News Archives 4/16/2002 to 1/14/2003

New Best of Ozzy Album To Be Released In February (1/14/2003) OZZY OSBOURNE will be releasing a best of double cd set on February 11th. The complete track listing for "The Essential Ozzy Osbourne" is as follows: CD1 01. Crazy Train 02. Mr. Crowley 03. I Don't Know (Live) 04. Suicide Solution 05. Goodbye To Romance 06. Over The Mountain 07. Flying High Again 08. Diary Of A Madman 09. Paranoid (Live) 10. Bark At The Moon 11. You're No Different 12. Rock 'n' Roll Rebel 13. Crazy Babies 14. Miracle Man 15. Fire In The Sky 16. Breakin' All The Rules CD2: 01. Mama, I'm Coming Home 02. Desire 03. No More Tears 04. Time After Time 05. Road To Nowhere 06. I Don't Want To Change The World (Live) 07. Perry Mason 08. I Just Want You 09. Thunder Underground 10. See You On The Other Side 11. Gets Me Through 12. Dreamer 13. No Easy Way Out Click here to pre-order it!

Osbournes At The VMA's, Boone/Ozzy Duet? (1/14/2003) MTV's outrageous Osbournes singled out ex-sweethearts Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake for some laughs during the opening moments of the show. "I'm going to have to take him, Britney. He's all mine," Sharon Osbourne said as her son Jack walked into the audience to plop on Spears' lap while her daughter Kelly sat on Timberlake's lap. Spears and Timberlake, who were sitting apart, played along and laughed. The pair ended their high-profile romance last year. Rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his family, stars of the MTV reality series "The Osbournes," were hosts of the awards show, broadcast on ABC from Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium. They kept network censors busy with their plentiful use of four-letter words. Later in the show, Timberlake presented an award with Sharon Osbourne and her dog, and at Osbourne's encouragement, Timberlake bent down and kissed the pooch. The awards show reunited singer Pat Boone with his former Beverly Hills neighbors, the Osbournes. "I think the Osbournes have said I'm the best neighbor they ever had, maybe because I'm the only one that never called the police," said Boone, a presenter. "We're friends and we get along great." Boone said he approached Ozzy Osbourne at the show and asked if they could duet on one of Osbourne's songs that Boone says is his favorite. "He and Sharon both enthusiastically said yes, so there may be an Osbourne-Boone duet in the offing, I hope," Boone said. "I can't tell you what song because I'm afraid somebody will beat me to it."

Ozzy Guest's On Zakks New Album (1/13/2003) The first single from The Blessed Hellride (which hits the shelves in April), is entitled "Stillborn," and features Ozzy Osbourne on guest vocals. The song is extremely radio friendly, much more than anything that BLS has done in the past. Ozzy actually said "if this is not a hit record, you should just pack up and quit!". Ozzy also listened to the entire album and told Zakk "you are going to rule the world!" Rob Zombie is expected to direct the video for the song. (Source: www.zakkwylde.com)

Ozzy and Sharon Contact Police Over Party Thief (1/8/2003) Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne claim an uninvited guest illegally took a diamond necklace from their New Year's Eve party. They say the woman gatecrashed the casino-themed event at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where she won the necklace in a raffle. The couple have contacted police in Los Angeles over the incident, which they say has "left a very bad taste in their mouths." According to MTV.com, the ICM talent agency employee is alleged to have won a raffle that she should not have been eligible to enter. The Osbournes say they asked her to return the Asprey designed diamond necklace, which is valued at $42,000 in the police report, the following day but she refused. A statement by ICM says it "categorically denies the false and reckless charges made by Sharon Osbourne", adding the agent in question was "a close friend" of the family. ICM claims she won the raffle for the necklace in a fair manner, "without any inappropriate conduct".

Osbournes Renew Vows On New Year's Eve (1/2/2003) Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne renewed their wedding vows during a New Year's Eve party at the Beverly Hills Hotel that included hundreds of guests. The couple got married on July 4, 1982, but delayed their 20th anniversary celebration because of Sharon's battle with colon cancer. They announced their plans in November. Sharon wore a cream-colored wedding gown and diamond tiara as she was escorted down the aisle by her father, Entertainment Tonight said. The couple's youngest daughter Kelly served as flower girl. Music was provided by the 1970s group "Village People." Guests included singer Justin Timberlake (news) and Chris Rock (news), Entertainment Tonight reported.

Sharon Addresses Great Britain (12/26/2002) Sharon Osbourne, like that other matriarch, Queen Elizabeth, addressed Great Britain on Christmas Day. Osbourne's words are being called a hit, reports the BBC. The queen seems to have done all right, too. Queen Elizabeth, 76, as might have been expected, held to tradition and talked up what happened this year, including the high points (her Golden Jubilee) and the low (the deaths of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret). She thanked her loyal public for supporting her through the difficult times. Osbourne was, uh, less traditional. Speaking of her family, Osbourne, 50, said it had been a "rollercoaster year" since their MTV show, "The Osbournes," made them all a household name. She also spoke about being diagnosed with cancer and how it had been a "bittersweet" year for her family, though the ordeal did provide her with the meat of her Christmas message. "It's the one time that is so important that family are together and just give each other a big kiss," she said. Still, being an Osbourne, Sharon got in a zinger aimed at Queen Elizabeth, notes the BBC. Speaking of the monarch, Sharon observed: "She was very warm and amazingly down-to-earth, and I just told her that she had great tits, 'cause she does."

Ozzy Working On New Album? (12/26/2002) from theprp.com: Ozzy Osbourne is planning to work on a new solo album next year, a release through Epic in late 2003 is likely. Band guitarist Zakk Wylde recently laid down material set for inclusion on the effort.

Ozzy To Record Duet With Kylie Minogue (12/20/2002) Aussie songbird Kylie Minogue is to team up with an unlikely partner for a new duet. The former Neighbours actress is to sing Especially For You with maverick rocker Ozzy Osbourne after having agreed to appear on the family's reality show The Osbournes early next year. The fresh-faced pop star originally recorded the song with her Neighbours co-star Jason Donovan back in 1989. Its new outing came as a result of a suggestion from Ozzy's daughter, Kelly, who became friendly with Kylie when they toured America last month. MTV's fly-on-the-wall look at the family's shenanigans has proved an enormous hit in the US, where even President Bush has admitted to being a fan. Almost eight million of his fellow Americans tune in every week to catch a glimpse of the veteran musician's home life.

Ozzy To Shoot Pepsi Commercial (12/17/2002) OZZY OSBOURNE is expected to follow in BRITNEY SPEARS' footsteps and star in a multi-million dollar ad for cola makers PEPSI, to be aired during this season's SUPERBOWL. The veteran rocker and his dysfunctional family will film the ad for the soft drink company's new lemon-flavoured drink Pepsi Twist at their Beverly Hills mansion in Los Angeles later this week, according to reports in the US. The timing of the filming has led ad industry insiders to predict the ad or ads will be shown during the Superbowl broadcast in February. For American advertisers, the Superbowl is the most important even of the year. It is the most watched TV show in the US and TV companies charge advertisers around $2 million for a 30-second spot. Ad makers pull out all the stops for their Superbowl commercials, as the ads during breaks in play regularly attract more viewers than the game itself. Pepsi is among the biggest spenders on Superbowl ads, and for the past two years has poured at least $10 million into a series of commercials featuring Spears in a variety of revealing costumes. The Osbournes' choice as this year's Pepsi stars is seen as a seal of their place in Hollywood's pantheon of A-list stars. The second series of their fly-on-the-wall show, which began in the US three weeks ago, has been watched by more than six million viewers each week, shattering MTV rating records set by the first series.

Kelly Stokes Osbourne Vs. Corgan Feud (12/17/2002) Kelly Osbourne stoked hostilities between the Osbourne family and former Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan at the New York City area radio show, Claus Fest, in Uniondale, New York on Thursday night (December 12). Corgan and Sharon Osbourne had a tiff several years ago, after she quit as the Pumpkins manager. The feud came alive again at the Almost Acoustic Christmas in Los Angeles on December 7. At that show, Kelly's boyfriend, Bert McCracken of the Used, allegedly tried to trip Corgan, who performed with his new band Zwan. Corgan allegedly struck back by kicking McCracken in the stomach, according to sources at the Los Angeles radio station. Osbourne took verbal revenge in New York, telling the crowd from the stage that Corgan performed oral favors on the program director of the New York radio station to secure a spot on the bill. Sharon Osbourne's relationship with Corgan went sour when she dropped the Pumpkins as a client. The band filed suit against her in early 2000. At the time of the split, Sharon said in a statement: "It was with great pride and enthusiasm that I took on management of the Pumpkins back in October [1999], but unfortunately I must resign due to medical reasons...Billy Corgan was making me sick!!!" As far as the music at the 'Claus Fest, Audioslave made its triumphant return to New York after its recent live set for The Late Show With David Letterman (news - Y! TV). The festival also featured the New York debut of Corgan's Zwan, Queens Of The Stone Age, Boxcar Racer, Coldplay, Stone Sour, Kelly Osbourne, the Vines, and others. Audioslave, fronted by Chris Cornell (news) sporting blue jeans and a black wifebeater-style shirt, ripped out six songs: "Light My Way," "Set It Off," "Gasoline," "Stone," "Cochise," and "Shadow Of The Sun." Some in the crowd were disappointed with the radio-station sponsored show due to the fact that Ozzy Osbourne was on the show's bill, but only came out to introduce daughter Kelly, saying they were led to believe Ozzy was performing. There were a noticeable round of boos that greeted Ozzy's daughter, who left after three songs.

Osbournes To Renew Vows (12/4/2002) Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne plan to make New Year's Eve a quiet night with about 600 of their closest friends. The couple is renewing their wedding vows in Beverly Hills, Calif., in honor of their 20th anniversary. They got married July 4, 1982, but delayed the celebration because of Sharon's battle with colon cancer. "We'll write our own vows and have our marriage blessed again," the 50-year-old Osbourne family matriarch says in the Dec. 9 issue of People magazine. "It will be one New Year's we'll never forget." Sharon has brought MTV's cameras along for chemotherapy sessions during the second season of "The Osbournes," which began this week. Her cancer is no longer detectable in blood tests, and the chemotherapy, which had been scheduled until April, will end in February. "It's getting easier not to allow dark thoughts to enter my mind," heavy-metal-singer Ozzy tells the magazine.

Sharon To Go Head To Head With Queen Of England (12/4/2002) Sharon Osbourne usually has the field wide open when it comes to getting an audience, but this year at Christmas she faces some stiff competition. Make that rigid competition: The Queen of England. The MTV matriarch plans to go head-to-head with the monarch matriarch by delivering the alternative Christmas message to Britons on the telly, England's Channel 4 announced Wednesday. Channel 4 said Osbourne's message -- which, like the Queen's will be broadcast at 3 p.m. on Christmas Day -- will be targeted to viewers "who crave more challenging TV fare with their festive pud." ("Pud" is short for "pudding," which is what the English call dessert. They call elevators "lifts" and have a strange way of pronouncing aluminum.) Osbourne, 50, follows in the footsteps of such cult figures as the late Quentin Crisp, Doreen and Neville Lawrence and Ali G. Channel 4 provided no preview as to the theme of Sharon's message, which will be recorded later this month, but the station did say that Osbourne, 50, and the Queen, 76, both share a love of dogs and a reputation for hard work. A Channel 4 spokeswoman added: "Sharon Osbourne connects with our viewers in a way that the Queen can't. She is a real person who leads an extraordinary life."

He's Grandfather Ozzy Now (12/4/2002) Here's one Osbourne family member you won't be seeing on MTV anytime soon: Ozzy's new granddaughter. The heavy-metal patriarch became a grandpappy earlier this year, when his adult daughter from his first marriage gave birth to a baby girl, his publicist, Lisa Vega, confirmed Tuesday. Isabelle Hobbs was born three months ago to Jessica Starshine, the 29-year-old daughter of Ozzy and first wife Thelma. According to London's Sunday Mirror newspaper, Jessica lives with her husband, Ben, in London. Unlike her fuchsia-haired, pop-singing half-sister Kelly, Jessica has a much more sedate day job--as a surveyor. Jessica tells the Mirror that apart from infrequent Thanksgiving trips to the States, she hardly sees her dad and his other camera-happy family. "He's quite good at getting as much publicity for himself as he can, he doesn't need me to help him," Jessica tells the paper. She is one of two children Ozzy had with his first missus. His 27-year-old son, Louis, is a house/techno deejay based in London. Before their split, Ozzy also became the guardian of Thelma's son from her first marriage. Ozzy and Thelma ended their decade-long union in 1981, when he was heavily into drugs and booze (his addictions got him tossed out of Black Sabbath three years earlier). As recounted in the Mirror, Ozzy was so out of control during their marriage that he grabbed a shotgun and offed Thelma's 17 cats because they wouldn't let him sleep. A year after the divorce, Ozzy married Sharon, who got him cleaned up and resurrected his career, masterminding Ozzfest and the family's lucrative deal with MTV and assorted merchandisers. Together, they have three children--Aimee (who has chosen to remain MIA from The Osbournes), Kelly and Jack. They've also "adopted" family friend Robert Marcato, whose mother recently died of colon cancer, the same disease Sharon is battling. As for The Osbournes, the Emmy-winning reality sitcom's second season premiere drew 6.64 million viewers on November 26, making it the most-watched show on cable for the night. The totals were less than the 7.25 million who watched the first season finale back in May and the show's best night (7.77 million for the April 23 episode), but they're up a whopping 84 percent from the first season premiere episode in March. Aside from his granddaughter, Ozzy has another reason to celebrate: He marked his 54th birthday Tuesday.

People Magazine (12/4/2002) Osbournes are on the cover again! As the heavy-metal family returns for another season on MTV, PEOPLE goes behind the scenes to see what's changed in their lives (everything) since becoming huge stars. On newstands now!

"Scenes Were Faked" say Jack & Kelly (11/30/2002) Osbourne kids say scenes were faked. Jack and Kelly tell Good Morning America that two ''Osbournes'' sequences were staged last year. The first "reality sitcom" may not have always been real. The Osbournes first season included sequences staged by MTV, Jack and Kelly Osbourne claimed Tuesday on Good Morning America. They cited two specific moments that they said MTV had orchestrated the appearance of a dog therapist, and a dramatic family meeting that ended with Jack storming out. "The most fake thing about that show was the family meeting, because that was an MTV idea," Kelly said, according to the New York Post. "I put that in my contract [for the new season] - I would not do anything like that f---ing dog therapist." But both MTV and a spokesperson for Ozzy and Sharon denied that scenes had been staged. "Nothing is ever scripted or planned on the Osbournes," an MTV spokesperson told ABC. And an Osbourne family spokesperson told the Post: "Ozzy and Sharon would not have done it unless it were all real." Sounds like it's time for another family meeting.

Ozzy & Sharon To Renew Marriage Vows (11/30/2002) Ozzy and Sharon will renew their marriage vows on New Years Eve.

Ozzy To Record Cover Album? (11/30/2002) From http://melodicrock.com/: there are plans for Ozzy Osbourne to record an album of cover versions. No word on what the songs covered will be, but recording could start as early as next month!

Osbournes Return For Second Season (11/27/2002) "The Osbournes" becomes a reality show in the bleakest sense this season, as Ozzy and the kids cope with matriarch Sharon Osbourne's colon cancer. Yet as the second batch of episodes begins Tuesday in the United States, MTV also is trying to maintain the wackiness that made the series the network's biggest hit. The heavy-metal rocker, his wife and two of their three children are very different people than they were when they opened their home to us a year ago and opened the floodgates to a slew of copycats. They still spew plenty of profanities for the censors to bleep out. And Ozzy still shuffles around the house rambling incoherently about that tricky remote control. But the Osbournes are no longer just a cuddly dysfunctional family: They're a multimedia empire, with everything from books to bobblehead dolls. The change is obvious in the first episode. Ozzy and Sharon fly to Washington for the annual White House Correspondents' dinner, where they're the guests of Fox News Channel's Greta van Susteren. (Ozzy even gets a shout-out from President George W. Bush.) Back home, 17-year-old son Jack turns the hose on fans who lurk on the Osbournes' front lawn, longing for a peek at the now-famous family and their ever-growing menagerie of dogs and cats. And daughter Kelly, 18, rehearses for the MTV Movie Awards, where she'll perform her cover of Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach," the first single off her new album, which also comes out Tuesday. "Things are kind of like so good right now," Sharon says as the episode ends, adding prophetically: "Everything is really great for us, that I think something's going to come and like, you know, knock us on the chin." That something comes at the start of episode two: Sharon's diagnosis of colon cancer. The 50-year-old is characteristically practical in discussing the disease, and even invites MTV's cameras along for her first chemotherapy treatment. But the show's tone and the rest of the family change irrevocably. Ozzy alternates between boozing heavily and practicing yoga backstage during the Ozzfest tour, which Sharon invented. After a series of phone calls, he eventually collapses emotionally. "I'm worried about him," Sharon says. "I don't know how he's going to last." Ozzy admits, "My heart was breaking every night on stage." But then the action goes back to Jack, surfing in Malibu with guys from the rock band Incubus and fracturing his elbow when he tries to show off by leaping from a pier. The juxtaposition may seem awkward, but the show's producers have little choice but to document everything that happens in these people's lives if they're going to create authentic reality television. "The heart and soul will continue to be this extraordinary family set in ordinary situations," said Lois Curren, MTV executive vice president of series and movie development, who helped plan "The Osbournes" from the beginning. "It's all about their incredible love and respect for each other and protection for each other, and also the fact that they deal with situations so bravely and yet so magnificently absurdly," Curren said. "It's still a comedy." Twenty episodes are planned for the second season, which is still being shot. Ten will air now, with the other 10 scheduled for 2003. Despite the Osbournes' ubiquity, the world won't grow tired of them, says University of Florida professor James B. Twitchell, whose books on modern pop phenomena include "Carnival Culture." He admits he's as "addicted as anyone." "This is not normal shame TV," he said. "Most of the modern reality TV is watching people do things that are shameful. This isn't. This is not a dysfunctional family. ... This is a family that has had to make its own way." Twitchell compared "The Osbournes" to "An American Family," the 1973 PBS series that chronicled the daily activities of the Loud family. "People kept saying, 'Well, we're going to get enough of this.' Some people like myself never got enough. "There's a lot more to go because there's a lot more in this family," he said of the Osbournes. "We're getting an incredible dose of them but they're as interesting in the 15th episode as they are in the first."

Upcoming TV Appearances (11/23/2002) Saturday 11/23 - Mad TV (Kelly - maybe Ozzy?) 11:00 PM Fox Monday 11/25 - Good Morning America (7:00-9:00 AM) ABC Monday 11/25 - TRL (Kelly - maybe Ozzy?) (3:30-4:30) MTV Monday 11/25 - Intimate Portrait (7:00-8:00 PM) Lifetime Tuesday 11/26 - The Osbournes, Season 2, Episode 1 (10:30-11:00 PM) MTV Thursday 11/28 - Jay Leno Repeat (Wednesday Night! 2:00-3:00 AM) NBC Saturday 11/30 - People In The News (11:00 AM) CNN

Ozzy To Appear At K-Rock "Clause-Fest" (11/14/2002) K-Rock's Claus-Fest 2002 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York Thursday, December 12 Starring: OZZY & KELLY OSBOURNE, Audioslave, Coldplay, The Vines, Queens of the Stone Age, Zwan with Billy Corgan, Box Car Racer, Jimmy Fallon and band, Stone Sour, New Found Glory, and Taproot.

Sharon Osbourne Gets Talk Show Deal (11/9/2002) They can call it "Shaaaaarrron!" Sharon Osbourne, whose name her husband rocker Ozzy Osbourne loves to shout on their hit MTV reality series "The Osbournes," has made a deal to host a talk show. Osbourne and Telepictures Prods. -- which also is developing a talker with Ellen DeGeneres (news) for next year -- have pacted to mount a single-issue show with an eye toward a debut in syndication during the fall of 2003. While Osbourne's popularity has soared since the MTV series debuted in March, the move is somewhat surprising, considering the fact that she told Barbara Walters this week that if the family were to do it over again, they "wouldn't have done the (MTV) show." Osbourne is battling colon cancer and expects to be in chemotherapy through March. It's a treatment she last month told Daily Variety makes her "tired" and is "draining." While the rigors of a daily talk show are demanding, they don't necessarily require cameras in the home, in the way the reality series does. Osbourne told Walters that shooting the MTV series has meant her privacy becoming compromised as she dealt with the effects of chemo, which include nausea and vomiting. Syndicators are generally always on the hunt for potential talk hosts who relate to the increasingly difficult-to-capture daytime audience. With the success of "Dr. Phil" this season, the syndication business has become particularly enthusiastic about the potential of talk in daytime.

Sharon Osbourne to Call It Quits? (11/9/2002) If she had to do it over again, Sharon Osbourne says she wouldn't have invited MTV's cameras into her home. The cancer-stricken matriarch of television's favorite dysfunctional family told ABC's Barbara Walters that she's calling it quits after an upcoming, 10-episode season is through. "This is definitely the last year," Osbourne said in an interview that will be broadcast on "20/20" Wednesday. "We can't do it anymore." MTV's second season of "The Osbournes" begins Nov. 26. The first set of episodes drew record ratings for the network this spring and made aging heavy-metal star Ozzy Osbourne and his family household names. Sharon Osbourne, who is fighting colon cancer, said the show has "changed us all so much." Her teenage children now have lawyers and business managers, she said. "Because it's a moment in time, when we were innocent to it all, we went in feet first and you can't recreate that," she said. "Yes, now, this series, people will see what the first series has done to our lives and it will take people to the next stage. But after that, it's over." There was no immediate comment from MTV, which was airing a special, "Catching Up with the Osbournes," on Monday. The family hasn't exactly shunned the spotlight. ABC said Monday that Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack Osbourne will be hosts of the American Music Awards on Jan. 13. Daughter Kelly has recorded her own CD that's due out soon. Sharon said Ozzy has begun drinking again in response to her cancer. "We agreed to do the show and so the cameras are here all the time," she said. "So it's a little bit invasive right now and we have no privacy. You know when you're sick, you want to be on your own? I can't throw up on my own and Ozzy can't get drunk on his own." Two of the Osbourne children, Kelly and Jack, participate in the series. An older daughter, Aimee, did not. She told Walters that she worries about what will happen to her father if anything should happen to Sharon. "I don't think he even wants to know what life will be like without her," Aimee Osbourne said. "And I don't think he would last more than a year without her." At the conclusion of the show, Sharon took back her words about "calling it quits" and said that there will be 2 more seasons of "The Osbournes".

Star-Studded Hearing Conservation Film Completed (11/9/2002) "Listen Smart" Set For School Distribution - The Hearing Aid Music Foundation has announced the completion of a 15-minute educational film entitled "Listen Smart - Safely Handling The Power of Sound". The film was designed to create awareness about noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), and to encourage safer practices in consuming high decibel sound. The film, along with a teacher's aid booklet, is being distributed by Human Relations Media, to school districts throughout the U.S. and Canada, and other English-speaking countries around the world. The film features numerous recording artists, music and sound professionals, as well as prominent audiologists and medical experts in hearing loss. Artists involved in conveying their experience and advice on hearing conservation include Moby, Ozzy Osbourne, Brad Delson from Linkin Park, Wyclef Jean, Lars Ulrich of Metallica, Cyndi Lauper, Evan Seinfeld of Biohazard and HBO's "Oz," Darren Hayes from Savage Garden, Deborah Harry of Blondie, producer Matthew Wilder, Tracy Bonham and entertainment impresario Russell Simmons. The film offers an introduction to information about hearing and the increased trend in noise-induced hearing loss. It provides advice on hearing protection and methods of safely consuming music. The diverse group of recording artists provides their own experience, advice, and views on the power of sound in their professional lives. For further information, please contact: Dan Beck President and Cofounder Hearing Aid Music Foundation 265 Morris Avenue Rockville Centre, NY 11570 516-764-0724 516-764-0778 fax hearingmusic@aol.com www.hearingaidmusic.com For the official release, check out: http://www.takeoutmarketing.com/pr/hearing_aid.htm

The Osbournes, Season 1, Coming On DVD (11/9/2002) A box set of The Osbournes, season 1 originally planned for a holiday release, will finally hit stores on March 4th, 2003. It will be distributed byBuena Vista Home Entertainment. Expect four bonus episodes and a drinking game!

Ozzy Osbourne Breaks Down Over Sharon's Cancer (11/9/2002) Ozzy Osbourne has broken down in tears during an interview on US TV after being questioned about wife Sharon's colon cancer. The rock star became tearful when chat show host Barbara Walters asked what Sharon meant to him. Viewers will see her fight against cancer as part of the new series of The Osbournes. "She's the greatest love I've ever had in my life. She's my pillar of strength and hope," Ozzy said. He added: "I'm absolutely horrified. It's the worst thing that could ever happen." Daughter Kelly added that she feared for the family if her mother died. She said: "It would fall apart. We couldn't go on without her. Out of everyone in my whole life, if I ever lost my mother, I think I'd kill myself. I couldn't live without her."

Sharon Osbourne: 'I Love My MTV' (11/9/2002) Sharon Osbourne, mother of the famous Osbourne family, has denied reports they are to quit their MTV reality show, 'The Osbournes'. During an interview on US show '20/20', Sharon admitted that she had found the MTV cameras intrusive as she battled with colon cancer. She said: "We agreed to do the show and so the cameras are here all the time. So it's a little bit invasive right now, and we have no privacy. You know when you're sick, you want to be on your own? I can't throw up on my own, and Ozzy can't get drunk on his own." But Sharon has since spoken out to reassure fans that 'The Osbournes' will be around for a long time to come. "I have every intention of fulfilling our commitment to MTV for a full 20 episodes. I love my MTV." The show's second season premieres on MTV USA on November 26. It will hit UK screens in January 2003.

The Osbournes - Season 2 Premier (10/30/2002) The Osbournes - Season 2 is set to premier November 26th on MTV.

Ozzy Osbourne Feature Film in the Works? (10/30/2002) The Hollywood Reporter says Ozzy Osbourne is close to signing a deal with a major studio for a biopic about his wild life and times, according to his wife, Sharon Osbourne. Asked whether she could see her successful MTV series "The Osbournes" make the leap to the big screen, Ms. Osbourne said, "I wouldn't want to do a comedy film because we're working on Ozzy's life-story film right now," she said. "We haven't signed the deal, but we're really close to closing the deal." Osbourne would not reveal which studio she is negotiating with, but did disclose one of the film's scriptwriters is herself. "I'm doing a lot of it," she said. "Osbournes" fans hoping the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness will star as himself will be disappointed. "He wouldn't be in it himself," she said, but named the person atop her wish list of thespians who might portray her husband: Johnny Depp. The new 10-episode season of the MTV series has been scheduled to premiere on November 26. In advance of the season premiere, MTV will air a 30-minute special on Nov. 4 at 10 p.m. that will allow viewers to catch up with the Osbourne family. Among the highlights will be footage of Ozzy's encounter with Queen Elizabeth of England and clips of daughter Kelly's burgeoning music career.

Las Vegas Show Review 10/25/02 (10/28/2002) Line up: Ozzy, Zakk, Robert Trujillo, Mike Bordin, John Sinclair Set list: I Don't Know Mr. Crowely War Pigs Gets Me Through No More Tears Crazy Train Iron Man I Dont Want To Change the World Flying High Again Goodbye To Romance Suicide Solution (solo) Bark at the Moon Mama I'm Coming Home Paranoid Some highlights: 1. Sharon and the kids were at the show. Ozzy said it was Sharons first show since the surgery. 2. Ozzy pulled slots for about 15 minutes while they filmed him. 3. Ozzy almost broke out in tears while singing Goodbye To Romance. 4. Ozzy did alot of joking and clowning around with the crowd 5. Ozzy signed a guys program during one of Zaks solo's. 6. Ozzy's voice was drowned out by Zakks loud guitar. Thank you Scott Taylor!

Iommi Holding Out Hope For New Sabbath Album (10/28/2002) Although Rhino is nearing the release of the first instalment in a multi-year Black Sabbath reissue program, the band's next studio album- the first to feature its classic line-up of Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Bill Ward (drums), and Geezer Butler (bass) since 1978's "Never Say Die!"-looks certain to remain on the back burner for quite a while. Iommi tells Billboard.com the band has come up with about six songs, none of which have been formally recorded. "The tracks were good; actually, I thought, very good," he said. "But we didn't get as far as actually recording them; we demoed them." None of the songs have formal titles yet. The project, which was to (and may still) be helmed by Rick Rubin, was delayed so that Osbourne could finish and tour in support of his most recent Epic solo effort, last year's "Down to Earth." Then came the launch and ensuing massive popularity of "The Osbournes," followed by this past summer's Ozzfest, headlined by Osbourne. "Things just get pushed back," says Iommi. On the future of the project, the guitarist says with a laugh, "You never know with this band. You can never say 'yes' or 'no.' It could turn up in another 20 years somewhere [laughs]. We're just sort of gonna see what happens. But we have got some really good tracks there. Rick liked them." Early last year, prior to the premiere of "The Osbournes," Osbourne told Billboard that he's very much interested in following through on what he and his bandmates started. "It's worth a shot," he said. Regardless, he beamed, "I'm really happy that I'm on friendly terms with Tony." On Oct. 22, Rhino issues the two-disc "Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black Sabbath (1970-1978)," a long-overdue survey of Sabbath's best material. The set is the first deluxe Sabbath best-of to be released in the U.S., and features remastered versions of such influential metal anthems as "War Pigs" and "Paranoid." Over the next two years, the revered catalogue label will issue a Sabbath boxed set, followed by "upgrades" of each classic album, according to VP of A&R David McLees. The recent "Past Lives" concert collection was issued by Sanctuary and is not affiliated with the Rhino releases. In the meantime, Iommi is working on ideas for his next solo album, on which Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo will contribute lead vocals. Anselmo and Iommi are to formally begin work on the project in January in England. Iommi says he and Anselmo plan to tour to support the set.

Ozzy Song In Soon To Be Released Video Game (10/10/2002) "Grand Theft Auto - Vice City" for Playstation 2 will have over 9 hours of licensed music on 7 different types of radio stations. Ozzy has been confirmed to have 1 song on the rock station. The song will be Bark At The Moon. More info on gtavice.com, vicecityradio.com, and rockstargames.com.

Special Ozzy Concert (10/10/2002) Ozzy will be doing a special concert on 10/25/2002 for 1600 people at Rain In The Desert @ The Palms Casino, Las Vegas, NV Casino chips will be issued to honor the legendary Rock Icon. $5, $25, and $100 chips will be released to the gaming tables and from the casino cage on Oct 25 at 10:00AM. For further information on the chips contact Gene Trimble at gene.trimble@palms.com

Ozzy On Peoples "Most Powerful" List (10/10/2002) NEW YORK (AP) - Relax, moguls. Ozzy Osbourne is not about to take over your jobs. Osbourne, dapper in a pinstriped suit, stares from the cover of Entertainment Weekly's annual list of the 100 most powerful people in entertainment, which he and his wife, Sharon, made for the first time. But others wield more clout. For the first time in 13 years, the magazine split its annual list in two, with separate lists for stars and power brokers. Actor Tom Hanks topped one; the HBO executive team of Jeff Bewkes and Chris Albrecht led the other. Of Hanks, the magazine said, "you trust this man completely." The two-time Oscar winner's dark role in "Road to Perdition" won critical kudos and was his seventh straight movie to gross more than $100 million. Hanks also took the advice of his wife, actress Rita Wilson, and produced "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," the year's surprise movie hit. Bewkes, who was recently promoted to a bigger job at HBO parent AOL Time Warner, and Albrecht were credited for establishing critical and popular successes like "The Sopranos" and "Sex and the City". "Bewkes and Albrecht have transformed a network of programming into a nexus of generation-defining pop culture, and their rivals are paying a lot more than $11.95 a month for it," the magazine said. Rounding out the moguls' top five are John Calley & Amy Pascal, heads of the allied Sony and Columbia film studios; CBS president Leslie Moonves; Kaz Hirai, head of Sony's U.S. video game unit; and Barry Meyer & Alan Horn, heads of the Warner Brothers film studio. Following Hanks on the star list are filmmaker Steven Spielberg and actors Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts. Reality TV's Osbournes were ranked No. 37.

Lost Song With Ozzy On Harmonica (10/10/2002) Just got my copy of "Ozzy Osbourne - Rock Detector" written by Garry Sharpe-Young. (www.rockdetector.com) Very cool book written about all of the musicians who ever worked with Ozzy. Some really cool shit in here that I've never even heard of. It's nothing like your normal Ozzy book with drunken rages, overdosing, crapping on elevators, etc... this book gets down to the true nitty gritty about the music and the people that made it. Anyway, in the back of the book they have this huge discography...and when I say huge, I mean huge. This sucker starts on page 199 and ends on 352. Not only do they list every single "single" that was ever released with the correct label numbers, they list every friggin album and compilation work done by every artist who ever worked with Ozzy. It's insane. So, long stort short, check this out... listed under Ozzy: Quartz - "Stoking The Fires of Hell" / "Circles", MCA 642 (1980) Recorded in 1977 when Tony Iommi was producing the debut album for Birmingham Heavy Metal Band Quartz. Not only did Iommi produce the track "Circles" but Queen guitarist Brian May contributed guitar parts and Ozzy played harmonica. Inexplicably the song was left off of the album, possibly for contractual reasons, only surfacing as the B-side to the 1980 single "Stoking The Fires of Hell". Quartz guitarist Geoff Nichols would later join Black Sabbath as a bassist then as long term keyboard player. Ok... so here's my question... who's got a copy of this??????? Has anyone ever heard of this?

Daisley/Kerslake File Appeal (9/20/2002) Lawyers for former Ozzy Osbourne band members Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake have filed an appeal in Los Angeles of a judge's Aug. 16 ruling that threw their royalties case against the rocker out of court. Daisley and Kerslake are suing for $20 million in back royalties, and first launched the suit back in March of 2000. In her August ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Christina A. Snyder ruled the two musicians failed to prove their case in addition to the fact that the statute of limitations had run out.

Osbourne Family To Appear On Emmy's (9/20/2002) Don't miss this Sunday's NBC broadcast of the Emmy Awards at 8pm EDT/PDT. The Osbournes will be making a special appearance on the program (hint: don't miss the opening) as well as presenting an award. Last Saturday Sharon and Kelly were on hand for the Creative Arts Emmys, the non-broadcast portion of the awards given out for technical achievements and the like, to accept the award for Best Reality Series.

The Osbournes' Win Emmy for Best Reality Show (9/15/2002) LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "The Osbournes," the hit expletive filled MTV show about rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his family, won an Emmy on Saturday night for best "reality series." The series was named the year's outstanding nonfiction reality program at the Creative Arts Emmys, which are mainly awards for technical achievements given out eight days in advance of the main Emmy awards, which are handed out on Sept. 22. Osbourne's wife Sharon, one of the show's producers as well as one of its stars, accepted the award on behalf of her husband, saying, "Ozzy I love you." Sharon Osbourne, who is recovering from colon cancer, was accompanied to the show by her teen-age daughter Kelly. Ozzy Osbourne was not in attendance. NBC's presentation of the opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City won six awards for technical work, the most of any program during the evening. It was followed by HBO's "Six Feet Under," which took five awards. Although the main acting awards are not given out until Sept. 22, a handful of minor awards were presented at the Creative Arts Emmys, which is sponsored by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Sabbath Back On Rock Hall Ballot (9/11/2002) The Clash, the Police, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Chic, ABBA, and Elvis Costello & the Attractions are among the 15 artists that appear on the ballot for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2003. Other acts on the ballot are southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd, the MC5, electronic pioneers Kraftwerk, and punk instigators the Sex Pistols; as well as the Patti Smith Group, the Righteous Brothers, Steve Winwood, and the Dells. Skynyrd, AC/DC, the Dells, and the Sex Pistols have appeared on ballots one or more times before. In order to qualify, an act must have made its recording debut at least 25 years before the 2003 induction year, meaning 1978 or earlier. Next year will mark the 18th annual Rock Hall Of Fame Induction. One disgruntled nominee may be Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne. The metal band appears on the ballot for a sixth time, despite a letter from Osbourne two years ago requesting the band not be included. The 2003 class is expected to be named in December, followed by a spring ceremony with the usual guest-star filled performances next year in New York City.

Sharon Rushed To Hospital (9/2/2002) Rocker Ozzy Osbourne's wife and manager Sharon was rushed to hospital on Friday after suffering from the side effects of chemotherapy. Osbourne, who is now a star in her own right after the success of reality TV series The Osbournes, which follows the exploits of her wacky family, has been fighting colon cancer since July. And when the former Black Sabbath frontman came home from his Ozzfest tour and saw how thin his wife was, he called an ambulance. A spokesperson for the family confirms that Sharon was treated for dehydration, a common side effect associated with the draining treatment. The rep added Sharon was progressing well and her condition was not serious. However, the episode will have rocked Ozzy, who has admitted he is finding it difficult to cope with his wife's condition.

Sharon Rushed To Hospital For Severe Dehydration (9/2/2002) The fight against cancer may not be going so well for Sharon Osbourne. Ozzy's wife/manager was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles Aug. 23. A source told US weekly that Sharon, 49, who has been undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer, "lost about 20 pounds in two weeks and is white as a sheet." When Ozzy saw Sharon that day, he called an ambulance. At the hospital, Sharon was given an intravenous drip because she was suffering from "severe dehydration. Unfortunately, they've had to do this more than once," says the source. Sharon returned to the hospital Monday.

Osbourne Lawsuit Dismissed, But Not Over Yet (8/28/2002) A lawsuit against Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne may have been dismissed, but the former bandmembers who filed the case say it will go on. Bob Daisley, bassist and songwriter on the first two Osbourne solo albums (1980's Blizzard Of Ozz and 1981's Diary Of A Madman), released this statement concerning the court's decision: "Obviously, this is a disappointing ruling, but it's not over yet. This case has merit--Lee and I have been struggling for two decades just to receive the correct royalties and credit that's due us--and we are confident that we will prevail in the end." For some 20 years Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake have been involved in litigation with the Osbournes regarding royalties and proper credits on the albums. The court recently dismissed a suit first filed in 1998 after earlier this year setting a trial date for February 2003. Regarding the upcoming trial and what will happen now, Daisley told Australia's Undercover website (undercover.com.au), "I don't know what's going to happen now. I guess we'll have to wait and see what is going to happen over the next six months with our comeback on this situation."

Ozzy Issues Legal Threat; Demands FOX News Pull Interview Set To Air (8/22/2002) MTV starrocker John Michael Osbourne [p/k/a Ozzy Osbourne] has issued a dramatic legal threat trying to block an interview set for air on FOX NEWS tonight and tomorrow, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned, claiming the network conducted the interview with Osbourne under "false" pretenses! Osbourne's Fifth Avenue lawyers have fired off a legal warning to FOX -- claiming the network will be held to "substantial liability and damages" if the interview airs. Osbourne claims he agreed to sit with FOX host Greta Van Susteren based on the "representation that the interview was to be used, together with interviews by FOX of other public figures, solely in connection with a television show commemorating the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death." Osbourne says he "never granted FOX permission to use the interview in any other manner and certainly did not authorize FOX to use it in segments or shows profiling him or his family, as an 'Exclusive.'" The rocker's lawyers warned: "This interview was conducted under false pretenses, in violation of our clients' legal rights and contrary to established journalistic standards, and is being falsely advertised." A network source told DRUDGE late Thursday: "This claim is without merit. We plan on running the interview in its entirety tomorrow night on FOX NEWS CHANNEL's On The Record with Greta Van Susteren." In the interview Ozzy Osbourne talks little of Elvis, network sources say, rather he tells Greta how he's cried, prayed and feared for the future since his wife, Sharon, was diagnosed with colon cancer. "I'm falling apart more than she is, and people say to me, 'Ozzy, you've got to be strong for Sharon.' And I'm not Superman, you know," Ozzy tells GRETA. Industry sources suggest Ozzy took the dramatic legal move to block the interview after realizing the Osbournes are committed to an upcoming exclusive promised to ABC's Barbara Walters. Ozzy is now asking for "injunctive relief" against FOX -- or warns he will demand "compensatory and punitive damages."

Ozzy Weeps (8/22/2002) Rocker Ozzy Osbourne tells Fox News Channel's Greta Van Susteren that he has been crying constantly since he found out about wife Sharon's colon cancer. In his first interview since the announcement of her illness, he says that he feared something bad would happen to offset the raging success of their MTV reality show The Osbournes. Ozzy who abandoned his headliner position on Ozzfest for several dates, to be by Sharon's side, talks about how he was so worried about Sharon and crying continuously that he drove her crazy and she finally told him to go back out on tour. The Black Sabbath frontman says his heart isn't in his performances though, stating that his "spirit's dead.'' Sharon Osbourne is underwent her third chemotherapy treatment last week.

Osbourne Lawsuit Dismissed (8/22/2002) The lawsuit against Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne brought by Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake has been dismissed by the federal court in Los Angeles. In a ruling issued on August 16, 2002, the court rejected the plaintiffs' claims for record royalties and additional credits on the classic Ozzy albums Blizzard of Oz and Diary of A Madman. The ruling ends the lawsuit first filed in 1998. Ozzy and Sharon stated: "This decision recognizes what we have been saying all along: Bob and Lee's lawsuit was vicious and frivolous. It is truly sad that they felt the need to try to strip Ozzy of his credibility as a songwriter and performer. We pity them because the only real success they ever had was when they were session players for Ozzy 22 years ago. Our family feels vindicated that this nightmare has finally come to an end. We are thankful to our legal team and the United States Justice system for ruling fairly on this case." The Osbourne's lawyer, Orin Snyder of the firm Parcher Hayes & Snyder, stated: "The court's ruling vindicates Ozzy and Sharon 100 percent. It confirms that this 4-year-old case is completely worthless."

Don Arden Shopping Tell-All Book (8/21/2002) Don Arden, the music mogul father of Sharon Osbourne, is hoping to cash in on the success of the Osbournes' MTV show, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. While his daughter wages a fight against colon cancer, he's shopping a tell-all book about her and himself. Us weekly says that Arden's memoir, Mr. Big, describes him giving his daughter management of Ozzy Osbourne as a wedding present. When he and Sharon fought -- over money, of course -- he says she tried to run him over in her car. ``Estranged for 20 years, they patched things up after September 11,'' the magazine reports.

Ozzy TV Interview (8/21/2002) Ozzy will be doing his first interview since Sharon's illness this Thursday at 9:00pm on "The Pulse," which airs on FOX. The interview will conclude on Friday at 10:00pm on FOX News Channel's "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren."

Daisley/Kerslake Case Thrown Out Of Court (8/19/2002) I spoke with Ozzy's camp today. I was informed that the Daisley/Kerslake Case was thrown out of court today. Bassist Daisley and drummer Kerslake, who recorded 1980's Blizzard Of Ozz and 1981's Diary Of A Madman, were suing the Osbournes for 20 years regarding royalties and proper credits on the two albums.

Update On Ultimate Sin, Other Re-issues (8/19/2002) Also found this out while speaking with Ozzy's camp today... there will be no other albums re-issued. The Ulitmate Sin, Speak of the Devil, Just Say Ozzy and Live & Loud have been deleted from Ozzy's catalogue.

Tommy Lee Added To Ozzfest Bill (8/19/2002) Beginning in Denver Tommy Lee joins Ozzfest for the remainder of the tour.

'The Osbournes' to Take in Boy Whose Mother Died (8/14/2002) A new addition to British rocker Ozzy Osbourne's family may give America even more to love about "The Osbournes," the hit reality TV show detailing the chaotic lives of Ozzy, his wife and two teen-age children. Sharon Osbourne, the heavy metal rocker's wife, plans to take in a boy who recently lost his mother to colon cancer, her publicist confirmed on Wednesday. Sharon, 49, herself underwent surgery for colon cancer last month and recently began chemotherapy treatment. The New York Post reported earlier that the Osbournes would take Robert Marcato, a close friend of the couple's daughters, under their wing and into their show after his mother died last week. Once Marcato settles into the family, he will become part of the show as "Baby Osbourne" even though he is 18, the newspaper reported.

Drowning Pool Frontman Found Dead (8/14/2002) Manassas, Virginia --- Drowning Pool singer Dave Williams was found dead on the band's tour bus August 14th, 2002. The quartet from Dallas, Texas has been performing as one of the main stage attractions on Ozzfest. The cause of death has yet to be determined. Williams was thirty years-old.

Sharon Moves To Malibu (8/14/2002) London's Sun newspaper reports that Sharon, 50, has moved into a pricey Malibu beach house to recuperate from her treatment, because she was worried that fans flocking to their Beverly Hills mansion might pose a nuisance.

Jack Osbourne on 'Dawson's Creek' (8/14/2002) Jack Osbourne, the son of rocker Ozzy Osbourne and one of the stars of MTV's hit "The Osbournes," will film a cameo Friday for the more clean cut "Dawson's Creek." The 16-year-old will be at Duke University to film the spot. Duke is the site of the fictional Worthington College, where actress Katie Holmes' character, Joey, attends school. The show is based in Wilmington, but this will be the second year that it will film four or five times at Duke. MTV and the entertainment news show "Access Hollywood" plan to send crews to cover Osbourne's cameo. He'll appear in the two-hour Oct. 2 premiere of the WB series' sixth season.

Osbournes Facing Second Suit (8/7/2002) The upcoming second season of MTV's hit reality series "The Osbournes" might well be set in the courtroom. A second lawsuit in as many weeks has been filed against America's newest favorite dysfunctional TV family in regards to their hit show. MTV and the cable network's owner, Viacom, also are named in the breach-of-contract suit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court by entertainment network Threshold.tv (formerly Threshold.com). The complaint claims that the Osbournes' deal with MTV violates an intellectual property rights agreement between Threshold and Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne's company Monowise in December 2000. It asks that Threshold, headed by Larry Kasanoff, be declared the owner of MTV's series "and all derivatives therefrom" and asks for unspecified damages. Los Angeles-based producer Gary Binkow filed a lawsuit against the Osbournes late last month, claiming that they stole his idea for their MTV series. According to the new suit, the 2000 agreement between Threshold and the Osbournes, signed for a term of three years and 90 days, gives Threshold, among other things, exclusive rights to Ozzy Osbourne's "name, likeness, image, identity, persona, trademarks and right of publicity" for "live-action and animated programs ... or other offline works, as well as the right to make sequels, remakes, spinoffs and derivative works of any such works." The complaint also quotes parts of the agreement stating that "all creative and business decisions for such projects shall be subject to the mutual agreement" of both sides with the revenue from them being "equally divided" between them. Threshold claims that the idea for a show "focusing on the attractive aspects of Osbourne family life and placing cameras in the Osbourne house" was pitched to the Osbournes as early as January 2000. Threshold alleges that after signing the December 2000 deal, "Threshold described to Monowise and Sharon Osbourne the live-action family-based TV show that later became the MTV hit." The lawsuit claims that MTV and parent Viacom were aware of the Osbournes' agreement with Threshold but signed the deal with the rocker and his wife anyway. MTV declined comment on the suit late Tuesday.

Kelly Osbourne Says Album Will Be 'Punky' (8/7/2002) Kelly Osbourne is completing work on her first album with producer Ric Wake. "I don't really know because I don't like talking about myself, [but] I know that's amazing and I sound wonderful," she said. "It's just me, myself and Ric Wake writing everything. It's very punky." Osbourne explained that the album, due this fall, will feature all original material except for her cover of Madonna's 1986 hit "Papa Don't Preach." The fledgling teen actress and singer also said that her mother Sharon Osbourne is doing well following her first chemotherapy treatments for cancer. "She's done a complete 360," she said. "She's almost perfect." Osbourne also added that father Ozzy Osbourne's return to OzzFest is the right thing for him to do. "He just figured he'd be better off going out and working than staying home and worrying about her," she said.

Osbourne's Receive Teen Choice Award (8/7/2002) MTV's documentary series about rocker Ozzy Osbourne's family received a Teen Choice Award for best TV reality show.

Miner Credits Ozzy for Saving Him (8/7/2002) PITTSBURGH (AP) - A miner from Somerset County, Pa., is crediting Ozzy Osbourne with saving him from harm. Roger Shaffer was supposed to be with the nine miners who hit an abandoned mine shaft and spent more than three days in a flooded coal mine 240 feet underground. Instead, Shaffer took the day off to go to Ozzfest in Pittsburgh. Ozzfest wasn't even supposed to stop in Pittsburgh that day, but it had been rescheduled because of Sharon Osbourne's cancer surgery. Shaffer says he didn't find out what happened to his crew mates until after the show. He went to the site of the accident but couldn't get in, so he sat glued to his TV until they were brought out safely. Shaffer says he has to thank Ozzy and his family because "if the events if their life weren't going on, my events would have been a lot different."

Former Ozzy Bassist Discusses His Lawsuit (8/7/2002) Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne are scheduled to go to trial early next year in their long-running dispute with former bandmembers Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake. Bassist Daisley and drummer Kerslake, who recorded 1980's Blizzard Of Ozz and 1981's Diary Of A Madman, have been suing the Osbournes for 20 years regarding royalties and proper credits on the two albums, and the case has been ordered to trial in Los Angeles on February 18, 2003. The trial will only deal with the issue of performance royalties the dispute over publishing royalties has been sent to arbitration, while the claims of being improperly credited on the albums have been dismissed, although that decision is up for review. Daisley explained to LAUNCH how things got to this point. "Lee Kerslake and myself were fired after recording the Diary Of A Madman album. During 1980 and the beginning of 1981, contracts were drawn up and went backwards and forwards from our lawyers to their lawyers. We were told to keep working, that it would be eventually all sorted out. The contracts were actually physical, but not actually signed. And then when we got fired, we brought up the situation of royalties, and they just said, 'Oh, well. End of story--you're out of the band. Off you go.'" The Osbournes removed the playing of Daisley and Kerslake from the recent reissues of Blizzard Of Ozz and Diary Of A Madman, replacing the original recordings with tracks from Ozzy's current bassist and drummer.

New Album - Ozzfest Live Details (8/7/2002) Ozzy Osbsourne, System of a Down and Rob Zombie are among the Ozzfest acts who will appear on Ozzfest Live 2002, due September 3rd. Main-stagers and second-stagers alike join forces on the album, which features Osbourne's take on his former band Black Sabbath's "War Pigs," as well as System's "Needles" and Zombie's "More Human Than Human." Other artists include P.O.D. ("Outkast"), Adema ("Freaking Out") and Andrew W.K. singing along with none other than Kelly Osbourne on "She Is Beautiful." The fifth installment of the Ozzfest series, the enhanced disc will feature exclusive backstage footage, live performances and interviews. Ozzfest 2002 track listing: "War Pigs," Ozzy Osbourne "Needles," System of a Down "More Human Than Human," Rob Zombie "Outkast," P.O.D. "Creeping Death," Drowning Pool "Freaking Out," Adema "Berzerkers," Black Label Society "Ghosts Along the Mississippi," Down "A Call for Blood," Hatebreed "New Millenium Cyanide Christ," Meshuggah "Halo," Soil (with Zakk Wylde) "Payback," Flaw "All Lies," 3rd Strike "Glass Door Pulse," Ultra "Liar," Ill Nino "She Is Beautiful," Andrew W.K. with Kelly Osbourne

Kelly Osbourne Gets 'Freaky' (8/1/2002) If you can't get enough of The Osbournes, you're in luck: Kelly Osbourne, the foul-mouthed, pink-haired, cherubic daughter of Ozzy Osbourne has landed a movie gig. Kelly Osbourne--who can be seen in theaters now in a cameo in Austin Powers In Goldmember--will play the best friend of the main character in the new Disney movie Freaky Friday, reports Variety. The film is a remake of the 1976 movie, in which a 14-year-old Jodie Foster played a girl who finds that she and her mother have swapped bodies. Osbourne will also contribute a song to the soundtrack, the trade reports. Freaky Friday was remade once before as a 1995 made-for-TV film starring Shelley Long and Gaby Hoffman.

Ozzy Returning To Ozzfest Sooner Than Expected (8/1/2002) He resumes headlining slot August 7 in Clarkston, Michigan. The Prince of Darkness will retake his rightful place on the Ozzfest throne sooner than expected. Last week when Ozzy Osbourne first announced his departure from the trek to be with wife/manager Sharon during her first chemotherapy session in her battle with cancer, he said he planned to rejoin the tour August 22 in Denver. He will now return and resume his headlining slot August 7 in Clarkston, Michigan, according to an Osbournes spokesperson. The new restart date means Osbourne will only miss two dates of the tour: August 3 in Columbus, Ohio, and August 4 in Cleveland. Sharon went public with her cancer diagnosis early last month. Ozzy's sea legs apparently aren't as stable as they used to be. Although he once snorted a line of ants and bit the heads off doves and a bat, watching his wife undergo the often grueling treatment was so overwhelming that he almost passed out and had to be taken to a recovery room, the family's spokesperson said. It was after that incident Sharon thought it best that he return to the road.

Sabbath, Zeppelin Top Greatest Metal Albums List (7/31/2002) This is one "greatest albums" list The Beatles did not make. In the world of heavy metal, the genre that allows fans to blow off steam to deafening, bone-crunching music, honors for the greatest album of all time have gone to Guns N' Roses. The short-lived U.S. rock band's 1987 debut release, "Appetite For Destruction," took pole position in Spin magazine's top 40 list, ahead of works by pioneering bands such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Led Zeppelin's untitled 1971 release, commonly known as "Led Zeppelin IV" or "Zoso" was second, followed by Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" (1971), Metallica's "Master of Puppets" (1986) and AC/DC's "Back in Black" (1980), Spin's editors decreed in the magazine's upcoming September issue. "Appetite for Destruction," which includes such hits as "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Sweet Child O' Mine," has sold more than 15 million copies in the United States. Spin said it "sounds like Hollywood at 2 a.m., only genuine and dangerous and absolutely necessary." The Led Zeppelin album was "the defining endeavor for the band and the genre it accidentally created," Spin said. The U.K. quartet's "Led Zeppelin II" (1969) took the No. 7 spot. Fellow Brits Black Sabbath also appeared twice, with 1972's "Vol. 4" at No. 14. Additionally, frontman Ozzy Osbourne's 1980 solo album "Blizzard Of Ozz," recorded after he was fired from the band, came in at No. 26.

Sharon's PET Scan (7/31/2002) Ozzy announced at his Sunday night's show in Atlanta that Sharon's PET scan that was done on Friday had come back negative and showed no more tumours.

Sharon In Good Spirits (7/31/2002) Sharon Osbourne seems to be doing well following her first session of chemotherapy Monday, with husband Ozzy by her side. She's in "very good spirits, she's very upbeat," the Osbournes' spokesperson told USA Today. Sharon's three-month chemo prescription is treating the cancer that was initially thought to be confined to her colon, but following an operation, was found to have spread. She was first diagnosed with the disease earlier this month. After postponing the first two dates of Ozzfest when the diagnosis became public, Ozzy persevered on the annual trek without his wife and manager, who masterminds the annual hard rock tour. He withdrew from the trek two-and-a-half weeks later, after Sunday's show in Atlanta to accompany his wife during what can sometimes be a taxing treatment. He's expected to return to the road August 22 in Denver. Main-stage act System of a Down have assumed Ozzy's headlining set time in his absence. In other Osbourne family news, the first season of "The Osbournes" is being released on DVD this fall, according to a Buena Vista Home Video spokesperson. For those interested in hearing the foul-mouthed family speak in vocabulary too vulgar for TV, censored and uncensored versions will be available. The DVD's release will coincide with the second season of the reality series, which is expected to document Sharon's cancer ordeal. Buena Vista Home Video is also contracted to issue the second season on DVD. "The Osbournes" DVD won't be the only way fans can take the charming clan home. Next month store shelves will be stocked with Osbourne family tchotchkes (see "Soon You Can Throw Darts At The Osbournes, Make Them Quack"), including key chains, bendables, snowglobes and "The Osbournes Phone Pal," a telephone peripheral that commands, "Pick up the phone!" with each ring. Musically, if Ozzy's latest release, Live at Budokan, is a little too recent for some old-school Oz-heads, Ozzy, when more than a quarter-century younger, can be heard backed by Black Sabbath on Past Lives, the band's first live album released domestically with the original lineup, which also includes bassist Geezer Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. (Sabbath's Stateside live debut came courtesy of 1982's Live Evil, on which the band was fronted by Ozzy's replacement Ronnie James Dio.) The first of two discs comprising Past Lives was initially issued in the U.K. as Live at Last in 1980, but the sound quality not to mention uninspired artwork and liner notes that misspelled Osbourne's first name as "Ossie" was rejected by the band and, subsequently, many of its fans. Remastered and with new cover art and liner notes, Past Lives, set for release August 20, features such Sabbath favorites as "Sweet Leaf," "War Pigs" and "Paranoid," along with gems like a 19-minute, improvised version of "Wicked World."

'Osbournes' Getting DVD Treatment (7/31/2002) You won't have to wait long for The Osbournes to come to DVD. Unlike other producers of other shows, which take years to release series DVDs, MTV is striking while the iron is hot and planning a late-fall release for seasons one and two of The Osbournes. Miramax will release the discs, which promise to be packed with never-before-seen footage of Ozzy Osbourne and his kooky clan. "As soon as I discussed this project with Harvey," said family matriarch Sharon Osbourne of Miramax co-chair Harvey Weinstein, "I knew that Miramax was the right home for The Osbournes. With the marketing plans for the DVD and video, it just had to be bleeping Miramax."

Ozzy To Take 3 Week Break From Ozzfest (7/26/2002) Ozzfest To Continue With System of a Down as Main Stage Headliners. LOS ANGELES, CA -- Ozzy Osbourne will take a three week break from his headlining duties on Ozzfest 2002 to be by his wife's side while she undergoes her first course of chemotherapy treatments. System Of A Down will move into the headlining slot on the main stage as Ozzfest continues to tear its way across America this summer. Ozzy will jump off the tour following the July 28th date in Atlanta and will resume performing in Denver on August 22nd. "This has been one of the hardest decisions I've had to make and I'm hoping that my fans will understand," Ozzy said yesterday. "Ozzfest must continue with or without me since it's Sharon's baby. I want to thank all the bands on Ozzfest and my crew for all their love and support, especially System Of A Down." "I'm putting on a brave face here, guys, but I'm burning up inside. I have to go home," he added. "The Ozzfest is my baby, and no one is going to take my baby away from me," Ozzy said. "Keep Ozzfest going. We're going to get over this hurdle. We've gotten over worse before. Stick it out with me. I need you now more than ever." Ozzy thanked the bands and crew that will carry on without him during his leave of absence, and thanked fans for understanding his decision. "I'm sure my fans will understand. Anyone in this position would do the same thing," he said. "I relish seeing you people. You're my life, you're my air, you're my breath, you're everything to me." On the dates that Ozzy is not performing, Sharon has arranged for all fans attending Ozzfest 2002 to receive a free special treat from the food concessions at each show. System of a Down will headline the following Ozzfest 2002 dates: 8/3 Columbus, OH Polaris Amph. 8/4 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center 8/7 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Center 8/8 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Center 8/10 Chicago, IL Tweeter Center 8/11 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley 8/13 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Amph. 8/15 Bristow, VA Nissan Pavilion 8/17 Somerset, WI Float-Rite Park 8/19 St. Louis, MO Riverport Amph. 8/20 Kansas City, MO Sandstone Amph.

Ozzy Hit with Two Lawsuits (7/26/2002) Ozzy Osbourne's legal fees are mounting up. The "Prince of F---ing Darkness" and his wife, Sharon, are being sued by a Hollywood producer who claims the heavy-metal family stole his idea for their hit MTV series, The Osbournes. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Gary Binkow is accusing Ozzy and Sharon of fraud and breach of contract, after he purportedly met several times with the couple and with execs from Miramax Television in 1999 and 2000 in the hopes of creating "a real-life docu-sitcom" based on the family. Binkow says he even registered a treatment for the proposed series with the Writers Guild of America in January 2000. His proposal says the series would "showcase the trials and tribulations of real-life rock star Ozzy Osbourne" and added that "the audience shouldn't really know if the show is scripted or not." "In developing the show, [the Osbournes] misappropriated [Binkow's] idea and concept without his knowledge and consent and without compensating" him, according to the lawsuit, filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court. Binkow is executive producer for Neverland, a film starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet currently shooting in London. His lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. A spokeswoman for the Osbournes dismissed Binkow's claims, but had no further comment. Their legal troubles, however, don't stop there. Ozzy also is being sued by two musicians after Osbourne removed their work from his first two solo albums in order to avoid paying them royalties. Bass player Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake, who performed on Blizzard of Oz and Diary of a Madman in the early '80s, say Ozzy has rereleased the albums--with their original parts replaced by newly recorded bass and drum tracks. "They sound awful," Daisley told London's Daily Express. "They are nothing like the originals. It is an insult to us but more importantly to the fans." The whole legal battle goes back to 1998, when Daisley and Kerslake filed lawsuits claiming Osbourne, his wife and manager Sharon and Sony Music and Epic Records cheated them out of royalties for their work on the albums. In a statement, Sharon Osbourne made it clear why Ozzy decided to rerecord the tracks. "Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake have harassed Ozzy and our family for several years," she said. "Because of their abusive and unjust behavior, Ozzy wanted to remove them from these recordings. We turned a negative into a positive by adding a fresh sound to the original albums." Daisley and Kerslake's case has been set for trial early next year.

My Ozzfest Review - PNC Arts Center, NJ 7/20/02 (7/26/2002) Click here to read it!

Ozzy Will Shave Head For Sharon (7/26/2002) OZZY OSBOURNE has come up with the perfect gesture to support his wife Sharon's battle with cancer - he's vowed to shave off his hair for charity. The former BLACK SABBATH frontman was devastated this month to discover Sharon has been diagnosed with cancer of the colon - and that the chemotherapy she now faces is likely to result in her losing her hair. But Ozzy is determined that Sharon will not face the prospect of hair loss alone - he has promised to lose his trademark long locks as well, to raise money for cancer research. According to British tabloid the Daily Star, the MTV star told his wife, "We're in this together. If you go bald, I'll go bald - I'll be by your side every step of the way."

Osbourne Interview on Fox News (7/26/2002) Sunday night, July 28th, 11:00 pm Fox News - Fox Magazine They are one of the most talked about families in America. The Osbourne family gives new meaning to the term "family values." Their reality show quickly became one of the MTV biggest hits! Fox's Greta Van Susteren sat down with Sharon and Ozzy not too long ago. Fox Magazine is going to play it for you... it's an interview you don't want to miss.

Update on "Past Lives" (7/26/2002) BLACK SABBATH 'PAST LIVES' will be available in 2 formats for a limited time: 1. LIMITED EDITION DIGIPAK (only 5000 units in Canada!) - Tony Iommi guitar pick! - Fold-out poster! - Never before seen photos! - Bonus liner notes! 2. Regular 2 CD jewelcase - Cheaper, but with none of the extras! Tracks 1-9 are the already released Live at Last album (but cleaned up). Tracks 10-18 are taken from various Sabbath tours from 1970 through 1978. Track Listing Disc1: 1. Tomorrow's Dream 2. Sweet Leaf 3. Killing Yourself 4. Cornucopia 5. Snowblind 6. Children of the Grave 7. War Pigs 8. Wicked World 9. Paranoid Disc 2: 10. Hand of Doom 11. Hole in the Sky 12. Symptom of the Universe 13. Megalomania 14. Iron Man 15. Black Sabbath 16. NIB 17. Behind the Wall 18. Fairies Wear Boots (Courtesy of Joe Seiglers black-sabbath.com)

Trump Condo Slams Door On Osbournes (7/21/2002) The Prince of Darkness and his kooky kin have been thwarted in their efforts to buy a $7 million, 48th-floor spread with 360- degree views in the Trump Palace condominium at 200 E. 69th St., owned by Donald Trump. "Their application listed three dogs," said a Trump Palace insider. "The building no longer allows new dogs on the premises.

Kelly Sings With Andrew W.K. (7/21/2002) The sweaty, soiled singer and the Princess of Darkness, who admittedly just happens to like "smelly guys" (so she says), joined together on stage today in Holmdel, N.J. to sing a rendition of "She Is Beautiful" for the forthcoming Ozzfest 2002 live album. Two days of mobile recording at the Mansfield, Mass. shows were successfully completed earlier in the week by engineer Thom Panunzio and the Record Plant Mobile Team. The album is due next month on Columbia Records. We hear Drowning Pool covered "Creeping friggin' Death" by Metallica and that DOWN had a stage monitor catch fire during their recording.

Jack Osbourne Injures His Arm (7/21/2002) Jack Osbourne, the son of heavy-metal legend Ozzy Osbourne and a star of MTV's hit reality show "The Osbournes," jumped off the Malibu Pier with several friends and suffered an arm injury, authorities said. The 16-year-old, who's a talent scout for a recording company, was on the pier with a film crew Wednesday afternoon when several teenagers jumped off, said Norton Wisdom, a Los Angeles County lifeguard. "I looked up and there were a bunch of kids doing cannonballs off the Malibu Pier, which is illegal," said Wisdom, who patrols Surfrider Beach. Lifeguards stabilized Osbourne's arm, took his blood pressure and treated him for mild shock, Wisdom said. A film crew on the pier was operating without a permit and left the area, he said. Osbourne was taken to Malibu St. John's Urgent Care center for treatment, Wisdom said.

Black Sabbath Story Vol 1 & 2 DVD (7/21/2002) Sanctuary are reissuing the BLACK SABBATH DVDs, The Black Sabbath Story Vol 1 and Vol 2. Both DVDs feature 16:9 letterbox (reformatted for DVD), Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, animated menus, album gallery, bonus band history. They are due out in late August/early September.

Ozzy's Current Setlist (7/21/2002) You've all been asking for it... here it is! I Don't Know Warpigs Believer That I Never had Mr. Crowley Gets Me Through Suicide Solution Zakk Wylde guitar solo No More Tears Iron Man I Don't Want To Change The World Road to Nowhere Crazy Train Encore: Mama, I'm coming home Bark at the moon. Paranoid

Live In 75 - New Title, Due Out In August (7/21/2002) The "Live in 75" double live Black Sabbath album has a new name. It will be officially titled "PAST LIVES". It will have some pics you've never seen before, some from 1969, some from later, will include a Black Sabbath guitar pick, and some other goodies. It's got cool digipak packaging, as well as a second type of packaging (similar to what they did with Reunion, where there were two different types of packages you could get). Cdnow.com and Amazon.com both show release dates of August 20th. (Thanks Joe!)

Sharon Osbourne Jokes About Her Cancer Surgery (7/21/2002) In her first interview since being diagnosed with colon cancer, Sharon Osbourne deals with her illness with typical raunchy humor and an upbeat attitude. ''Why'd they have to find it in my bum of all places?'' the star of MTV's The Osbournes jokes in the new issue of People. But her illness may be more serious than initial reports indicated. On July 3, surgeons removed a foot of her colon. On July 8 she was told that two nearby lymph nodes removed during surgery tested positive for cancerous cells, indicating the cancer has spread beyond her colon, People reports. Osbourne says her prognosis is ''very, very good.'' She will start a three-month course of chemotherapy July 29 and will allow MTV to film it for the next season of The Osbournes. Sharon, 49, says her diagnosis has been particularly hard on her three children and husband, heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne. ''I've done a lot of praying, believe it or not,'' says the singer. ''She's my whole world -- she's the best lover I've ever had, the best friend I've ever had. She has been my pillar of strength for many years.'' It was Ozzy, an admitted hypochondriac, who in June persuaded his wife to get her first checkup in three years, People says. During the exam, blood tests showed she was anemic. Suspecting internal bleeding, the doctor ordered a colonoscopy, during which two polyps were removed for biopsy. They were found to be cancerous. When Ozzy learned the news, ''he was hysterical, just terrified,'' Sharon says. ''The doctor had to come over and sedate him.'' She has since persuaded her reluctant husband to proceed with Ozzfest.

Sharon Osbourne Says Cancer Has Spread (7/21/2002) Sharon Osbourne's cancer has spread beyond her colon and the wife of the anarchic British rock star Ozzy Osbourne will start a three-month course of chemotherapy at the end of July, she told People magazine in an interview released on Thursday. Osbourne, 49, who has become a TV star with most of the rest of the family thanks to the hit MTV reality series "The Osbournes," said her prognosis was "very, very good" but that Ozzy Osbourne was "hysterical" when first told the news. Sharon Osbourne, credited with reviving her husband's career after he was fired from heavy metal band Black Sabbath in 1979, underwent colon cancer surgery on July 3 and her publicist said at the time she was expected to make a full recovery. But Osbourne told People that one of two nearby lymph nodes removed during the procedure had since tested positive for cancerous cells, indicating the cancer had spread beyond her colon. "It was not the best news," she told People. "You think nothing will ever happen to you. You're invincible. Then after you get over the shock and panic you realize how lucky you are to be alive. "That's where I am right now. I simply have to take care of this thing," she said. Osbourne said she would start three months of chemotherapy on July 29, and that she planned to allow MTV to film the treatment when shooting resumes for the second season of "The Osbournes" -- the show that follows the chaotic daily exploits of the foul-mouthed family. "People will see me having chemo. It'll be interesting," she said. "We need to get a different vibe going. I think I'll bring some music, introduce myself, maybe we can sing some songs and cheer the place up." Osbourne said Ozzy, her husband of 20 years, "was hysterical, just terrified," when she told him the news, adding, "The doctor had to come over and sedate him." Ozzy told People the couple planned to renew their marriage vows on Sharon's 50th birthday on October 9. "I've always had a plan that I'd get sick before she did, that I'd die before she did. But my plan didn't work out....Life has a way of kicking you in the nuts," he said. Their 16-year-old son Jack was also in the news on Thursday. He hurt his arm after a fall while climbing an empty building on Malibu's derelict pier to prepare to dive into the ocean. A lifeguard who treated him at the scene said Jack suffered only minor injuries.

Osbournes Up For Emmy (7/21/2002) Make some room on the mantel...."The Osbournes" has received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Non-Fiction Program (Reality) by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Also up for best reality show are PBS' "American High," TLC's "Trauma: Life in the ER" and HBO's "Project Greenlight" and "Taxicab Confessions." The fifty-fourth annual Emmy Awards will be held on September 22nd, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA.

Ozzyhead.com Mentioned In New Book (7/17/2002) Ozzy Knows Best, An Unauthorized Biography by Chris Nickson. Buy Page 245: Great Ozzy fan sites are few and far between. The best by far is Ozzyhead (www.ozzyhead.com), which is as up-to-date and thorough as anyone could want. Past that you get into the not-so-current and the brief. So stick with the good stuff.

Ozzy On MTV (7/17/2002) Catch OZZY OSBOURNE Live at Budakon on MTV's All Access Week MTV: 7/20 3:00 PM MTV2: 7/18 12:30 PM 7/20 4:30 PM 7/21 7:00 PM MTV2 Rock Show - Ozzfest Edition Hosted by JACK OSBOURNE 7/15-7/19 6:00 PM 7/20 3:30 PM 7/21 6:00 PM

'Mrs. Ozzy' recovering (7/17/2002) Sharon Osbourne is out of the hospital after undergoing surgery for colon cancer. The wife of heavy-metal icon Ozzy Osbourne and co-star of the MTV hit show The Osbournes is ''in good spirits and doing well,'' family spokeswoman Lisa Vega said Tuesday in a statement. The surgery took place last week at an undisclosed Los Angeles area hospital. The disease was in its early stages, Vega said, and doctors expect a full recovery. Colon cancer often develops over a long period of time, according to health experts, starting out as a seemingly harmless polyp or warty growth in the colon or rectum. Those polyps can turn into an aggressive cancer, one that can spread to other parts of the body. The key is early detection. The American Cancer Society recommends that men and women 50 and older get regular screening tests for this disease, including a rectal exam and a colonoscopy. The very earliest form of colon cancer, a polyp that has turned cancerous but hasn't spread yet, can be removed either during a colonoscopy or in a surgical operation. Colon cancer removed at the earliest stage offers a cure rate of about 90%. Sharon Osbourne, 49, got this disease at a relatively young age. Most cases of colon cancer strike after age 50. To prevent getting colon cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends that women exercise, lose excess body weight and eat at least five fruits and vegetables per day. Sharon Osbourne has battled drug and alcohol abuse, but she has been sober for years. In earlier days she was considerably overweight, but had adjustable lap-bandweight-loss surgery, which helped her lose 90 pounds. Considered the mastermind of the family, she is credited with revitalizing Ozzy's career, as well as negotiating the MTV deal, along with a two-book deal, a soundtrack album and other related merchandise. A second season of The Osbournes is slated to begin airing in the fall. The highest-rated program in MTV's history chronicles the unorthodox home life of Ozzy, Sharon and two of their three children -- 17-year-old daughter Kelly and 16-year-old son Jack. MTV will not comment on how Sharon's surgery will affect shooting of the new season.

Ozzy Up For Teen Choice Award (7/14/2002) Ozzy has been nominated for a Teen Choice Award for best personality.

Ozzfest '02 Live Album (7/14/2002) "Ozzfest 2002: The Live Album" will be released on August 27 and feature live performances by acts performing on the current tour.

MTV Ozzfest Uncensored Special (7/14/2002) Showtimes are: Mon 07/15 12:30 PM Tue 07/16 6:30 PM Wed 07/17 9:30 PM Sat 07/20 2:30 PM Sat 07/20 10:00 PM Sun 07/21 6:30 PM

Ozzfest Dates Cancelled, New Dates For PA and VA (7/12/2002) The July 24 Raleigh, NC date has been cancelled. The previously postponed Post-Gazette Pavilion Pittsburgh, Pa show will take place on this date. The August 15 Cincinnati, OH date has been cancelled. The previously postponed Nissan Pavilion Bristow, Va show will take place on this date.

New Family Member On "The Osbournes" Season 2 (7/12/2002) According to "Extra", season 2 of "The Osbournes" will have a new family member on the show. Don Arden, (Sharon Osbournes father) will be moving in. This blew my mind when I saw it broadcast... I was under the impression that Sharon and Ozzy still hated this mans guts! According to the "Extra" clip, Don and Sharon are on speaking terms.

Uncut 'Osbournes' headed to Canada (7/12/2002) The air is about to turn blue in the rec rooms of Canadian TV viewers as English-language broadcaster CTV brings "The Osbournes" -- uncut -- onto the conventional TV schedule, Variety reports. Unlike MTV in the United States and MTV Canada, CTV programmers have decided not to censor the colorful turns of phrase favored by legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his family in the wildly successful reality-TV series. "Some viewers will be surprised by how the Osbournes talk to each other," said Susanne Boyce, president of programming, "but coarse language is part of their world. It's used as they really use it. The heart of 'The Osbournes' is that they're not plastic. Their fights, their love for each other and their language is real." "The Osbournes" will air at 10 p.m. Tuesdays starting in September, an hour beyond the "watershed hour," to shield younger ears. CTV will also air "strongly worded advisories" throughout each episode and in all of its advertising, just as it has done with "The Sopranos." CTV, a unit of Bell Globemedia, announced in June that it had sublicensed seasons one and two of "The Osbournes" from MTV Canada.

My Site Mentioned In Entertainment Weekly Magazine (7/10/2002) Entertainment Weekly, Issue #662, 7/12/02, page 86 Most Authentic Ozzy Site Forget the MTV-sanitized father-in-recovery that Ozzy has become, and reunite with that going-off-the-rails madman who thrashed alongside Randy Rhoads and Zakk Wylde, and cowrote songs with Motorhead's Lemmy. The place to do it: Ozzyhead.com, a tribute site dutifully run by '69 Camaro driver Mitch VanBeekum. The suicide solutions here include an Ozzy soundboard, a full page of Ozzy tattoo photosm and clips of Ozzy singing "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Shake Your Head (Let's Go To Bed)." A- Check out EW.com for the full story: click here

Osbourne In 'Good Spirits' After Surgery (7/10/2002) Sharon Osbourne, who stars with her family in the MTV reality series "The Osbournes," was in "good spirits and doing well" after undergoing surgery for colon cancer last week, her publicist said Tuesday. "Sharon Osbourne wishes to thank everyone for their support and kind thoughts over the past week," family spokeswoman Lisa Vega said in a statement. "Doctors expect Sharon to make a full recovery." Osbourne underwent surgery last Wednesday for what Vega described as "the very early stages" of colon cancer. At the time of the operation, Vega would not identify the form of cancer Osbourne had, other than to describe it as treatable.

Rolling Stone (7/8/2002) Ozzy's got the cover of Rollingstone - on news stands now!

Has "The Osbournes" Overstayed It's Welcome? (7/8/2002) Taken from Entertainment Weekly, Issue #662: Has ''The Osbournes'' overstayed its welcome? They're everywhere, from Buckingham Palace to toy stores, but is MTV's first family in a 'Bourne identity crisis? Can you remember, way back to six months ago, when you didn't know anything about Ozzy Osbourne except something about bats and a band called Black Sabbath? Now, thanks to MTV's all-time highest-rated show, Ozzy and wife Sharon are buddies with George W., have been described as ''loving'' by former veep Dan Quayle, and even appeared before Queen Elizabeth for her Golden Jubilee. That's not even the half of it. Between talk-show visits, magazine stories (in fact, see a review of Osbourne websites on page 86), and the seventh Ozzfest kicking off July 6, the foul-mouthed family has officially invaded America. And did we mention the woofer shaking onslaught of more than 100 items of Osbourne kitsch, with the clan set to rake in $10-15 million on current merchandising deals? But buyers beware: The Osbourne backlash has begun. Bill Cosby and David Bowie both dissed the show in June, Cosby referring to the family as ''a sad case'' and Bowie sniffing that Ozzy has ''become this junk culture thing.'' And in an admittedly unscientific poll of 100 random people in New York City, just over half said the Osbournes are overexposed, with Kelly cited as the biggest offender most likely due to her ubiquitous cover of Madonna's ''Papa Don't Preach'' from ''The Osbourne Family Album'' (which debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard charts). Ever the savvy businesswoman, Sharon declines to comment on her strategy. But to execs at MTV, ''The Osbournes'' is the latest example of a fickle MO perfected by such short-lived sensations as ''Beavis and Butt-head,'' ''Singled Out,'' and ''Jackass.'' ''I've just come to accept that as a part of the dynamic of MTV,'' says entertainment prez Brian Graden, who greenlighted ''The Osbournes'' last year and reran the show up to five times per week. ''It's going to burn as fast as it's going to burn. Will we ever see first-season numbers again? I don't know. We can't stretch it forever.'' These days, the shelf life of any pop-culture phenom appears to be shorter than Ozzy's attention span. Consider the life cycle of insta-hit ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,'' once thought to be the final answer to ABC's ratings woes. The Regis Philbin-hosted game show's popularity peaked fast, with episodes running up to four times a week. But ratings plummeted just as quickly, until ABC pulled the plug on the series in May. ''Millionaire'' exec producer Michael Davies says networks are smart to cash in right away: ''Many people have said ABC ruined ['Millionaire' by] overexposing it. But would the show really have lasted 17 years on the network doing those kinds of numbers? Reality shows have replaced the specials business. You can watch it in huge numbers and talk about it with friends and then not see it again for a while.'' Does it pay for Ozzy and Co. to pace themselves until the now-in-production second season airs this fall? Probably not, because reality copycats are already rearing their heads: R&B singer Brandy Norwood recounts her recent pregnancy on MTV, while Anna Nicole Smith's show debuts in August on E! ''If you don't get your programs in while you're hot, the inevitability is you will be copied so much, so quickly, that your programs will lose value anyway,'' says Davies. ''We were definitely hurt by the fact that everybody tried to make a game show derivative of ['Millionaire'].'' Competition isn't the only risk. The clan's initial charm could be drained by massive exposure, not to mention such curious spin-offs as Osbourne beer mugs (isn't Ozzy a recovering alcoholic?), backpacks (though offspring Jack, 16, and Kelly, 17, don't even go to school), and ''I'm the f---ing Prince of Darkness'' cane-shaped talking pooper-scoopers (where to begin?). ''One of the things the audience responded to was how normal the domestic situation was despite the extraordinary life they lead,'' says Graden. ''The question is: What normalcy has been infringed upon by the show?'' Speaking of normalcy, what's the cost of sudden celebrity to the family, particularly the two teens? ''The Osbourne children are at serious risk and [the show] borders on abuse,'' warns Paul Petersen, former star of ''The Donna Reed Show'' and founder of A Minor Consideration, a nonprofit group for roughly 600 former child actors that includes Melissa Gilbert and Mackenzie Phillips. ''Look two years ahead. If they're tossed on life's scrap heap before the age of 20, what do you think comes next? They've got another 70 years of living to do.'' But another veteran of MTV's flash flood of celebrity is less worried. Jack and Kelly ''are used to this,'' says Tom Green, noting that the children of a rock star face less adjustment to fame than others. Still, Green does have some typically deadpan advice: ''I was going to say, 'Tell Jack not to marry a movie star.' But that would be cynical now, wouldn't it?''

Ozzy Osbourne's Wife Undergoes Cancer Treatment (7/2/2002) LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sharon Osbourne, the wife and manager of rock star-turned-reality TV hero Ozzy Osbourne, has been diagnosed with a treatable form of cancer and will undergo surgery on Wednesday, the couple's publicist said. A statement issued on Tuesday said she was expected to make a full recovery. The type of cancer was not specified, and a spokeswoman was not immediately available. "She has the loving support of her husband and three children who are by her side at this time," the statement said. Along with her family, the matronly Osbourne has become a pop culture sensation in recent months thanks to the smash MTV reality series "The Osbournes," massive media coverage, and an avalanche of merchandising deals. The show follows the daily exploits of the foul-mouthed but loving clan: befuddled Ozzy, plain-spoken Sharon, and two of their children, rambunctious teenagers Jack and Kelly. Eldest child Aimee did not participate in the show's first season. Sharon Osbourne, the estranged daughter of veteran English showbiz promoter Don Arden, is credited with reviving her husband's career after he was fired from heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath in 1979. They were married in Maui in 1982. The union has been a seemingly happy one apart from a 1989 brawl where a drunken Ozzy tried to strangle Sharon and subsequently spent three months in rehab. In addition to managing her husband, the so-called "Prince of Darkness," Sharon Osbourne oversees the hugely successful annual Ozzfest rock festival. The first two stops of this year's incarnation, July 6th in Bristow, VA. and July 7th in Pittsburgh, PA. have been postponed. Osbourne, who once matched her husband's drink-and-drugs excess, underwent a gastric bypass operation and lost 90 pounds. She reportedly had weighed as much as 224 pounds.

Osbourne Can Thank 'Papa' For Fall Album (6/29/2002) Kelly Osbourne has made up her mind: She's keeping her recording career. The 17-year-old daughter of hard-rock heavyweight Ozzy Osbourne, and his co-star in the smash MTV series The Osbournes, can now add a hit single to her resume. Kelly's revved-up rendition of the 1986 Madonna classic Papa Don't Preach is currently at No. 28 in national top 40 radio airplay, and climbing. According to Michael Steele, music director at KIIS-FM in Los Angeles, Osbourne's Papa - the leadoff single for The Osbourne Family Album, which entered Billboard at No. 13 this week - "couldn't be any bigger. It's been the No. 1 or No. 2 most requested song on the station for a month solid." Now comes word that the second-generation rocker plans to begin recording her own album in July. Epic Records hopes to release the CD this fall, in time for The Osbournes' second season. Osbourne is co-writing material with a team of tunesmiths led by Epic executive and Papa producer Ric Wake, who has previously worked with such successful songbirds as Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez. Predictably, Osbourne promises her oeuvre will be "nothing like" the output of those divas. Before her single was released, the flame-haired teen had told MTV News, with typical Osbourne candor, "I'm kind of crapping myself because I don't think I'm a very good singer." Even now, she concedes, "I consider myself lucky, because I know there are people who can do it better than I can. I never wrote a song in my life until a couple of weeks ago." But Wake expects that Osbourne's punk-influenced perspective will provide a welcome contrast "to all that pop stuff going on right now. I think it's going to be real edgy, with a lot of attitude. Kelly hasn't had much experience, but she knows what she's doing. She's a chip off the old block." Adds Steele, "Kelly's the kind of girl who could be your best friend in high school. I don't think a lot of people have friends like Britney Spears. That's why girls are gravitating toward Kelly. They relate to her." Of course, Osbourne's timing and pedigree give her an edge over other girls next door. Melinda Newsome, assistant program director of WIOQ-FM in Philadelphia, has doubts about the young star's long-term prospects. "I personally love her hit, but it's a novelty record. Its popularity has a lot to do with the (show's) hype." Airplay Monitor editor Sean Ross agrees that the single "got a ton of out-of-the-box airplay because of who and what it is." Osbourne, in keeping with the family values she helps promote on MTV, does not play down her connections. "Of course my father gives me advice," she says sweetly. "I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for him."

"Live At The Budokan" In Stores Now! (6/29/2002) Ozzy's latest live release, "Live At Budokan", is in stores now, on CD, DVD and VHS! Featuring live versions of new favorites like "Gets Me Through" and "Junkie" as well as classic takes on "Mr. Crowley", "Believer", and "Crazy Train" the album is a showcase for the invigorating live experience that is an Ozzy Osbourne concert. In addition to the 66 minutes of Ozzy rockin' the land of the rising sun the CD Extra features bonus video footage of the Osbourne family touring the sites of Japan. As you may expect, this is not your ordinary walk through the lotus garden!

Get The Osbournes Mugs On Yer Mugs (6/29/2002) Soon you'll be able to pack your lunch in your Osbournes lunchbox, drink from your Ozzy coffee mug and sleep under your Osbournes blankets. The Osbournes are about to be merchandised. American's favourite television family since The Addams Family has signed a merchandising deal with Signatures Networks to get their mugs on your mugs (and for that matter, anywhere else). Signatures Networks say they already have 50 licensees on board. Ozzy is about to be everywhere. There will be Osbourne family pencils, notebooks, lunchboxes, and sporting the latest in Osbourne family t-shirts, sneakers and hats. And when it's bedtime, we'll put away our bobble-head Osbourne family dolls and fall asleep on Osbourne family sheet sets. The individual members of the family have signed the agreement but don't expect anything "cute". Sharon Osbourne warns "We are not the f*cking Partridge Family, we're not the f*cking Bradys, we're the Osbournes and we're gonna do some crazy sh*t".

Book Claims Ozzy Was a Wild Child (6/20/2002) Rocker Ozzy Osbourne, whose reality show The Osbournes recently became the biggest hit series in MTV's 21-year history, had a pretty wild childhood, according to excerpts released Monday from the new book Ozzy Unauthorized. Author Sue Crawford reveals in her book that a young Ozzy tried to commit suicide, joined in gang fights and drank hard. "The 14-year-old made a noose out of his mother's clothesline, put it over his head, fixed the other end securely to a high gate and jumped from a chair," said an excerpt published in the UK newspaper The Sun. "My mother was an amateur singer, my father was an amateur drunk," Osbourne was quoted as saying. He also witnessed his father beating his mother and became violent himself. "In breaks at the age of only 7, he would organize 'hanging squads' where he and his mates would find rope, grab an unsuspecting victim, then 'hang' them in the toilets before letting them go, frightened but unharmed, " Crawford goes on to say. Osbourne was also a hard drinker who, by the age of 17, spent six weeks in jail for breaking into a shop. During his prison stint, he reportedly smashed another inmate over the head with a metal chamber pot to deflect unwanted advances. The book also reveals that Osbourne left school at an early age to work several jobs, one as a slaughterman, killing 250 cattle a day and gutting sheep. "It fostered his weird reputation for a fascination with animals and death," it said. Osbourne, now 53, recently sang at Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee concert, also known as the Party in the Palace, which attracted well over a million people to Buckingham Palace on June 3. Ozzy Unauthorized will be published in July 2002 by Michael O'Mara Books.

Ozzy's Family The Princess Of Marketing (6/11/2002) NEW YORK -- Ozzy Osbourne was MTV's biggest hit this year. Now, he and his family are set to be one of the hot new acts at the licensing industry's annual show that begins here Tuesday. Dell Furano, CEO of Signatures Network, shows off an Ozzy Osbourne coin bank, an item from the Osbourne collection of products at right, at the Licensing 2002 International show at New York's Javits Convention Center, Tuesday, June 11, 2002. The profane Prince of Darkness, who charmed more than 5 million viewers with each episode of The Osbournes, a look at his family's household antics, is expected to generate sales of more than $200 million in licensed goods this year. A typical deal would give the family 10% or more of that total. "It's one of those things you can't put your finger on," says Charles Riotto, head of the International Licensing Merchandisers Association, which sponsors the trade show for the $177 billion global industry. "Sometimes there's an unidentifiable quality that strikes a fancy with consumers." The group overseeing the Osbourne family licensing is looking to strike a fancy with such items as a talking teddy bear, voice-activated bobble-head dolls, watches and T-shirts (profane for some venues, sanitized versions for mass retailers). There are even dog leashes, collars and outfits based on the family dog, Lola. "It's a phenomenon," says Dell Furano, chief executive of Signatures Network, which has represented Osbourne licensing since the 1980s. "We've got to hit while it's hot and get product out quickly." Though he'll capitalize on the current popularity, Furano says he's looking to put staying power behind the license by reducing the number of items next year after introducing 400 of them in 2002.

Throw Darts At The Osbournes, Make Them Quack (6/10/2002) Osbournes bedsheets, underwear, bobblehead dolls, magnets, more on the way. With the success of "The Osbournes," Ozzy and his clan seem omnipresent. It feels like you can't go anywhere without being exposed to something related to the offbeat family. As it is for Ozzy himself, your only refuge from the onslaught is the confines of your bathroom. However, soon even that sanctuary will be ripe for some Osbourne accoutrements. The family has signed a licensing agreement with San Francisco based Signatures Network, which will usher everything from Osbourne backpacks and beach towels to cookie jars and cell phone covers into the marketplace in the coming months, according to company CEO Dell Furano. T-shirts, caps and posters bearing "The Osbournes" name are already in stores, and the second salvo of gear, including backpacks, notebooks and bobblehead dolls, is expected to be released in the next 30-45 days. Among the other Osbournes products to be rolled out soon are men's underwear (both boxers and briefs), hosiery, wallets, stickers, dart boards, refrigerator magnets, Halloween masks, comic books, greeting cards, pillows and bedsheets. Perhaps the strangest item of the bunch is a set of Osbourne family collectible ducks, four web-footed birds that bear a striking resemblance to Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack. The T-shirts as well as some of the other products carry sayings Ozzy and his family made famous during the show's first season, such as, "I'm not cleaning up the dog sh--, I'm a f---ing rock star!" and the tender "Shut the f--- up and go to bed." A shirt stamped with a picture of Ozzy and Sharon each flipping the bird is captioned, "The parents you wish you had." Censored versions of the sayings are being printed for retail outlets that request them, like Target and Wal-Mart. It's not only the human stars of the show that are being made into must-have collectibles for Ozzy fans. Lola, the family bulldog, posed for more than 400 pictures in 24 different costumes at a photo shoot Monday, and the resulting images will be used for a calendar. Among the personas the lovably lumpy canine flashes are a devil, surfer, golfer, bride and Uncle Sam. A line of dog leashes will coincide with the release of the calendar. Each one of Signatures' ideas must be given the go-ahead by the Osbournes. An Osbourne toilet seat cover, for example, is still awaiting a green light by Sharon. "We wanted to take irreverence to a new low," Furano said of the commode cover. The CEO expects "The Osbournes" merchandise to generate approximately $200 million at retail by the end of the year, he said. Of that total, the Osbournes will pocket approximately $10-15 million, which nearly equates to a common licensing rate of 10-15 percent of wholesale revenue. Signatures Network, which also introduced last year's Kiss Kasket, has maintained a licensing agreement with Ozzy Osbourne since his 1980 solo debut, Blizzard of Ozz.

Kelly Osbourne To Record An Album (6/10/2002) Kelly Osbourne, the daughter of Ozzy, is to follow in her fathers footsteps and record an album. Kelly confirmed to MTV backstage at the MTV Movie Awards that she will spend all of July and August in New York working on her debut album with producer Rick Wake. Judging by Rick's previous projects, don't expect Kelly's record to sound another like her dads. Rick has worked in the past with Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. Fans who want to hear what Kelly sound like will get their preview on The Osbournes Family Album, due in store in a week. Ozzy chose a cover of Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach" for Kelly to perform for the record.

Osbournes To Make In-Store Appearance (6/8/2002) Ozzy, Sharon, Jack & Kelly will make a special one time in-store appearance at New Yorks Virgin Megastore, 1540 Broadway, NY, NY on Tuesday, June 11th at 7:00pm.

2nd Batch Of Reissues To Be Released (6/8/2002) The second and latest batch of reissues will be released June 25. And they are... "Bark at the Moon" featuring the bonus track "One Up the B-Side", "No Rest For the Wicked" featuring the bonus track "Miracle Man" (live), "Ozzmosis" featuring the bonus track "Aimee", and "The Ozzman Cometh" - Ozzy's Greatest Hits CD - (no bonus track). All albums are remastered from the original master tapes and feature rare photos and newly-penned liner notes from Kerrang! editor Phil Alexander.

Ozzy, Elton John, McCartney Salute Queen Of England (6/5/2002) Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Bennett, Paul McCartney, a handful of Hell's Angels, a gospel choir of 5,000 and a throng of close to 1 million onlookers turned out to help England's Queen Elizabeth celebrate 50 years on the throne over the weekend at London's Buckingham Palace. Eric Clapton, Ricky Martin, S Club 7, Spice Girl Emma Bunton, Joe Cocker, Phil Collins, the Corrs, Aretha Franklin, Sir Elton John, Tom Jones, Annie Lennox, Mis-Teeq, Brian Wilson, Rod Stewart, Cliff Richard and Will Young also turned out for the event, which played to a global television audience of millions more over the course of the weekend-long celebration, according to Reuters. The Queen's Golden Jubilee weekend kicked off Saturday and came to a climax with Monday's pop concert. The young-at-heart 76-year-old Queen started the star-studded evening by leading the nation in a rousing rendition of the mop-top favorite "All You Need Is Love." Queen guitarist Brian May then took to the roof of Buckingham Palace in front of 12,000 ticket holders (and a million more outside the palace gates) for a solo performance of the national anthem "God Save the Queen." After light ceremonies, classical music performances, fireworks, some hardcore church-going and a closing concert, the festivities wrapped up Tuesday. The lights went down on Buckingham as the Hell's Angels joined a gospel choir of 5,000 in a carnival procession. After the parade, the tired Queen waved to the masses from a Buckingham Palace balcony, closing the Jubilee weekend. Stateside fans can catch a broadcast of the Party at the Palace on Sunday, June 9 at 9 p.m (ET) on VH1.

Zakk Wylde Suffers From Exhaustion, Dates Cancelled (6/5/2002) The remaining dates of the European leg of Ozzfest 2002 have been cancelled to allow guitarist Zakk Wylde to return home early to recuperate from mental and physical exhaustion. Ozzfest 2002 has been a particularly grueling tour for Wylde as he does double duty opening the show with his band Black Label Society and then closing the show as Ozzy's guitarist. Wylde has worked non-stop for over a year recording and touring with Ozzy and recording his own record 1919 Eternal with his band Black Label Society. The cancelled Ozzfest 2002 European dates are as follows: June 4 Lisbon / Restolo Stadium June 7 Milan / Filaforum June 8 Zurich / Hallenstadion June 11 Stockholm / Globen June 13 Helsinki / Hartwell Arena June 15 St. Petersburgh/ New Arena June 16 Moscow / Tushino Field The U.S. leg of Ozzfest 2002 kicks off on July 6 in Washington, D.C.

Queen's Golden Jubilee (6/5/2002) Yesterday at Buckingham Palace Ozzy, with secret guest Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi, played "Paranoid" in front of an audience of 12,000, as part of the Queen's Golden Jubilee, not to mention millions more watching the telly. Ever-geared up for what Ozzy called "the highlight of my career" the Madman promised to behave himself, saying "I don't want to spend the rest of my life in the Tower [of London]. I mustn't drop my trousers, no bad language, or perhaps a trap door will open." Princes William and Harry reportedly got their headbang on as father Charles looked on, perplexed by their nodding approval.

Great Britan Goes Mega For Ozz-Mania (6/5/2002) Last week over 48,000 turned out in the damp, cold grounds of Donington Race Park in the Midlands town of Derby to take in 13 hours of headbanging delight and a little hail and freezing rain here and there during Ozzfest 2002 U.K. (To which one goth-metal band's singer gleefully announced "It appears the rain cloud we rented for today's show is working.") Ozzy, who played nearly the entire set in a black stocking cap, announced backstage after the gig to no one in particular, numerous times, emphatically, and with a plethora of enjoyable explitives, that it was the coldest show he had ever played. He also issued an apology for what he called "a clusterfuck" of a gig (read it here). The next day "The Osbournes" premiered in the U.K. and placed third in the ratings, behind shows on the ubiqitous BBC; it was a media bonanza and a coup for the Osbournes that a new show would chart so high in its first episode. But so it goes for the most-hyped show in Britain in ages. Billboards cover London streets with a "surgeon general's warning: this show is highly addictive", and it is impossible to stop by the newsstand and not see a maniacal Ozzy or demure Sharon peering at you from one or twelve different publications. Here is a Los Angeles Times report on the Isle's reaction to the First Family of Rock. And finally, today Ozzy plays for Queen Elizabeth for her Golden Jubilee. Sharon will M.C. the event for VH-1. Tomorrow, Ozzy goes into intense G-Force specialty training for a Space Shuttle launch planned for September from the final Ozzfest! (Just kidding.)

Where There's Smoke There's Fire! (6/5/2002) Call it a twist of fate or a quirk of synchronicity; we think it's fu#%in' weird, though! Right after Ozzy finished rehearsing "Paranoid" for the Queen's Golden Jubilee yesterday a fire broke out at Buckingham Palace, the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II. Details are still sketchy but, as the old adage goes, where there's smoke there's fire. (Ozz swore off the tobacco 14 months ago, though, so don't blame his butt.) Today, Ozzy is set to perform on the grounds again.

Execs Await Osbournes Retail Value (6/5/2002) NEW YORK (AP) - There's no doubt that rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his family have swiftly become cultural icons because of MTV's most popular series ever, "The Osbournes." Now, the marketers behind the irreverent family's show are hoping that a slew of merchandise tied to the reality series will be just as big. Last month, basic products like T-shirts and mugs hit retailers' shelves, but a wider breadth of items, ranging from backpacks to trading cards and watches, will be hitting stores, from Kmart to Toys R Us, in the next 30 to 60 days. "We touched upon an extraordinary slightly different view of family values," said Del Furano, chief executive of Signatures Network, the San Francisco-based entertainment licensing company, which signed an exclusive agreement to develop the merchandise for "The Osbournes," which made its debut March 5. So far, the company has signed up 55 licensees. Furano expects a total of 70 licensees this year, and projects that retail sales tied to the show will total $200 million this year. "There's interest for condoms, slot machines and video games," he said. Family chains like Target and Kmart Corp. as well as toy retailers will be carrying the "edited versions of the family's irreverent attitude," Furano said. That includes T-shirts with slogans like "The Osbournes: The Parents You Wish You Had." Signatures Network has represented the rocker and The Ozzfest Music Festival in licensing and merchandising for 20 years. That merchandise is expected to generate a total of $15 million in sales this year $5 million at concerts and another $10 million at stores, said Furano. The reality sitcom, which depicts the addled rock star, his wife Sharon, daughter Kelly and son Jack alternating swearing and offering their love for one another, drew nearly 8 million viewers at its peak in April. Late last month, MTV announced a second season. It is believed that the Osbourne family will receive $5 million for the upcoming season. Celebrities, like the Osbournes, usually receive about 15 percent to 20 percent of wholesale volume of the merchandise. Wholesale volume is typically half of retail sales. That means they could reap between $15 million and $20 million.

Papa Don't Preach, But He Will F---in' Introduce (5/30/2002) Kelly Osbourne will sing "Papa Don't Preach" at the 2002 MTV Movie Awards following an introduction by her for now only slightly more famous father, Ozzy. The spike-haired teen and swearing starlet will make her debut live performance by belting out her version of Madonna's '80s pop classic at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium as part of the televised celebration of cinema. Osbourne matriarch Sharon first suggested that Kelly try her hand at the 1986 tune, and with some production help from her brother Jack, Kelly recorded a rough demo version of "Papa Don't Preach" backed by members of Incubus. She later gave the tune another go, setting the second, more polished (and Incubus-free) version for inclusion on the forthcoming The Osbournes Family Album collection. Kelly will hit the Movie Awards stage after completing her duties as pre-show co-host, a job she will share with Ja Rule. Kelly's fellow musical performers at the 2002 MTV Movie Awards will be the White Stripes and Eminem. Ben Affleck, Vin Diesel, Eve and Natalie Portman are just a handful of the Hollywood denizens confirmed to present at the awards, while Jack Black and Sarah Michelle Gellar will host. Though several movies have been nominated in a variety of categories, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is perched for a potential sweep with six nominations of its own (see "'Lord Of The Rings,' 'Fast And The Furious' Top MTV Movie Award Nominees". The winners will be determined by MTV, MTV2 and MTV.com viewers, who were able to cast their votes online and via telephone. The 2002 MTV Movie Awards premieres June 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. For a feature interview with the Osbournes, check out "The Osbournes: Dysfunctional Family Values".

Osbourne Sued For Trademark Infringement (5/30/2002) Ozzy Osbourne was on the receiving end of a trademark infringement lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Tuesday (May 28), accusing the rocker of stealing an idea for a T-shirt. T-Shirt Hell, Inc., is claiming its T-shirt design reading "Fuck My Family I'm Moving in with the Osbournes" has been ripped off by the Osbournes on a T-shirt that reads, *&@# My Family! I'm Moving in with The Osbourne Family." According to the suit, Epic Records and Sony Music Entertainment placed an order for $500 worth of T-Shirt Hell's Osbourne T-shirt design in mid-March and turned around and licensed the aboveforementioned similar T-shirt design through Signatures Network, Monolith Ltd. Corp., Hot Topics, Inc., and Lexitrends, Inc., in May. The suit reads, in part, "After May 15, 2002, and continuously since about May 1, 2002, defendants have been manufacturing, distributing, and merchandising and otherwise marketing the above mentioned trademark of T-Shirt Hell, Inc., and has thereby been engaging in unfair competition and created a likeness, confusion, false impression, and false and misleading representation against plaintiff to plaintiff's irreparable damage." T-Shirt Hell is suing Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Epic Records, Sony Music Entertainment, Signature Network, Monolith, Hot Topics, and Lexitrends for trademark infringement for an amount to be determined in court. In related Osbourne news, MTV announced on Wednesday (May 29) that it has come to an agreement with Ozzy and family to air 20 new episodes of The Osbournes beginning in the fall. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, but rumors have been swirling in the industry for weeks that the payout for the Osbourne family could hit $20 million - a hefty raise from the $200,000 the family earned for the first season.

Osbournes Back For Second Season On MTV (5/30/2002) Ozzy Osbourne and his family, who swiftly became cultural icons in MTV's most popular series ever, will open their home life to the cameras once again. MTV announced a second season for "The Osbournes" on Wednesday in a lucrative deal that threatens to turn the network into "OzTV." The reality sitcom that depicted the addled rock star, his wife Sharon, daughter Kelly and son Jack alternating swearing at and showing their love for one another drew nearly 8 million viewers in the United States at its peak last month unprecedented numbers for the cable network. "It's proven to be a seminal show for MTV," network president Van Toffler said. "Part of the charm is that it was so unexpected, and I believe the reason it works is the juxtaposition of the freakiest, weirdest human on the planet in the most traditional of situations." The first season consisted of only 10 episodes, repeated relentlessly. Wednesday's deal is for 20 episodes that will begin filming next month and air in the fall. MTV wouldn't comment on the financial terms. It is believed the Osbourne family will receive 5 million dollars for the upcoming season, with the potential to make much more if the ratings stay high, if the show is sold internationally and if there's wide interest in ancillary products like T-shirts. "I hope the Osbournes get incredibly wealthy on this show and it works well for both of us," Toffler said. Representatives for the Osbournes did not immediately return a call for comment. Sharon Osbourne was quoted in MTV's news release as calling the experience "absolutely (expletive) amazing." The deal has been long rumored, with Sharon and Kelly saying weeks ago that the family had agreed to continue the show. But MTV insisted the complex contract wasn't finalized until this week. MTV cameras may go on the road with the "Ozzfest" concert tour this summer and do some filming at the family's home in England. But despite security concerns -- the family's California neighborhood was inundated by boisterous sightseers -- Toffler said the series would be set primarily in that home. One big difference in the second season will be the family's newfound celebrity. Toffler said it won't be ignored, but MTV doesn't want to spend too much time on it. "You don't want to take away that organic magic that happens when the dog pees on the rug and Ozzy freaks out and calls Sharon," he said. The family has moved swiftly to capitalize on the show's success. It has signed a deal with Simon & Schuster to publish two books. Sharon Osbourne has also agreed to be host of a special on Queen Elizabeth's jubilee on MTV's sister network, VH1. MTV has also had discussions with other celebrities, such as rapper P. Diddy, about similar series, but no agreements have been reached. Although MTV said Wednesday it will air a series of Osbourne specials this summer, including coverage of Ozzfest and "a very special dinner" with the family, Toffler promised to guard against overexposure. The repeated reruns of the first set of episodes will slow down this summer, he said. The danger is that a series that rapidly became a sensation can just as rapidly fall out of favor. "I basically told (Sharon) to hibernate," Toffler said.

Ozzy Osbourne To Appear In Next Austin Powers Movie (5/28/2002) OZZY OSBOURNE pulled the second of two weekend OZZFEST shows last night (May 26) due to illness. The one-time Prince Of Darkness and current MTV darling cancelled a performance at Punchestown Racecourse near Dublin, blaming a throat infection. He had played the previous night headlining Ozzfest's show at metal's spiritual home of Castle Donington. Other names on the Ozzfest bill who played both nights included Tool, System Of A Down, Slayer and Lostprophets. Meanwhile, 'The Osbournes', the fly-on-the-wall reality TV show, finally debuted on MTV in Britain last night after contractual wrangles delayed its' appearance for a week.

Ozzy Osbourne To Appear In Next Austin Powers Movie (5/28/2002) Ozzy Osbourne movie star? Well, it is hardly an Oscar winning performance but we will soon see the Prince of Darkness of the big screen. Mike Myers has invited Ozzy to make a cameo appearance in the upcoming "Austin Powers : Goldmember" due in cinemas late July. Myers personally popped around to Ozzy's LA home to invite the family into his next movie and they have accepted. Ozzy left the next day for London to begin rehearsals for the Queen's Jubilee concert.

Live At The Budokan (5/27/2002) Live At The Budokan, to be released on June 25th 01 . I Don't Know 02 . That I Never Had 03 . Believer 04 . Junkie 05 . Mr. Crowley 06 . Gets Me Through 07 . Suicide Solution 08 . No More Tears 09 . I Don't Want To Change The World 10 . Road To Nowhere 11 . Crazy Train 12 . Mama I'm Coming Home 13 . Bark At The Moon 14 . Paranoid CD/DVD/VHS In Stores June 25. The new Ozzy live album recorded Feb. 15 in Tokyo with Zakk Wylde, Robert Trujillo, and Michael Bordin, "Live at the Budokan" features 13 songs including the hits "Mr. Crowley", "Bark at the Moon", and "Paranoid" as well as "Down To Earth" newbies "Junkie" and "Gets Me Through", among others. The DVD will include the entire concert from start to finish plus a half-hour extra of the Osbournes touring the sites of Japan. Typically Ozzy and typically Osbournes, this DVD is a must-have for all fans of Rock's First Family!

Osbournes To Share Their 'Family Album' (5/15/2002) The media onslaught of Ozzy Osbourne's clan will roll on next month with the release of "The Osbournes Family Album," due June 11 via Epic. Although details are expected to be announced later today (May 15) in New York, Billboard.com has learned that the set, a soundtrack of sorts to the hit MTV reality series "The Osbournes," is led by daughter Kelly Osbourne's cover of Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach." As previously reported, she was backed on the cut by Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger and drummer Jose Pasillas II. The family is further represented on "Family Album" by the Ozzy Osbourne tracks "Dreamer," "Mama, I'm Coming Home," and the immortal "Crazy Train," which is also covered here by one-time Osbourne family neighbor Pat Boone. "Family Album" also includes System Of A Down's cover of Black Sabbath's "Snowblind," as well as the Kinks' "You Really Got Me," John Lennon's "Imagine," and the Cars' "Drive," among others. As previously reported, the Osbourne family has signed a book deal with Simon & Schuster to publish a paperback and a hardcover memoir. The motley troupe has reportedly agreed to participate in two additional seasons of "The Osbournes," but as yet there has been no official confirmation announced. Here is the tracklist for "The Osbournes Family Album": "Crazy Train," Pat Boone "Dreamer," Ozzy Osbourne "Papa Don't Preach," Kelly Osbourne "You Really Got Me," the Kinks "Snowblind," System Of A Down "Imagine," John Lennon "Drive," the Cars "Good Souls," Starsailor "Mirror Image," Dillusion "Mama, I'm Coming Home" Ozzy Osbourne "Crazy Train," Ozzy Osbourne "Family System," Chevelle

Ozzy Osbourne Joins The Queens House Party (5/15/2002) One week he is giving lip to George W. at the White House, the next we hear he is about to mix with Royalty. Ozzy Osbourne is to perform at Buckingham Palace. Ozzy has been added to the line-up celebrating the Queen's jubilee year and will perform on the Palace grounds. Ozzy joins the lineup including Atomic Kitten, Shirley Bassey, Tony Bennett, Blue, Emma Bunton, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, The Corrs, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Tom Jones, Annie Lennox, Paul McCartney, Mis-Teeq, Queen, Cliff Richard, S Club 7, Brian Wilson, Rod Stewart and Will Young. To celebrate her Golden Jubilee, the Queen is inviting the country to two massive concerts in the Buckingham Palace Gardens on 1 and 3 June. An all-time first, these will be among the most exciting music events ever mounted in the country.

PRISM Award; Unf***ingauthorized Book Coming (5/15/2002) Ozzy Osbourne was honored with a PRISM Award on Thursday (May 9) in Los Angeles for showing an accurate depiction of drug, alcohol, or tobacco addiction in his song "Junkie," from 2001's Down to Earth. The sixth annual awards, also presented in the fields of film, television, interactive media, and comic books, are given out by the Entertainment Industries Council. Meanwhile, on the heels of Osbournes $3 million book deal with Simon & Schuster's Pocket Books (allstar, May 9), Bantam Books has announced its release of The Osbournes Unf***ingauthorized on July 23. The completely unauthorized book will come out on Bantam's young adult imprint of Random House Children's Books as a 48-page trade paperback penned by Reed Tucker for just $8.95. The book promises to be the unofficial guide to "everything Osbourne," including a humorous analysis of the first 10 episodes of MTV's The Osbournes, 30 photos, and a glossary of "What's Ozzy saying," rules for parenting, and more.

Osbournes Get $3 Million Book Deal (5/9/2002) Dyslexic rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his colorful clan, the stars of MTV's hit reality series "The Osbournes," are now making waves in the publishing world. In a deal worth more than $3 million, the ratings-smashing first family of metal has sold world rights to two books to Pocket Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. The deal, signed on the floor of last weekend's publishing trade convention, Book Expo America, is for a trade paperback tie-in to their MTV show and a hardcover family memoir. The tie-in will be published in November, and the memoir, to be narrated by each member of the Osbourne family, including the heretofore-unseen fifth Osbourne, Aimee, will appear the following spring. The book deal comes on the heels of the Osbournes' reported $20 million deal with MTV for two more seasons of their show. "The Osbournes are a popular phenomenon of the first magnitude" said Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group president Carolyn Reidy, who negotiated the deal with Trident Media Group and Endeavor. "Their appeal is multi-generational and covers the entire political and cultural spectrum. We're bleeping delighted to publish them at Simon & Schuster." Simon & Schuster and MTV are both units of Viacom Inc.

MTV Looking For Ozzy Wannabes! (5/5/2002) MTV's Becoming Presents: Wannabes Tryouts / Auditions Saturday, May 18th 10AM Ozzy Osbourne: CALL OR EMAIL FOR SONGS Send an email to MTV's casting Rep. Juli.Kobayashi@mtvstaff.com to find out what to bring with you when you come this weekend, and what days we'll need you to come back to NYC to get done over as the artist, and every other answer you wanna know. Make sure to write - MORE INFO PLEASE - in the subject line of this new email you send.

Bush Trades Jokes With Journalists (5/5/2002) President Bush gave Washington reporters a look at "what life is really like inside the Bush White House" on Saturday, showing off his collection of "actual, never-seen-before photos." One of the good things about life in the mansion is that his wife, Laura, is always on hand to help him out, he said displaying a photograph of the first lady standing with her hands on each side of his face. "Here she is helping me pronounce Azerbaijani," said Bush, who is known to sometimes stumble over long words. Bush and top members of his administration mingled and shared laughs with reporters and other Washington insiders at the annual White House Correspondents dinner. Comedian Drew Carey was on hand to provide the entertainment during the more than three-hour event, doing standup comedy for the president and more than 1,800 guests, including top White House adviser Karl Rove and rock star Ozzy Osbourne. Bush noted that Carey is the host of a television show that "is totally improvised." "Drew?" the president said. "Got any interest in the Middle East?" Osbourne and his wife, Sharon, were the guests of Fox News' Greta Van Susteren. The couple and two of their three kids are stars of the MTV hit reality show, "The Osbournes," which chronicles the family's wacky, profane home life. "The thing about Ozzy is, he's made a lot of big hit recordings "Party With the Animals," "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," "Face in Hell," (Facing Hell) "Black Skies" and "Bloodbath in Paradise,'" said the president. "Ozzy. Your mom loves your stuff." The correspondents' dinner, now in its 88th year, has become an occasion for self-deprecating humor from presidents. Last year Bush presented a slide show of his family accompanied by a joke-riddled speech about the 2000 election recount. The year before Bill Clinton put together a farewell video, in which the former president pretended to be at loose ends in the final lame-duck months of his presidency. Honored guests included the winners of the association's annual journalism awards. Most of the winning entries were about the terrorist attacks last year in Washington, New York and Pennsylvania. The winners included Associated Press Writer Ron Fournier, presented with the Merriman Smith Memorial Award in the print category for his deadline reporting on Sept. 11 under calls to evacuate the White House for fear of an attack on the executive mansion. Peter Maer of CBS News, also at the White House during the attacks, won in the broadcast category. The Edgar A. Poe Award went to four Newsweek journalists Evan Thomas, Mark Hosenball, Martha Brant and Roy Gutman for their reporting on terrorism. The White House Correspondents Association was formed in 1914 as a liaison between the press and the president. Every president since Calvin Coolidge has attended the dinner.

Bush Takes The Piss Out Of Ozzy (5/5/2002) OZZY OSBOURNE was the star guest of President Bush at a White House dinner yesterday (Saturday, May 4). Legendary rocker Osbourne, currently starring in MTV documentary 'The Osbournes', even provided some humorous material for President Bush's speech for the Correspondent's Association dinner. The speech is traditionally the one occasion where the US president fills his address with gags, usually at the expense of fellow politicians. During a slide show presented to the audience of journalists and celebrities by the president, one of the slides appeared to show vice president Dick Cheney urinating on his Oval office door. The joke was, in fact, aimed at Osbourne. In 1982, the rock star received a lifetime ban from the state of Texas after he was arrested for urinating on the Alamo memorial. At this point in the speech, Osbourne stood up and waved and was greeted with cheers from the audience. President Bush responded by adding: "Okay, Ozzy - might have been a mistake."

OH F%*@#!!! Jay Runs Out Of Bleeps For Ozzy (5/5/2002) THE foul-mouthed Osbournes were at it again Thursday night as a forbidden expletive starting with "f" eluded NBC censors and made it onto the air on "The Tonight Show." The Osbourne clan Ozzy, his wife/manager Sharon and their children have become famous for their salty vocabulary, which results in frequent bleeping and vigilant editing on the part of the producers of the family's hit series on MTV, "The Osbournes." On Thursday's "Tonight Show," the bleeps were just as numerous (as many as 14 bleeps, according to some counts) as Ozzy and Sharon conducted an uninhibited chat with host Jay Leno about topics ranging from their marriage to the future of their series, which winds up its first season on Tuesday. (When asked by Leno if they've agreed to a second season, both Ozzy and Sharon answered with simultaneous and enthusiastic yesses.) But the NBC watchdogs missed the very first expletive uttered by Ozzy. It came shortly after Ozzy and Sharon took their seats next to Leno. "Good to see you again, you guys!" Leno said. "I feel like we live here!" answered Sharon, referring to their last visit just a few weeks ago on March 29. "We should [acquire] a condo next to the studio," said Ozzy in an English accent that is so heavy it can sometimes be difficult to understand. "Did you say condom or condo?" Sharon asked. Replied an annoyed Ozzy, "No, no, no, I didn't f- - - - n' say 'condom'!" A mortified and apologetic NBC spokeswoman said the unbleeped expletive was "a mistake" and that the word was bleeped in time for the show's West Coast feed later in the evening.

Ozzy Osbourne's Dog 'Pipi' Found (5/3/2002) The dog that has been missing from Ozzy Osbourne's house for more than a month has been returned. Kelly Ripa broke the news today when she got a huge bouquet of roses from Osbourne and his wife, Sharon, during "Live With Regis and Kelly." Ripa had been asking viewers for help in finding Pipi the Pomeranian, who has been featured on the smash hit MTV reality series that follows the family's life, "The Osbournes." The card that came with the flowers read, "Because of you we got our Pipi back. A million thanks. Love, the Osbournes." The Osbournes and "Live With Regis and Kelly" combined to offer a $1,000 reward for Pipi's return, but Regis Philbin said the person who returned the dog refused to take any money.

"Osbournes" Score $20 Million? (5/3/2002) Mama, they're coming home: It appears Ozzy Osbourne's family will indeed be back on MTV for a second (and perhaps even third) season. While the cable network insists no deal has been finalized, both Ozzy's wife Sharon and daughter Kelly blabbed to the media Thursday that America's favorite family has agreed to another season of the reality smash, The Osbournes. In turn, it could make them one of the richest. Daily Variety reports that MTV may pay $20 million for two more seasons of hijinks from Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly, Jack and their housepet menagerie. If the number is correct, it would be largest chunk of change ever handed to the stars of a cable series--and a hefty increase from the $200,000 they received for the first 10 episodes. It's offer they apparently couldn't refuse. When asked by Jay Leno on Thursday's Tonight Show whether they were on for another season, Sharon replied, "Yes," throwing up her hands. "We're very happy about it," she told Variety. "A lot of thought went into this and we're happy that we're going to do another one, and that it's going to be with MTV. They've become a part of our family as we've become a part of theirs." Daughter Kelly, meanwhile, was clearly not excited to discuss the financial matters. She told E! Online Wednesday that a second season is definitely happening, but she dismissed rumors of a $20 million payday as only she can. "We're signing the contracts this week," she said, before adding, "Do you know what really bugs me is if people invent things, like they make up things. Courtney Love went on the radio saying we're getting 20 million dollars for the next season. "Whether that's true or not, is one thing, but...how would she even know? Because she's a nosey f----ing bitch with nothing better to do than talk about other people," she added. "It's like, okay, I don't want to get kidnapped, okay. We're not making that much money, no way." Kelly says the next season will likely be shot at the heavy metal god's mansion in England, while Sharon said that elder daughter Aimee (who refused to take part in the first season) may make some appearances during the next installments. The Osbournes, which airs its final new episode Tuesday at 10:30 p.m., has already been a massive success for MTV, drawing up to 8 million viewers and becoming the most-watched series on cable--let alone in MTV history. The entire Osbourne clan also help wrap up a weeklong run on Howard Stern, tonight on E! at 11 p.m. From magazine covers to talk-show appearances, the family has been unavoidable these days. Sony Music is currently prepping a soundtrack to the show that will feature Kelly singing a cover of Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach." And Variety reports that Ozzy's Bel Air mansion (maybe even Ozzy himself?) will make a cameo in Mike Myer's latest Austin Powers flick, due in theaters July 26. Meantime, the Osbournes received some more good news as their missing dog Pipi was safely returned. The family sent a bouquet of roses to Kelly Ripa this week, after Live with Regis and Kelly matched their $500 reward for the missing black Pomeranian and Ripa constantly showed off a picture of the dog during their show. The card with the flowers read: "Because of you we got our Pipi back. A million thanks. Love, the Osbournes." As it turns out, the person who returned Pipi refused to take the reward money.

Osbournes, Powers Get Shagadelic (5/3/2002) Friday's the final day of shooting (and reshooting) on "Austin Powers in Goldmember," and Mike Myers tells me this scene "is an extravaganza." Yet he's not even in the scene, which is being filmed secretly (not anymore) at the home of -- the Ozzy Osbournes. Mike and "Goldmember" director Jay Roach are "huge fans" of MTV's reality show built around the dysfunctional lives of rocker Ozzy Osbourne, his wife and two of their children. Meanwhile, Myers is busy editing the New Line picture, which will be released July 26. And, yes, Myers says the Osbourne segment is one of "many surprises" in the picture. Can you be sure the Osbournes will have some surprises for Mike?

Former G N R Members Reunite At Randy Castillo Benefit (5/3/2002) Hollywood rock 'n' rollers got a special treat Tuesday night (April 29) during the Randy Castillo benefit show at the Key Club when the '90s-era Guns N' Roses lineup, sans Axl Rose, reunited onstage with guest vocalists including Buckcherry singer Josh Todd, Aerosmith (news - web sites)'s Steven Tyler, and Cypress Hill's Sen Dog. The band--consisting of ex-Guns guitarist Slash and Gilby Clarke, bassist Duff McKagen, and drummer Matt Sorum, plus Buckcherry guitarist Keith Nelson--played a short but blistering set that included Guns classics and some choice cover tunes under the name Buck N' Roses (and/or Cherry Roses depending on who you asked). The set opened with GN'R's "It's So Easy," followed by the Sex Pistols anthem "God Save The Queen," Rose Tattoo's "Nice Boys Don't Play Rock 'N' Roll" (a GN'R live staple), and Buckcherry's hit "Lit Up." Sen Dog, who also fronts a metal band called SX-10 on the side, joined in for a roaring version of Guns' smash "Paradise City," rapping the second verse and bouncing around the stage with glee. For the final number, the band introduced Tyler, who lead them through a spirited rendition of Aerosmith's "Mama Kin," another Guns live staple. Tyler hugged the former Gunners as they left the stage with smiles. This was probably as close to a full-scale Guns N' Roses reunion as can be expected, though the former bandmates have shared stages together in recent times in various configurations. Duff's band Loaded jammed with Slash on "It's So Easy" a couple months back at its Los Angeles House of Blues show, and Gilby Clarke's weekly jams at the Cat Club have attracted the likes of Slash, Duff, and even reclusive frontman Axl Rose (though not at the same time). Duff also played bass on former Guns guitarist Izzy Stradlin's last three solo albums and has rounded up Slash to join in for the next one. Also on the bill at the Castillo benefit was Nicklebag, featuring Rolling Stones backing vocalist Bernard Fowler and fill-in guitarist Ritchie Kotzen, guitar legend Ronnie Montrose, comedians Andy Dick and Charles Fleisher, and several all-star jam bands. Slap featured Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, former Ozzy bassist Phil Sousann, and drum legends Kenny Aronoff and Simon Phillips, while the night ended with an all star drum-off that featured just about every skinsman in town. The concert was a benefit show and served as a celebration of the life of drummer Castillo, who passed away from cancer on March 26. Castillo was a rock veteran who played with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Motley Crue and was well liked and respected in the hard rock community. The benefit was to raise money for his family in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the efforts continue at http://randycastillo.com/. Those who'd like to contribute to the funeral expenses can contact the following address: Christine Castillo, P.O. Box 4434, Albuquerque, NM 87196. Contributions can be deposited at any Wells Fargo Bank under the Randy Castillo Memorial Fund.

Sharon In People Magazine (5/3/2002) That's right, Ozzy's better half is now a member of A-list Hollywood as Sharon Osbourne was voted one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People. From all your fans, Sharon, dahling, you look mah-velous!

Kelly Ready For 'Papa Don't Preach' Video (5/3/2002) Parfait-haired damsel shooting clip in L.A. this week. Kelly Osbourne is right. She is not like the other kids. They don't make music videos. Ozzy's daughter and reality TV's most famous 17-year-old bar-hopper is filming a clip for her cover of Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach" in Los Angeles this week. Kelly recorded a demo of the song last month with Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger and drummer Jose Pasillas. Executives for "The Osbournes" were impressed enough to request a studio version for inclusion on an upcoming soundtrack to the popular MTV show. The rainbow-haired teen re-recorded the song in New York recently without the members of Incubus or the producer of the demo, brother Jack Osbourne. "I don't like working with my brother," Kelly said. "I have to live with him, so I don't want to work with him." Jack, who has been a part of the family business "the perennial Ozzfest" for several years, had kinder words for his sister: "She was better than I expected, actually." A spokesperson for the Osbourne family did not know who was part of the new recording, nor did Kelly when she talked to MTV News a few days before going to New York. Kelly did explain how the cover came about. "Originally they asked my sister [Aimee, who is not a part of "The Osbournes"] to do it and she's like, 'No, let Kelly do it,' Kelly said. "So, I was nervous as hell. I've never sung in front of anyone really in my life, except, like, when you're in the car with your friends or something. And I never had a singing lesson. I still haven't had a singing lesson." Kelly's first singing experience was made easy by ! the company she kept. "I was so nervous, but Mikey from Incubus made it so comfortable for me and if he wasn't there, I don't think I could have done it," she said. "So really, I owe it to him and Jose, 'cause they just created such a comfortable vibe for me to be able to do it." "Papa Don't Preach" will be released this summer on the soundtrack album for "The Osbournes." While a spokesperson said there is no final track list, Kelly said the album may include a song by British rockers Starsailor. "Just songs that mean something to us and my family," she added. As for Jack, he said he is taking a step back from launching a record label and producing. "I'm a scout for Epic [Records], so I didn't feel I knew as much as I could to successfully run a label," he said.

TV show captures Osbournes' Feud With Neighbours (5/02/2002) Ozzy Osbourne, the former goth rock musician, and Liona Boyd, Canada's internationally famous classical guitarist, live across the street from each other in Beverly Hills. But they're not having a neighbourhood feud, says Boyd. Osbourne, who once bit the head off a bat during an onstage performance, is now the star of MTV's The Osbournes, the latest experiment in U.S. reality television. Just like on Survivor, cameras follow the former lead singer for Black Sabbath and his family 24/7 as they go about their sometimes mundane, but often off-the-wall daily lives. So apparently it's all real when viewers see Ozzy - of all people advising his kids not to do drugs or Ozzy and wife Sharon feuding with their next-door neighbours because the neighbours - of all people - are playing music too loud. But Boyd and her husband Jack are NOT those noisy neighbours. Boyd lives across the street from the Osbournes' ritzy Beverly Hills mansion, and she insists she has a good relationship with Ozzy and his offbeat brood. "No, I don't mind, I'm quite happy to have them across the street," Boyd insists. "So far." Boyd says the real noisy neighbour is a Hard Rock Cafe entrepreneur who has wild, all-night parties. She explains that her husband Jack did complain once about the Osbournes' young son, Jack, playing his drums loudly in the garage, but that since then there have been no problems whatsoever. In one episode of the wildly successful MTV series, Ozzy and Sharon begin tossing objects into the next yard to protest loud music from an unseen neighbour. Sharon launches a cured ham. Not to be outdone, Ozzy - despite his wife's protests - heaves a sizable piece of firewood over the hedge. Window glass breaks. The police arrive. Tempers are eventually cooled down. "It was just very surreal from the first day, the whole shtick," says Greg Johnston, the show's executive producer who insists everything on the hit show is real and unscripted. Since its debut March 3 on MTV south of the border, the experimental sitcom has definitely caught the zeitgeist winds, garnering ample coverage in newspaper articles, magazines and on TV tabloid and talk shows. It's even been spoofed on Saturday Night Live. The Osbournes makes its belated Canadian debut Tuesday night on MTV Canada, the new digital specialty channel. Despite skepticism that some of the hit show's outrageous sequences are real, Johnston swears nothing is re-enacted. "I don't think they'll ever get an Oscar, they're not necessarily good actors or actresses," Johnson said Monday from Los Angeles. "I don't think you could even attempt to do a re-shoot with any of them, with any good results." At 52, Ozzy comes across as a shell-shocked veteran of the heavy metal era, when he fronted his high-decibel band. He is now hard of hearing but insists he is heroin and alcohol free, although it appears in many scenes that he is at the least over-medicated. With a noticeable hand tremor, he is shown unable to cope with technology like TV remotes and cellphones and at times appears barely aware of where he is and where he's going. The humour originates with the bizarre premise that Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness no less, is actually a loving husband and father, trying to deal with rebellious kids and untrained house pets. Boyd, meanwhile, says not only is there no feud, and not only does she not play her guitar loudly at four in the morning, but she and her husband were invited over to the rocker's house for tea recently. The social event, though, had to be rescheduled. "We knocked on the door - with the devil's head on it - and the housekeeper said 'Oh no, Ozzy's upset because Sharon's late.'" She learned later that Ozzy was in his gym exercising, cursing apparently because Sharon wasn't home. Later Sharon sent them a lovely basket of fruit, cheese and champagne, with a note of apology. Boyd says she, in turn, sent over one of her earlier albums, entitled Passport to Serenity. "I figured Sharon might need a little dose of Serenity." Boyd is in Toronto this week on the last leg of a Canadian tour promoting her newest CD, Latin Journey.

Bring Back Ozzy's Pup for $1K (4/28/2002) THE Pipi Osbourne saga has taken yet another turn. Yesterday, "Live with Regis & Kelly" executive producer Michael Gelman threw another $500 into the kitty for information on the Osbourne dog's return - upping the total reward money to $1,000. Gelman said the money will be donated in the name of "Live" - which has featured on-air pictures of Pipi several times this week. "We're better than a milk carton, and we're on a campaign [to find Pipi]," Gelman told The Post. "We here at 'Live' feel a real kinship with the Osbournes because we really consider ourselves the first reality show - you've watched drama unfold here for years. "And you've heard about the strange coincidences between our show and 'The Osbournes'," Gelman said. "We have a Kelly [Ripa] and one of their daughters is named Kelly. They have a dog Lola, and Kelly Ripa's daughter is named Lola. And one of Regis' nicknames for Kelly [Ripa] is Pipi." Multi-millionaire rocker Ozzy Osbourne is offering $500 for information on the whereabouts of the family's black Pomeranian dog - who was living in Osbournes' posh Beverly Hills estate. Pipi, featured in MTV's hit show, "The Osbournes," has been missing for about two months now and belongs to Aimee Osbourne, the eldest Osbourne daughter who's seldom seen on the show (she's avoiding the limelight). Sharon Osbourne (Ozzy's wife) and their daughter, Kelly, broke the news of Pipi's disappearance earlier this week during an appearance on "Live with Regis & Kelly." Although Sharon said she'd give "anything" to get Pipi back, the family was offering only $500 for Pipi's return.

Ozzy Signs Mic For Charity Auction (4/28/2002) Christina Aguilera, Nelly Furtado also among artists donating autographs to help promote Better Hearing and Speech Month. Imagine your friends' reaction when at your next Sunday night no-holds-barred karaoke jam you not only perform a rockin' rendition of Ozzy's "Crazy Train," but you kick it out gripping a mic autographed by the self-proclaimed prince of darkness himself. Now that's the stuff of which local legends are made. An array of artists including Osbourne, 'NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, the Dave Matthews Band and Moby have signed on to contribute their John Hancocks to the "Shure Bid for Hearing," a charity auction beginning April 29 on eBay which will feature microphones autographed by various musicians. Nelly Furtado, AC/DC, Hank Williams Jr. and the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde are also among the 20-plus musicians set to offer their signatures. The auction is being held to help promote Better Hearing and Speech Month, and to raise money for the nonprofit hearing conservation organization House Ear Institute (HEI).

"Osbournes" Merchandise In The Works (4/28/2002) Pick up your dog's dung with your very own Ozzy pooper scooper! Pit Jack & Kelly against each other with Osbournes action figures! And of course let everyone know you'd rather be living with the Osbournes with a custom t-shirt. The Osbournes merch is coming. Click here to sign up for the Osbournes mailing list and get the first updates on all the fun stuff that's coming down the pike very, very soon: http://www.ozzy.com/merch.html

Ozzy Recording Bonus Tracks For Live Album (4/21/2002) Ozzy has been tracking several songs for the last couple weeks in a Hollywood studio, three of which will make the final cut as bonus tracks to Ozzy's eagerly anticipated "Live at Budokan" CD, coming this summer on Epic. Dvd Info - Ozzy Osbourne/Live At The Budokhan Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound / PCM Stereo, biography, discography, photo gallery, behind-the-scenes.

'The Osbournes' Biggest MTV Series (4/21/2002) "The Osbournes," the reality sitcom about rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his colorful family life, is officially the biggest hit series in MTV's 21-year history. Just under 6.3 million people watched last Tuesday's episode, up from 6 million the week before as the series continues to grow. No MTV series - even cultural touchstones like "Beavis & Butt-Head" and "Real World" - has reached such heights. MTV has been trying to take advantage of the hit, playing series episodes 15 times a week. "The Osbournes" has pushed aside professional wrestling as cable television's biggest show, according to Nielsen Media Research. MTV has prepared three more original episodes before its season ends. But it may try to use footage to create up to three additional ones. Every additional viewer just improves Osbourne's negotiating position. MTV is talking to the family about filming another season's worth of shows, but the Osbournes are reportedly concerned about tourists at their California home and may film part of a new season in their second home in England.

Ozzy To Team Up With Cradle Of Filth? (4/21/2002) Ozzy looks set to team up with UK black metallers Cradle of Filth on a new version of his classic track Mr Crowley. Cradle have recently recorded a version of the track and are hoping that the double O will add his vocal talents to the final mix says Dani Filth. Our version sounds like Type O Negative meets Iron Maiden, theres loads of plans buzzing around including getting Ozzy in to sing on the track. But I shouldnt talk about it too much coz these things have a habit of going tits up when you mention them. You never know Ozzy might think our version is shit.

Ozzy Mouthing Off (4/17/2002) Ozzy is featured in several chapters of a new book called MOUTHING OFF - A Book of Rock & Roll Quotes. With funny and truthful observations from hundreds of rock, punk, and metal figures, this book was written with the music fan in mind. Here's an excerpt: "I can honestly say, all the bad things that ever happened to me were directly attributed to drugs and alcohol. I mean, I would never urinate at the Alamo at nine o'clock in the morning dressed in a woman's evening dress sober." - Ozzy Osbourne Compiled by Rolling Stone/Billboard contributor John D. Luerssen and published by Brooklyn-based record label/publishing house The Telegraph Company, MOUTHING OFF hits book and record stores in June. Those who can't wait can purchased early online at major book e-tailers.

An Osbourne Runs Away From Home! (4/17/2002) One of the Osbournes is lost, and the family is willing to pay to get its missing member back. Ozzy, Jack, Kelly, Sharon and even the sibling they don't show on TV are all present and accounted for it's Pippi who's gone astray. The family's little black Pomeranian, shown among the supporting cast of "The Osbournes," has been AWOL from the clan's Beverly Hills home for several weeks, according to Kelly. "It's been lost for like two months now," she said. "I hope she comes back. You don't want to give up hope, but you never know." A $500 reward is being offered for any information leading to the canine's retrieval. The multimillion-dollar Osbournes might want to think about inflating the figure a little. Considering the celebrity status the entire family has been anointed with thanks to its popular reality program, the dog could probably fetch a higher price on eBay.

Ozzy's Family Weighs Second Season (4/17/2002) Ozzy Osbourne and his family are going to want some heavy metal if they're going to agree to shoot a sequel to their hit MTV series. And no, we're not talking about more Tool songs. TV's new favorite family is asking for some serious coin to commit to a second season of The Osbournes while Ozzy's kids might think no money in the world is enough to put up with those [bleeping] cameras for another five months. Still, it might happen. The veteran rock god, along with wife Sharon, 17-year-old daughter Kelly and 16-year-old son Jack (18-year-old daughter Aimee refused to take part in the show), have signed on with the Endeavor talent agency to look into a deal with MTV for a possible second season, Daily Variety reports. No one is commenting on negotiations, but the trade paper reports that the Osbournes' asking price is in the high seven figures--and significantly higher than the low seven-figure paycheck they received for the wildly successful first season. (They'll reportedly pocket about $20,000 per each of the 13 episodes.) Initially, it seemed the Osbournes had unanimously ruled out another installment of the series. During an appearance on The Tonight Show, Jay Leno asked the family if they were up for a second season. All four simultaneously responded, "No!" They may now be having a change of heart, especially considering the show's ever-growing popularity. The family is currently on the covers of both Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone, and the Tuesday night series was the third most-watched show on cable last week (with more than 5 million viewers). But not everyone is excited about another installment. The New York Post reports that Jack and Kelly still don't want to commit to another season and have their lives taped for another five months. Even without the cameras, the family has been forced to give up much of its privacy. Sharon Osbourne has complained to Beverly Hills police about tourists constantly stopping by the family's crucifix-laden mansion. And according to the Post, the Osbournes have hinted that they'll only commit to a second season if they're allowed to shoot the show at their secluded, 100-year-old farmhouse in England. The new location would also give Ozzy's housepets a fresh chance to ruin some more expensive rugs.

Ozzy's Kids Going Batty (4/16/2002) SOME members of Ozzy Osbourne's family may be standing in the way of MTV's desire for a second season of its red-hot, reality-based sitcom, "The Osbournes." Negotiations for a second season have been underway virtually since the series premiered March 5 to huge ratings and rave reviews. But there are indications that some of the Osbourne clan - particularly teen sibs Kelly and Jack - are not eager to share their home with MTV camera crews for another five months. MTV, though, is desperate to begin work on a second-season of the megahit series, even though the current season is only half over. Episode 7 of 13 airs tonight at 10:30. But the show's runaway success has turned life upside down for the Osbourne family, as tourists crowd the normally quiet street in Beverly Hills where the family lives in a recently refurbished mansion. Mom Sharon Osbourne, who has been married to heavy-metal superstar Ozzy for 20 years, has complained to Beverly Hills police that tourists are over-running the family's yard. As a result of the tumult around their home, the Osbournes are dropping hints that a second season will be possible only if MTV agrees to allow the family to film the show at the family's secluded 100-year-old farmhouse in England. MTV isn't commenting on that idea, even though it was reported in this week's wide-ranging cover story on the Osbournes in Entertainment Weekly magazine. Nor will MTV say anything about the ongoing negotiations except to confirm that the network would like to see the series continue for a second season. A spokeswoman would not comment on speculation that some members of the family are against continuing the show. Indeed, it was just a few weeks ago that the entire family seemed dead set against a second season when they appeared together on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno March 29. "Now, you think you'll do another season or two of the show? Could you live with the cameras in your house anymore?" asked Leno. The four Osbournes all answered "No!"

The Osbournes Want a Bigger Bite (4/16/2002) The drama behind the scenes of MTV's white-hot reality comedy "The Osbournes" is starting to get almost as interesting as the show itself. America's new favorite first family of television has signed with the Endeavor talent agency to help it explore a new deal for a possible second season of the show. While MTV has the production rights to future seasons, the music cable network hasn't locked up the services of the boisterous clan. While neither side is talking, industry insiders said the Osbournes are seeking a second season fee in the high seven figures and perhaps even more, if you throw in potential ancillary revenue linked to the show. It's a huge leap: the family was paid in the low seven figures for the show's first season; that deal was put together by CAA, which still represents paterfamilias Ozzy Osbourne the rocker. It's no surprise the Osbournes, who are on the covers of both Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone this week, are seeking more coin: their show has turned into a monster hit for MTV. Last week's episode, seen by more than 6 million viewers, snagged a 19 share among adults 18-34, beating everything else on cable and the major broadcast networks. (Each share point equates to the percentage of viewers watching TV during the time slot involved.) If "The Osbournes" maintains that rating, it's possible the show could end up among the season's top 10 series with adults 18-34 -- even counting fare on the Big Six. The boffo ratings will no doubt translate into a major ad windfall for MTV. The network has also seen a Nielsen spike for veteran reality series "The Real World ," which leads into "The Osbournes" on Tuesday nights.