rock Against Dystrophy is raise money and awareness about Muscular Dystrophy by holding benefit concerts featuring local area rock and metal bands and the occasional rock and metal star in the New York and New Jersey area with proceeds going to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. If you’d like to donate to Rock Against Dystrophy you can visit name.
Daniel Lane of Metal Hammer interviewed the Metal God, Rob Halford, in which the iconic singer reflects back upon his life. Highlights from interview appear below.
Metal Hammer: Where and when were you born?
Rob Halford: I was born on 25th August 1951. I was born in my aunt’s house in Sutton Coldfield – that’s the place where I popped out without any warning. And then of course my mum and dad moved to Walsall where I still have a house.
Metal Hammer: How did you get along with your siblings?
Rob Halford: Really, really well. My sister is a year younger than me and we’ve never acted like brother and sister – we’re just best mates. We were always looking out for each other and supporting each other. When our younger brother came along we were both in our early teens and we had this outsider arrive – not that I want to call our Nigel that! But when you’re in your teens, you’re off exploring the world, and then another family member comes along and you become very home orientated again and you feel very protective of your family. On the whole, we’ve always been like a typical family though. There’s always been a bit of friction between us – which there should be. I think that’s when characters develop and that’s how you help each other through life’s hurdles.
Metal Hammer: What was it like being the oldest of three kids growing up in such a deprived area?
Rob Halford: Everybody knows that there are some parts of the West Midlands that are incredibly poor, but they’re honest, hard working people. When I was born in the early 50s, the Second World War had only been over for a few years and there was still rationing going on. But people were very proud and very determined to come back and come back strong. Life was really tough. My dad worked in the steel industry and my mom worked from home and also in the factories and stuff, but it was a good childhood.
Like most council estate communities everybody looked out for everybody else. Everybody also knew everyone else’s business in a way too. I’ve got a lot of good memories from that time. It was a good place to start life and it taught me the value of hard work and I think that ethic is still ingrained in Judas Priest today. We’re still hard working musicians. We never take anything for granted and we’ve all still got that connection to why we wanted to be in a band in the first place.
Metal Hammer: Carrying on from that – at that particular time, how difficult was it for you to come out?
Rob Halford: I think that kind of experience, in terms of the pressure involved, is something that every gay guy goes through – feeling isolated and feeling that you’re the only person in the world who has those kind of feelings. In those days, you didn’t talk about those kind of things. It wasn’t talked about in the media, in soaps or on TV. And, I mean, for me it wasn’t until my late 20s that I felt I was actually part of something bigger y’know?
…I know it’s still tough today, even with the broad base of popular culture in the UK, there’s still a very bigoted attitude towards homosexuality. I know it’s a little bit easier now, but it’s still tough, especially in the world of heavy metal. Although, that said, I like to think I’ve exploded that particular myth.
Metal Hammer: How do you feel about being tagged as a gay icon?
Rob Halford: I think when you get recognised for that, it’s something you don’t expect. The bottom line is that I’m a heavy metal singer in a band. Just because my sexuality isn’t considered to be the norm, for some reason it seems to always carries a bit of extra media interest. I think it’s kind of amusing that I have absolutely no relationship with the gay media whatsoever – not that I’m looking for it either. I’ve never been approached by any of those kind of publications because I think heavy metal is still viewed by the wider media as still being this very macho, male environment and the gay media still treats it with some detachment.
Metal Hammer: In the 80s when it was all pretty boys with lipstick fronting bands and going hell bent for leather to get chicks, how did you fare in the groupie stakes?
Rob Halford: I never got any! [laughs] And that’s the sad thing. I’ve been celibate practically all of my musical career. I know it’s supposed to be sex, drugs, rock’n’roll… Well, I used to do the drugs and I still do the rock n’roll but the closest I came to sex was going back to my hotel room for a wank! [laughs] I don’t want to shatter anyone’s idea about the lifestyle, but basically you play a show, get cleaned up, have some food and go back to your hotel room… alone!
Metal Hammer: What was your parent’s reaction like when you told them you wanted to be in a band? And was it worse than when you told them you were gay?
Rob Halford: I think they sensed it was coming – the band I mean. I really didn’t become totally serious about being a professional musician until I was in my late teens. And by the time I was 20-21, I was already a part of that world. But my mum’s philosophy for everything was, ‘Are you happy? Well, if you’re happy I’m happy.’ Which is a very simple kind of mantra isn’t it? My parents always encouraged me and supported me with whatever I did…
As for coming out, it’s either a case of confront the issue head-on at an earlier stage or, as it was with my lot, it’s something you don’t really discuss. Y’know, ‘If he is… so what? As long as he’s happy.’ But again that comes back to their open-mindedness and their hope that everyone in the family would find contentment wherever they were or whatever they were doing….
Metal Hammer: Do you have faith?
Rob Halford: Oh yes, I have a tremendous amount of faith. For me, I found faith in 1986 when I quit drinking and doing drugs. And once I’d found faith and started the healing process I felt a lot more peaceful inside. I began to appreciate what’s important in life and what’s not important. I used to drink so much that I’d black out and wake up the next morning and not know how I got home. I realised I didn’t need these things to help me write music and I certainly didn’t need these things to help me live my life – I think I had a guardian angel looking over me.
Read more of this fascinating interview at Metal Hammer.
FEATURING DON DOKKEN, GEORGE LYNCH, JEFF PILSON AND “Wild” MICK BROWN
Only Six Special Shows Confirmed – October 2016
Tickets On-Sale August 27
After years of intense speculation and recent rumors, it can now be confirmed that DOKKEN will indeed reform its classic lineup for 6 shows ONLY! Don Dokken, George Lynch, Jeff Pilson and “Wild” Mick Brown will return to the stage together, in Japan – for the first time in 21 years. Dubbed “Unleashed in the East,” leader Don Dokken explains why now. “I am very excited to come back to Japan and play with the members of Dokken that I spent so much time with. Being that its only 6 shows, we are going to make as spectacular as possible”
After launching on October 5 in Osaka, Japan, the quartet will then head to Fukuoka, Tokyo (for the Loud Park Festival) before continuing on to Hiroshima, Aichi and finally, back to Tokyo for the final show on October 12th. Dokken’s Tooth and Nail, released in 1984, contained several hit songs including “Alone Again”, “Just Got Lucky” and “Into the Fire”, and sold over three million copies worldwide and the band continued releasing many more records with the same success.
Tickets for this once in a lifetime event, as well as VIP package experiences, will be on sale beginning August 27th. This will be the one and only opportunity for fans to see the original line-up play their iconic hits.
DOKKEN IN JAPAN “UNLEASHED IN THE EAST” DATES:
Oct 5 – Osaka, Japan (Namba Hatch)
Oct 6 – Fukuoka, Japan (Fukuoaka Civic Hall)
Oct 8 – Tokyo, Japan (Loud Park Festival)* on sale now http://www.loudpark.com/16/
David Fricke of Rolling Stone spoke with AC/DC guitarist Angus Young. Highlights from the interview appear below.
RS: [Guns N’ Roses frontman] Axl [Rose, who is filling in singer Brian Johnson] is used to running his own ship. Did you have to talk to him about how you do things – like being on time?
Angus Young: He’s been really good. He prepares himself, ready to go. We sit and chew the fat before we get on, work out what songs we want to do. It’s gotta be fun for him, and for us. In the beginning, he was confined [with a foot injury] to that chair he borrowed from Dave Grohl. But as soon as he could, he was out and moving.
RS: Does Axl sound more like Brian or the late Bon Scott?
Angus Young: He’s more in the Bon style – the rock & roll character. And he’s got his own folksy humor. He’s pretty quick with a quip. Axl has different vocal ranges. You can hear him one way in a Bon song. Then he can flip and do Brian, the higher register.
RS: Was Brian having hearing problems before you started the tour?
Angus Young: He was having problems when we were rehearsing for Coachella [in 2015]. He already had one bad ear. He damaged it in a car accident. The one good ear was rapidly dropping. We were in Australia, and he was seeing a specialist. Each show he did, he had to get monitored and treated. But it was becoming too hard for him.
RS: Do you think Cliff’s decision to retire is related to Brian leaving?
Angus Young: Cliff made it known before we’d even started touring – this would be his last. Besides myself, Cliff has been there the longest, since 1977. Cliff and Brian are in the same age bracket. They like to go out, hit the pubs. They had the bond.
RS: What is it like touring without Malcolm on guitar? Is your nephew Stevie filling that hole for you?
Angus Young: Sometimes I do a double take. I hear the sound behind me and think, “That sounds so Mal.” When Stevie was younger, he really focused on what Mal did. It’s not an easy thing. You gotta be solid, confident. It looks simple. It is definitely not simple.
RS: Do you now wonder if it was time to quit when Malcolm couldn’t continue – that you pushed the band too far?
Angus Young: That might be the case. But Malcolm was always one to battle through. He would look at me in times of crisis and go, “We’ll just go in and do some work. We’ll sit and write some songs.” He had that drive, and I feel obligated to keep it going, maybe because I was there in the beginning with him.
RS: Have you thought about your own future after the tour ends? You’ve never played in any other band.
Angus Young: That’s true. At this point, I don’t know. We were committed to finishing the tour. Who knows what I’ll feel after? When you sign on and say, “I’m gonna do this and that,” it’s always good to say at the end of it, “I’ve done all I said I would do.”
That was always the idea, especially when we were younger – me, Malcolm, Bon. You had to show up and be on time. You’d be playing in a pub in the afternoon. Then late at night, you’d be playing a club. You got into that habit: “If we don’t play, we don’t eat.”
RS: Who else would you like to play with if you had the shot?
Angus Young: You’d have to resurrect a lot of people from the dead, I think [laughs]. I’d sit down with Keith Richards, do something. He’s a rhythm guy like Mal.
John 5 & The Creatures are on fire with the fans from all over the world. They will embark on a string of dates in the U.K. and Europe starting October 5th, 2016 in London, England. This tour includes an exclusive VIP upgrade package giving you the experience of a lifetime with a one of a kind in person opportunity. Tix and VIP Package available here.
John 5 & The Creatures have been slowly releasing new singles and videos since the beginning of the year. Their latest single release Hell Haw debuts its counterpart video today (August 1st) The single can be downloaded on iTunes, watch the video below.
Spend the days before Halloween with John 5 & The Creatures at Alien Con, October 28th to October 30th at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. This Spooktacular event weekend kicks off that Friday with a live performance by the band. These tickets are going fast so order here and upgrade to the John 5 & The Creatures VIP package – This is where you can get you close and personal with the band. To purchase tickets to this event, please visit Alien Con tix .
John 5 & The Creatures European Tour Dates:
Oct 5 The Garage London, UK
Oct 6 The Corporation Sheffield, UK
Oct 7 Cathouse Rock Club Glasgow, UK
Oct 8 Academy 3 Manchester, UK
Oct 10 De Helling Utrecht, Netherlands
Oct 11 Kaiserkeller Hamburg, Germany
Oct 12 Luxor Cologne, Germany
Oct 13 Colos – Saal Aschaffenburg, Germany
John 5 & The Creatures consist of John 5 (guitar), Ian Ross (bass) and Rodger Carter (drums).
