Craig McLean of the The Guardian reports:
…Ozzy’s back, and this time it’s miraculous. [his] star-studded. Patient Number 9, his 11th solo album, features a roll-call of heavyweight guest musicians, including [his Black Sabbath bandmate Tony] Iommi (his first time on an Ozzy solo album), Jeff Beck, late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins and Eric Clapton…
… “Without my Sharon [Osbourne-his wife and manager], I’d be fucking gone. We have a little row now and then, but otherwise we just get on with it.” They’re devoted to their children and their “grandbabies,” as Sharon puts it. Son Jack has just had a girl, his fourth, and the couple will be seeing them as soon as they fly back to LA, the day after our interview – “worse luck!” snorts Sharon.
Because, as much as they love their family, the Osbournes have fallen out of love with America. In February the couple are relocating back to the UK, selling up in LA (their Hancock Park mansion is on the market for $18m) and resuming residence in their 120-year-old Buckinghamshire pile, the Grade II listed Welders House and 350-acre estate. In anticipation, they’ve got the builders in, to dig a swimming pool, install air-conditioning and fashion Ozzy a studio for more music-making – he mentions a possible album with Iommi.
When I ask why they’re coming home after so long in California, Sharon insists it’s nothing to do with Ozzy’s health. “I knew people would think that. It’s not. It’s just time. America has changed so drastically. It isn’t the United States of America at all. Nothing’s united about it. It’s a very weird place to live right now.”
The Ozzy version, “Everything’s f–king ridiculous there. I’m fed up with people getting killed every day. God knows how many people have been shot in school shootings. And there was that mass shooting in Vegas at that concert… It’s f–king crazy.”
“And I don’t want to die in America. I don’t want to be buried in f–king Forest Lawn,” he says of the LA cemetery favored by expired celebrities. “I’m English. I want to be back. But saying that, if my wife said we’ve got to go and live in Timbuktu, I’ll go.” Ozzy inhales deeply, gathers his vocal capabilities and concludes quietly. “But, no, it’s just time for me to come home.”
But don’t go thinking this means the lifelong musician is finally hanging up his rock’n’roll cloak. Both he and Sharon are convinced he has another tour in him. As much is telegraphed in Patient Number 9’s penultimate song, God Only Knows, where he sings that it’s “better to burn in hell than fade away.”
“That’s me in a nutshell”, he says, nodding, animated and cheerful in his defiance. “I’m saying to you I’ll give it the best shot I can for another tour. You have not seen the end of Ozzy Osbourne, I promise you. If I have to go up there and die on the first song, I’ll still be back the next day.” Spoken like a true Prince of Darkness.
Read more at The Guardian.
Patient Number 9, will be released on September 9th. For more details on this release, and to listen to the title song, please click here. Also, to listen to Ozzy’s song, Degradation Rules, featuring his Black Sabbath bandmate, Tony Iommi, please go here.
14 Responses
I thought they originally stated they were fleeing due to the extraordinarily high tax rates…
Maybe Ozzy wants to try to find that horse that told him to f–k off?! 😉
Dana, you are correct that Ozzy previously claimed taxes were the reason he didnt want to be in America.
Doesn’t matter…..Sadly, at this stage, I doubt Ozzy even knows where he is at any time.
Dana, you’re on to something there.
I’m sure they are getting crushed by the taxes in Commie-fornia. Plus, factor in Ozzy’s medical expenses, inability to tour (make money), and Sharon ain’t got no job, LA gets pretty expensive.
So, get on your liberal high-horse and blame America. You made a gazillion-dollars here, be grateful of the opportunity this great country afforded you.
But, the real reason “I don’t want to die in America. I don’t want to be buried in f–king Forest Lawn,” is because of inheritance taxes or death tax. Sharon is very smart, business wise. She won’t let the government grab a chunk of the estate. She heard about 87,000 new IRS agents, so they’re taking their money to the UK for the “grandbabies”
Musicians have been dodging taxes since the first one ever made a buck.
Ozzy, “See You On The Other Side” (of the pond)!
Mikey,
You are so correct, I really do not like have any political discourse on this site, for obvious reasons, but I have always voiced my displeasure about non naturalized citizens disparaging, and disrespecting, their host country. Especially, when said person/persons, is profiting very richly off of that Nation.
Just imagine if an American citizen hosted a late night talk show, or were a successful actor/musician, in the UK, or South Africa, and disparaged the Queen or the government? The outrage would be swift, I am sure, and there might even be a backlash, and calls for termination.
If one does not agree with the way a country is being run, it’s simple, don’t live there, and don’t collect a paycheck. Otherwise, please keep your opinions to yourself, and worry about the ills of your homeland, of which I am sure, there are many. Just like people, there is no perfect country.
I find it especially annoying from late night talk show hosts, such as James Corden, John Oliver and Trevor Noah. At least, one of my favorite former late night talk show hosts, Craig Ferguson, became a legal US citizen. He has a “Join or Die” tattoo on his wrist, and he is smart enough to state, that even with being a citizen, he refuses to address politics in his stand up. He feels people just want to just be entertained, and what is the point of polarizing half of his audience? He’s intelligent, funny as heck, and unlike those mentioned above, respectful. I wish they would bring him back, we could all use a late night talk show host, such as himself, or Johnny Carson.
It’s time for Ozzy and Sharon to S.A.T.O. – Sail Across The Ocean!
LOL!
Dana,
My apologies for any political tinge in my rant.
I get fired up when the rich & famous, the celebrities, talk show hosts, the actors & musicians talk trash and bash America.
I totally agree with you about those late night talk show hosts, which is why I quit watching long ago.
Great info about Craig Ferguson, I also enjoyed him too.
You’re welcome about Ferguson, and I agree with you about the level of disrespect from the entertainment industry, as well as the media. It’s disgusting, and it is even worse, when the person is a guest of the country.
Aside from the high taxes, violent crime sprees, environmental mandates, and overall progressive policies of California, it makes sense that Ozzy’s heart longs for his homeland. As he once crooned, “Mama, I’m comin’ home…”
I have to agree with Ozzy on this one and say out loud that it is a great decision to move permanently to Birmingham!
If any of you have ever been to England, you would know that the people are a complete 180 degrees for the better than the people here. Every time I take a ride somewhere, I have to deal with some assholes driving here. The US is becoming a corupt s–thole with very little real leaders that care about the people and it is getting to be like the wild west with criminals not being locked up.We cant get rid of this president that appears to be very corupt with his son. Progress has stopped here! A lot of the US stars have moved out of the US already. Actually his new release sound like a great piece of music so far and his voice sounds great too. I will be buying it! But the new Candlemass is what I live and breathe for!!!