News Archives 3/14/2001 to 4/14/2002

Ozz & Family On Entertainment Weekly (4/15/2002)

Everyone's favorite family, The Osbournes, is on the cover of this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly (April 19 issue). The article is amazing! Pick it up at newsstands everywhere.

Hollywood Walk Immortalizes Ozzy (4/15/2002)

Heavy metal superstar Ozzy Osbourne, infamous for biting the head off a bat in his younger days, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday for his dark brand of showmanship.

Wearing a black suit, a large gold cross and round, blue glasses, with bright red streaks in his brown hair, Osbourne accepted the star with humility.
"To say that this is an honor is not enough," he said. "This is just so overwhelming, with all of you turning out so early in the morning to see my old butt."
The 53-year-old is enjoying renewed popularity with the MTV reality series "The Osbournes," which chronicles the singer's home life with his wife, Sharon, and two of their children pink-haired Kelly, 17, and spikey-haired Jack, 16.
The crowd of nearly 1,000 shrieking fans was a sea of multicolored hair, pierced faces and tattoos. Some waved wrinkled posters of the singer or scrawled his name across their foreheads in black ink.
Fittingly, his star was placed in the sidewalk in front of Hollywood Boulevard's "Ripley's Believe It or Not" museum of oddities.
Shock-rocker Marilyn Manson introduced the singer, saying Osbourne's life is evidence that "eternally unhappy" people do not necessarily have to "go insane or become criminals."
"This star right here proves that it's quite obvious that Ozzy has managed to succeed while remaining insane and strangely happy despite his various crimes against God and nature," Manson said.
Osbourne helped popularize heavy metal in the 1970s with Black Sabbath, which had hits such as "Iron Man" and "War Pigs." The band has sold nearly 25 million records in the United States.
Most contemporary hard rock acts were influenced by Osbourne's blend of angry lyrics, on-stage stunts and disconcerting images of death and evil, which often employed quasi-Christian symbolism.
Osbourne also has had a successful solo career with hits including "Bark at the Moon," "Crazy Train" and "Shot in the Dark." His albums have sold 35 million copies worldwide.
His annual Ozzfest concert tour, started in 1996, consistently has ranked as a top draw, featuring lineups that have included him and Black Sabbath in addition to Manson, Crazy Town and Papa Roach.
Despite his wild-man reputation, the singer appears on "The Osbournes" as a loving, somewhat befuddled dad who gives his children sage advice about the dangers of sex, drugs and booze.
He speaks from experience; the Birmingham, England, musician has long battled substance abuse, and was notorious in his younger years for trashing hotel rooms, mistreating animals and languishing in drug-addled stupors.

MTV Mulls Other Reality Shows (4/15/2002)

Thanks to the success of "The Osbournes," MTV is apparently considering expanding their reality programming.
The show based on aging rock star Ozzy Osbourne and his has prompted other ideas. Entertainment Weekly reports that MTV may soon turn its cameras on rapper P. Diddy. Brandy may also let MTV in to do some kind of a story about her pregnancy.

Sharon & Kelly On Rosie O'donnel (4/11/2002)

Next Tuesday, April 16th, Sharon & Kelly Osbourne will be on the Rosie O'donnel show.

Sharon Osbourne Kicks Phil Soussan (4/11/2002)

At Randy Castillo's service the other day, Sharon Osbourne kicked former Ozzy bass player Phil Soussan in the knee because there is very bad blood between the two. A while back, Phil was asked to join the Daisley/Kerslake lawsuit again Ozzy, and while he never did, he did sue Sharon independently and Sharon is still holding a grudge. Once she has it in for you, you're done in her eyes. However, that certainly wasn't the time nor the place to be acting like a bitch.
There is going to be a Randy Castillo benefit show coming up, but no word right now who's going to be on it. Rumor has it that there are several big names that are going to be involved but nothing has been confirmed.
Rumor Boy Floyd - metalsludge.com

Ozzy goes soft on animals (4/11/2002)

Former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne has put his name to an animal-rights campaign.
The 53 year-old, who famously bit the head off a bat live on stage, has signed a petition to end cruelty to cats and dogs in South Korea.
The campaign is being organised by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) ahead of the World Cup in the summer.
Other celebrities to sign the petition include Pamela Anderson, George Michael and Christina Aguilera.
Ozzy has also been invited to meet George Bush at the White House, after the President revealed he was a big fan of 'The Osbournes' documentary. The programme, which follows the antics of the Osbourne family, will be shown in the UK next month.

Ozzy Series Helps MTV Top VH1 (4/8/2002)

NEW YORK (AP) - One man largely symbolizes the divergent fortunes of sister stations MTV and VH1. Can you believe it's Ozzy Osbourne?
MTV has him, and the reality sitcom starring the frazzled heavy metal legend and his family has become the kind of water-cooler hit that cable executives only dream of. ``The Osbournes'' has helped MTV build the biggest audience in its history.
VH1 doesn't have him. It doesn't have much of anything else that people are talking about, and that's reflected in sinking ratings and management uncertainty over the future.
The two Viacom-owned companies are racing in opposite directions.
"Things seem to be working now at MTV," said Van Toffler, the network's president. "We have a great creative team. It's a function of the fact that people aren't afraid to take risks. They're not afraid to fail, and we'll take ideas from anybody."
"The Osbournes" seemed like a risk on its face. It created its own genre - a show structured like a sitcom but featuring real people. And could America grow to love a family with a largely washed-up rock star, his manager wife and two high-strung children, all of whom swear prodigiously?
Then you watch, start laughing, and the answer seems obvious.
Within a month, the series has rivaled past MTV hits like "Jackass" and "Beavis & Butt-Head" and keeps growing. "The Osbournes" drew 4.1 million viewers to its regular Tuesday time slot on March 26, more popular than any series on cable except for professional wrestling. Striking while it's hot, MTV now airs different episodes of "The Osbournes" 15 times a week.
"You have people in their 40s talking about MTV, which hasn't happened in a while," said Brad Adgate, research director at Horizon Media.
Having a program that viewers specifically seek out is invaluable in a TV world where the average family receives 89 channels yet watches only about 14 regularly, he said. MTV can use "The Osbournes" as a platform to promote its entire schedule.
MTV has a history of programs that burn hot and burn fast, cultural touchstones created by a young audience that quickly moves on to something new. One obvious exception is "Real World," a ratings winner after a decade on the air that is quietly drawing viewers at nearly the pace of "The Osbournes."
"We have to reinvent ourselves every few years," Toffler said. "We've never sat back, gotten fat, rich and happy. Young people demand the change."
For the first three months of this year, MTV averaged 541,000 viewers, up from 504,000 the same period last year. To be fair, its success is not all Osbournes. The music countdown show "Total Request Live" is still a hit in the afternoon, "Cribs," which gives celebrity home tours, does very well, and so does the dating show, "Dismissed."
"The Osbournes" success has the network considering a similar behind-the-scenes look at a rap star's life, Toffler said.
"It has accelerated our development of reality shows," he said. "We've had a tougher time with more scripted material. I'm not sure our viewers expect that from MTV. They come to MTV for music and things that are a little fast-paced."
One could argue that "The Osbournes" would have been a better fit for VH1 than MTV. MTV's target audience wasn't born during Ozzy Osbourne's heyday with Black Sabbath; they relate more to his kids. At least VH1 has viewers who might have grown up with his music.
But it's a moot point. VH1 doesn't have him.
VH1 has had water-cooler shows in the past. "Pop-Up Videos" was much imitated, and the trashy "Behind the Music" melodramas about the rise and fall of rock stars resounded with music fans and resurrected careers.
But "Behind the Music" is a few years old now, and starting to run out of interesting stars to profile. It feels stale, and so does much of the network's schedule.
"It's in a rut," Adgate said. "They might have gotten lost in the shuffle, since there's a lot out there for people age 25 to 54 to watch. I think they lost their way in their branding effort."
VH1 averaged 198,000 viewers for the first three months of the year, down markedly from its 252,000 average a year earlier, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Know who Zach Galifianakis is?
Not many people do. He's the host of VH1's new nightly talk show, "Late World With Zach," that debuted March 4 - the night before "The Osbournes" premiere.
It's the show VH1 is most counting on to refresh its schedule and create a sensation. So far it hasn't happened; "Late World" averaged 129,000 viewers a night its first three weeks on the air.
Longtime VH1 chief executive John Sykes departed last month to take over Viacom's radio subsidiary. MTV's Judy McGrath was put in charge of VH1, and she's looking for someone to run the network on a day-to-day basis.
New to her supervision of VH1, McGrath was reluctant to talk about the network.
"They've got an active development process going on there," Toffler said, "and I'm sure they'll come up with their own Osbournes."
At VH1, they can only hope.

The Issues With The Re-Issues (4/8/2002)

Epic Records have reissued four classic OZZY OSBOURNE albums, Blizzard Of Ozz, Diary Of A Madman, Tribute and No More Tears, all digitally remastered and featuring original artwork, lyrics, vintage photography and new liner notes. Blizzard Of Ozz and Diary Of A Madman have been rerecorded with new bass (Robert Trujillo) and drums (Mike Bordin). It was Ozzy himself that decided to replace original bassist Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake on these new releases. "Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake have harassed Ozzy and our family for several years," said manager Sharon Osbourne. "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. We hope the fans enjoy the new versions as much as we do."

Ozzy Appearance On Access Hollywood (4/8/2002)

Access Hollywood WNBC, Tue Apr 16 07:30pm EDT

The Osbourne's To Air In Canada (4/8/2002)

MTV�s hit situation reality program The Osbournes, featuring OZZY OSBOURNE and family, will air in Canada on Tuesdays at 10:30pm ET/PT with the premiere on Tuesday April 30th. Canada's MTV will also rebroadcast each week's episode on Fridays at 10:30pm ET/PT. The series is the highest rated new series premiere among households and viewers 12-34 in MTV history, as well as being the highest rated new series on US cable television for the year to date.

Ozzy Accepts Invite To White House Dinner (4/5/2002)

If the Commander in Chief breaks bread with Ozzy Osbourne next month, relax; George W. Bush is not a closet metalhead, nor is it a sign of the coming apocalypse.
The unlikely meeting would happen at the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner, where the godfather of heavy metal and his wife, Sharon, will be the guests of TV news anchor Greta Van Susteren and Fox News Channel, according to a network spokesperson. Guests are invited by members of the association to sit at their respective tables, and the Osbournes accepted FNC's offer earlier this week.
Now in its 88th year, the White House Correspondents Association dinner is a goodwill gesture between the White House and the journalists who cover it. President George W. Bush is scheduled to attend this year's event, which will take place May 4 at the Washington Hilton in the nation's capital.
Is Osbourne suddenly turning his career from headbanging to politicking? The Ozzman, who's anything but reserved when it comes to his opinions on the virtual petting zoo in his home, has put his John Hancock on a PETA petition directed at South Korean Prime Minister Kim Dae-Jung, urging the government to prohibit the eating of cats and dogs.
The animal-rights organization is attempting to ensure that what are household pets in this country receive full protection from intentional cruelty and torture by "beating, hanging, electrocution, burning and boiling alive." Osbourne's signature appears alongside those of Pamela Anderson, Janet Jackson, Kid Rock, Christina Aguilera, Joe Pesci and Steve Buscemi.

Ozzy To Receive Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star (4/5/2002)

Next Friday, April 12, Ozzy will receive his star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in front of the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, 6780 Hollywood Boulevard at the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Av. The ceremony will take place at 11:30am and Ozzy extends the invitation to all his fans to come down and share in the moment. Ozzy, the family, and other luminaries will be there to drink in the occasion, so if you're in So-Cal you can't dare miss this!.

Ozzfest Updates (4/5/2002)

Rob Zombie has taken the nod to fill the slot vacated by the Chris Cornell/Rage Against the Machine band on the Ozzfest main stage this summer. Zombie maintains, though, that he will still put on a stripped down show that he has been wanting to do for a while now. He recently commented in the Los Angeles Times about the his decision: "As much as I love the big show and all the production, it becomes this huge thing of its own. Sometimes the show is so huge everything else gets lost...I haven't done anything like [this] in 12 years or something." Taking Zombie's place in the headlining position on the second stage will be Down, the New Orleans-based supergroup fronted by Pantera's Philip Anselmo and also featuring members of Corrosion of Conformity, EYEHATEGOD, and Crowbar. The band released their their highly anticipated second album, "Down II", last week. Hatebreed has also been tapped for the second stage in the slot preceding Down. Their second album, "Perseverance", was issued last week as well. And for the first half of Ozzfest 2002 party rocker Andrew W.K. will party on the second stage; Switched has been added to the second half of the tour.
Along with these additions to the bill there are some date changes as well. The July 10 Jones Beach show has been moved to Scranton, Pa., and the Indianapolis and Cleveland dates have flip-flopped: Cleveland is now Aug. 4 and Indianapolis is Aug. 13.
Main Stage OZZY OSBOURNE System of a Down Rob Zombie P.O.D. Drowning Pool Adema Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society
Second Stage Down (headliner) Hatebreed (second headliner) Meshuggah Apex Theory Lostprophets Pulse Ultra Neurotica
Third Stage (first half) Flaw 3rd Stage Otep Seether Ill Nino Andrew W.K.
Third Stage (second half) Mushroomhead SoiL Chevelle Glassjaw The Used Switched

Ozzy To Meet President Of The U.S. (4/3/2002)

Access Hollywood reported that President George Bush would like to meet Ozzy. A date has not yet been set.

Kelly Osbourne Collaborating With Incubus (4/3/2002)

Kelly Osbourne may be Sharon and Ozzy's daughter, but it seems she's got a little Madonna in her, too.
After successfully mastering the role of television star, Kelly is now trying her hand as a pop music icon. She and Incubus members Mike Einziger (guitar) and Jose Pasillas (drums) will collaborate to record a cover of Madonna's 1986 chart-topper "Papa Don't Preach."
"I didn't choose the song," Kelly said Tuesday (April 2). "My mom did and asked me to do it. I'm kind of crapping myself because I don't think I'm a very good singer."
That should be the least of Kelly's troubles. Producing the track will be her brother and ultimate antagonist, Jack Osbourne.
"Papa Don't Preach" will most likely and aptly appear on an upcoming soundtrack for the MTV series "The Osbournes."

Ozzy On EPSN Talk Show (4/3/2002)

ANOTHER TALK SHOW? Yup, another one. However, "Mohr Sports," starring the "SNL" alum and "Jerry Maguire" star, represents a big departure for cable's ESPN. And if host Jay Mohr is as amusing as he was in Fox's "Action," this one could have a decent run.
"Mohr" is ESPN's first Lettermanesque talk show and will be produced by ex-David Letterman producer Robert Morton, who says, "I'm looking at this as a comedy/variety show with something that guides the material, which is sports. We're going to have athletes, stars, music guests, but the bulk of the material is going to be sports. The whole monologue will be sports. You've never seen that before."
No, indeed. Mohr promises "a lot of surprises [including] Ozzy Osbourne and [hip-hop star] Rakim. It's a comedy show, a variety show and as far as fitting into ESPN's sports programming format, [I'm] not concerned about that."
Showtimes:
Fri, 5 - 11:30 PM - ESPN2 Mon, 8 - 3:00 AM - ESPN2

Randy Castillo Dead (3/28/2002)

Drummer Randy Castillo, whose resume included stints with Ozzy Osbourne and Motley Crue, among others, died Tuesday (March 26) at age 50. The cause of death was unknown as of press time, but it was thought to be from complications involving his battle with cancer, as well as the chemotherapy and radiation treatments he had undergone in the past two years.
After playing on the 1984 Lita Ford album Dancin' On The Edge, Castillo hooked up with Osbourne for the 1986 collection Ultimate Sin and then stayed a member of his band for four more albums 1989's No Rest For The Wicked, 1990's Just Say Ozzy, and 1991's No More Tears--as well as the 1993 concert video Live & Loud. After leaving Osbourne, Castillo played on a series of tribute albums saluting acts such as Alice Cooper, Aerosmith and Def Leppard, and then he joined Motley Crue.
Castillo suffered a ruptured stomach ulcer after completing the most recent Motley Crue album, 2000's New Tattoo, and underwent emergency surgery, which knocked him off most of the band's tour that year (Hole drummer Samantha Maloney filled in for him).
Two months after the operation, Castillo learned he had cancer and began an intensive radiation-and-chemotherapy program. In messages to his fans since then, Castillo sounded upbeat and gave no indication that anything was seriously wrong. A post dated February 3, 2001, reads: "There is no recurrence of cancer anywhere in my body so all I have is four more chemo sessions left and I'm done except for follow-up & monitoring which is no big deal. I'm a f--kin' cancer survivor! I got a lot a lost time to make up for." A follow-up message on April 28, 2001, contained the good news: "Won the battle against the big C!"
With Motley Crue on an extended hiatus, Castillo decided to start up a new project: "I have been working hard writing and recording with Mike Inez of Ozzy & Alice In Chains fame on a new, as-yet-to-be-named band...We have been woodshedding and coming out with some amazing stuff if I do say so myself." He added, "Health-wise, I'm 100 percent back, strong and kicking." Castillo's most recent fan message was dated February 1 of this year, when he wrote, "Working hard on getting the new band rolling. The music is all done...now we just need the singer from HELL!"
Castillo also had a band in Los Angeles called Azul that was a complete departure from the hard rock he was known for. He described the group's style as "a flamenco, mystical, gypsy trance and tribal sort of thing." In an interview last year, Castillo was asked, "What is the funniest untrue rumor you've heard about yourself or Motley Crue?" The drummer replied, "Well, this may not sound funny, but to me it was. I heard rumors to the effect that I wasn't going to make it and was dying. Well, I maybe felt like I was dying and I looked like Gandhi with tattoos but I never, ever thought I wasn't going to make it! When I heard that, it just made my resolve all the stronger just to prove to those dorks that they were wrong."
Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx posted this message on the band's website "You used to joke around with me all the time, saying that we had 'dented halos.' I'll miss you my friend, and I love you." --Bruce Simon and Dan Panariello, New York

Motley Crue Drummer Castillo Dies (3/28/2002)

Randy Castillo, the drummer who replaced Tommy Lee in Motley Crue, has died.
Castillo died of cancer Tuesday night in Los Angeles, according to the band's management. He was 49.
The heavy metal outfit's drummer had been battling the disease for some time and it was in remission. But Castillo suffered a relapse.
Castillo forged a career handling the sticks for other hard rock acts, including a stint with Ozzy Osbourne's band and another with Lita Ford. He joined Motley Crue in 1999 when Lee left to form Methods of Mayhem.
The retooled Crue, featuring singer Vince Neil, guitarist Mick Mars and bassist Nikki Sixx, released the 11-song "New Tattoo" in July 2000.
Castillo "always had a smile and positive things to say about everything and everybody," Sixx says on the band's Web site. "He was a great caring person and a very spiritual soul."
Sixx adds that the band members will miss him and will "jam together again someday soon."

One Thing Ozzy Can't Stomach (3/28/2002)

OZZY Osbourne has bitten the head off a bat, defecated in a woman's handbag, and snorted a line of ants off the ground - but the rocker was utterly disgusted at the idea of meeting Russell Yates, the husband of convicted child killer Andrea Yates. While shadowing Osbourne for an upcoming story in Blender magazine, writer Adrian Deevoy accompanied him to a "Today" show taping, where Deevoy met Yates in the green room. Yates yammered about what a big Osbourne fan he was, sang several Black Sabbath songs, and talked excitedly about getting a picture with the rocker. But when Osbourne and wife Sharon were told that Yates wanted a photo, they were repulsed. "I will burn his eyes out with a hot poker," Ozzy bellowed. "He is profiting directly from the demise of his own children. And that, to me, is wrong." After being warned that Yates was waiting for him in the green room, the Osbournes and Devoy ducked out the door.

Ozzy On Jay Leno (3/24/2002)

According to the TV GUIDE, Ozzy and family will be on JAY LENO on Friday March 29, 2002.

Ozzy Mini Mates (3/24/2002)

Check these out:
Click here!

Ozzfest 2002 Press Release + Itinerary (3/21/2002)

Never let the bastards drag you around, someone wise once said. Well, OZZFEST, the bastard of summer festivals, plans to do exactly that this summer when the inimitable King of the Road stomps and tramples its way across North America for 32 shows, dragging all that glorious, muckraking noise along with it. Seven years running The Ozzfest has brought the best hard rock and metal to amphitheaters coast to coast and this summer will top them all. Continuing his Down to Earth World Tour Ozzy Osbourne, hot off the phenomenal success of The Osbournes, will return with a searing solo set and his tightest band ever, the rejuvenated Zakk Wylde, Robert Trujillo, and Mike Bordin. The staging is top secret and promises to be his biggest production ever. Ozzfest alum System of a Down will bring to the table a feast of hopped-up fusion rock the likes of which keep getting crazier and more challenging. No wonder they've garnered such high praise for their latest, Toxicity. Touring for the first time will be the new band featuring Chris Cornell, Tim Commerford, Tom Morello, and Brad Wilk, a project that promises to be stunning on all fronts. The hush-hush recording sessions have spawned rumors of all kinds but the goods will be laid out for all to see on the Ozzfest stage. Double Platinum sensations P.O.D. and Ozzfest 2001 screamers Drowning Pool both are planning to assault the senses, while Adema and Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society will open the main stage bill. The second stage headliner this year is none other than Rob Zombie who will be playing a stripped down, bare bones "jeans and t-shirt" set, something the Zombie man hasn't done since the days fermenting his act in the bowels of New York. The rest of the rest: Swedish marauders Meshuggah, Apex Theory, Lost Prophets, Pulse Ultra, and Neurotica. Splitting the tour in half will be Flaw, Mushroomhead, 3rd Strike, Otep, Seether, Glassjaw, Used, Soil, Ill Nino, and Chevelle. In addition to three stages of music, The Village of the Damned, the circus- like concourse of attractions, exhibitors (featuring, as always, piercing booths and tattoo parlors), and exhibitionists (breast painting anyone?) will return with its diversions for the restless. Responsible for exposing the Heavyweights of Rock year in, year out, The Ozzfest continues to shine in the absence of critical acclaim and media smothering. Let it Rock!
Click here for tour dates.

MTV Report On Ozzfest 2002 (3/21/2002)

Ozzy Osbourne, System of a Down, P.O.D. and the new band featuring former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell and Rage Against the Machine members Tim Commerford, Tom Morello and Brad Wilk are among the groups slated to take the main stage when this summer's Ozzfest kicks off on July 6, Ozzy's manager/wife, Sharon Osbourne, told MTV News on Tuesday.
They'll be joined by Drowning Pool and mainstage openers Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society and Adema. Meanwhile, Rob Zombie, an Ozzfest main stage veteran, will headline the second stage, which this year promises to be larger, with a stripped-down set.
A press conference was held on Thursday (March 21) to announce the lineup and routing, as well as Ozzfest's promotional partnership with the World Wrestling Federation, the tour's chief sponsor. The corporate synergy will result in pro wrestlers including Triple H, who attended the press conference appearing at tour stops to announce artists, and a special booth erected in the Village of the Damned concession area where rockers and wrestlers will give autographs to fans.
"On the opening night, Ozzy and I have a cage match scheduled," Triple H joked at the conference when asked what other rock-and-wrestling connections could be expected.
The trek begins in Bristow, Virginia, and traverses the East Coast before cutting through the Midwest to cruise the West Coast in late August. The 27-date tour winds down in the Southwest and draws to a close September 8 in Dallas.
Reigning in the revamped Rage who are still without a name or a target album date was quite the coup, given that the group's Ozzfest performances will likely provide the first tastes of a project that's been buzzed about since the two camps first jammed together last year.
"They wanted to work with Ozzy," Sharon said. "They want to be in the same show as Ozzy, so it was really easy. We wanted them. We love the band. Ozzy is a huge fan."
"Chris Cornell is my favorite singer," Ozzy said. "I think he's a great, great vocalist."
"And also just looking at it [from a business perspective], it's so smart for them to come right off the bat," added Ozzy's son Jack, who has assisted in determining the Ozzfest roster for the past few years, "from nothing to be playing at Ozzfest straight off."
"It works for everyone," Sharon concluded.
Progressive Swedish metalheads Meshuggah (a Jack selection) lead the second and third stage acts, which also include Apex Theory, Lost Prophets, Pulse Ultra and Neurotica. Performing on select dates will be Flaw, Mushroomhead, 3rd Strike, Otep, Seether, Glassjaw, Used, Soil, Ill Nino and Chevelle.
This year's lineup features a cavalcade of Ozzfest vets, including System of a Down, P.O.D., Rob Zombie, Drowning Pool, Black Label Society and of course, Ozzy himself (see "System Of A Down Join Ozzy As Ozzfest Headliners"). While it may seem like a repackaged package tour, at the press conference Sharon said the familiar faces graduating up the ranks of the Ozzfest stage hierarchy is all part of the artists' development, a process that includes fans as much as the tour organizers.
"Take a band like Drowning Pool," she said. "On the first part of Ozzfest last year, they didn't even have a record out. Their record came out after the first four weeks of Ozzfest and instantly charted. We look at them as part of Ozzfest. They were on the third stage last year and played for 20 minutes, and they became a huge success. So now ... after selling [just over a million] albums, kids can see them play for 45 minutes on a huge stage; it's just the growth. And kids like to see that growth because those kids were part of making these bands. It's the same with P.O.D.
"When System first did Ozzfest, they sold maybe 20,000 copies. Their [new] record has sold [almost] 2 million. So to see them grow is amazing."

Ozzy & The Osbournes Hit CNN & TRL (3/18/2002)

Tune in Tuesday, March 19 to CNN when American Morning's Paula Zahn interviews TV's favorite family! The show airs from 7-9AM. Look for Ozzy & Family wreaking havoc on the MTV studios later that same day on TRL!

Blue-chip investment: Ozzy on CNBC (3/17/2002)

Ozzy Osbourne, who already has a hit on his hands with MTV's "The Osbournes," is taking his act to Wall Street.
On Monday, Osbourne and his wife, Sharon Osbourne, will visit the floor of the New York Stock Exchange for an interview on CNBC's "Business Center," hosted by Ron Insana and Sue Herera (5-7 p.m.).
The Osbournes will talk about the rock 'n roll biz and the couple's personal investments (which have seemingly paid off very handsomely). MTV's "The Osbournes," a real-life look at Ozzy, Sharon and their kids, scored well in its debut.

Louis Osbourne "Techno DJ" (3/2/2002)

Louis Osbourne, the son of the legardary Ozzy Osbourne is a techno DJ.
DJ Louis has played all over the world including residencies at three of Ibiza's top spots: Cream @ Amnesia (1998), Caf� Mambo (1998), and El Divino Sunset Caf� (1999). He's also DJed extensively in Australia spending a good chunk of 1999 at clubs in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Now the Son of Ozzy is about to take on America's Tri-state for the very first time. He makes his tri-state debut at Conduit's Focus on Saturday, March 2.
Louis is based in Birmingham, England, the city that gave birth to his dad's band Black Sabbath. He has held a residency at House of God, Birmingham's techno mecca since 1997.

UK Ozzfest 2002 (2/28/2002)

This year the best hard rock festival in the world OZZFEST comes to the UK and rightly the event returns to the spiritual home of rock at Donington Park on Saturday 25th May.
After the huge success of last year's OZZFEST and the sold out US leg, the UK line up this year promises to be bigger, better and ear-bleedingly louder than ever before with a total of 26 bands on the bill on two main outdoor stages and one indoor arena.
Heading the bill will be the incomparable OZZY OSBOURNE. Also, just confirmed are the outstanding TOOL, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, SLAYER and CRADLE OF FILTH with many many more soon to be announced. As with last year's event, OZZFEST will be sponsored by Kerrang! - the world's biggest-selling weekly music magazine. Kerrang! will also support the event on its 24-hour television channel, Kerrang! TV (channels 454 and 332 on Sky Digital and Telewest respectively), through its website (http://www.kerrang.com) and through its weekly club nights.
And this year, for the very first time BBC Radio 1 will be broadcasting live from the OZZFEST site bringing listeners all the best music from the festival. The station will be shifting its schedule and broadcasting a very special edition of the Radio 1 Rock show presented by Mary Anne Hobbs which will come from Donington Park. The show will go out on Radio 1 on Saturday 25th May 9pm - Midnight.
In another exciting development, Radio 1 and Kerrang! Magazine will be joining forces to present a brand new stage on the day, the line up of which will be announced nearer the time. Radio 1 online (http://www.bbc.uk/radio1) will also be there bringing exclusive news and reports from the event.
Tickets for OZZFEST are on sale now, priced �37.50 + booking fee.
Weekend camping tickets will be available for �10 on Friday and Saturday. This will include parking and tickets should be purchased at the same time as OZZFEST tickets. There will be a licensed bar in the camping area on Friday.
Doors are set to open at 9am and the first band on the main stage will be on at 11am.
Tickets can be purchased from the following outlets. All subject to booking fee:
OZZFEST Ticketline 0870 169 0119 (24 hours). Donington Park Box Office - Venue Box Office - no booking fee to personal callers paying by cash or cheques.
Or in person: at selected Virgin Megastores, Waitrose Stores, Blackwells Bookshops, all Tower Record Stores and...
Online at: http://WWW.TICKETMASTER.CO.UK
And all other agents including Albermarle, Birmingham Ticket Shop, Bristol Ticket Shop, Ticketline UK, Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Tickets Scotland, Cavendish Travel, First Call, Stratford Ticket Shop, Newcastle City Hall, Liverpool Royal Court, Spin A Disk, Stargreen, Poster Place, NEC, Piccadilly, Way Ahead, Derricks, Rock City.
There is also a special National Coach line number: 0115 912 9120

New Ozzy Book (2/23/2002)

'ROCKDETECTOR: OZZY OSBOURNE' by Garry Sharpe-Young. Published in May by Cherry Red Publishing.
The most detailed account of the Ozzy Osbourne band written to date. Chronicles the real story of Ozzy's 'Blizzard Of Oz' as detailed by the band members themselves in exclusive interviews as well as those musicians prior and post Ozzy achievements with full individual discography's. First hand accounts from Ozzy's key players as well as interviews with those who nearly made it through the audition process.
The story behind the two bands Ozzy assembled away from Black Sabbath in 1977, the induction of Randy Rhoads, the major names that didn't make it into the band, the recording and song writing processes, the real meanings behind the song lyrics, and a whole lot more - all exclusive.
Those interviewed include: Bob Daisley, Lee Kerslake, Steve Vai, Brad Gillis, Bernie Torme, Ray Gomez, Dana Strum, Kelly Garni, Lita Ford, Don Airey, Lyndsay Bridgwater, Pete Way, Phil Soussan, Tommy Aldridge, Carmine Appice, Fred Coury, Terry Nails plus many, many more.
'Rockdetector: Ozzy Osbourne' is the first in a series of biographical histories on major Rock artists. Also forthcoming: 'Rockdetector Classic American Rock' and 'Rockdetector Classic British Rock'.
This book will be made available in May through www.rockdetector.com

Ozzy Commandeers A Tank At Camp Casey (2/21/2002)

Ozzy lived out one of his dreams Wednesday when he got behind the wheel of a tank and took it for a joyride before his USO show for the troops stationed at Camp Casey in South Korea. An avid reader of WWII books and a History Channel buff Ozzy has always been fascinated by the rolling thunder of these war machines. Check out this priceless photo of Ozzy commandeering a tank with two of America's finest by his side.

The Osbournes Make The Cover Of TV Guide (2/21/2002)

Rock's royal family grace the cover of TV Guide this week as the esteemed television publication gives an overview of what promises to be spring's reality/sitcom sensation, "The Osbournes".
Along with exclusive photos of the family there is a nice two-page write-up on the crazy world of Ozz. Pick it up! (It's the February 23 - March 1 issue.)
Cover Inside Scan 1 Inside Scan 2 Inside Scan 3 Inside Scan 4

Ozzy To Rock U.S. Troops In Far East (2/20/2002)

After more than 60 years of scheduling events for American soldiers overseas, The United Services Organizations have finally booked an act armed with mountain-leveling firepower. Yes, the Blizzard of Ozz, Ozzy Osbourne, has been sent to the Far East to entertain servicemen in Japan and Korea.
On Thursday, Osbourne will fly to Seoul, Korea, to play a USO concert at Camp Casey. Between 25,000 and 30,000 soldiers are expected to attend the show, which will differ little from Ozzy's touring set, said his publicist, who added that although Osbourne has lived a wild life, he's very patriotic and is looking forward to entertaining the troops.
The USO concert was originally planned for Tuesday (February 19), but organizers decided to reschedule since many soldiers would not have been able to attend the event while President Bush was in town.
Ozzy was invited to Korea following an abundance of requests from servicemen, who seem to have forgiven him for the blatantly anti-war Black Sabbath song "War Pigs." While the USO did not restrict him from playing that or any other song, they requested that he not perform anything that would be degrading in any way to the troops or the organization, a USO entertainment spokesperson said.
In December, Kid Rock, Ja Rule and Jennifer Lopez recently performed at Rammstein Army base in Germany. Ozzy is the first heavy metal act to rock the USO since the events following September 11.
When he received the offer to play the USO show, the grandfather of loud was already in Japan, where he performed a number of other concerts including a February 15 gig at Tokyo's famed Budokan Hall which was recorded for a live album that will be released this summer.
Two days later, Ozzy dropped in on the U.S. base in Tokyo where he signed autographs and mingled with servicemen and women. The last night of the official Japanese tour was February 18 in Yokahama.
After Osbourne leaves the Far East, he will perform in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska, on February 24 and 25, respectively, before playing seven shows across Canada between March 3 and 14. On May 17, Ozzy will fly to Germany for a series of European dates.

Live at Budokan Update (2/14/2002)

According to VH1.com, Ozzy's new live album due out this summer will also be released on DVD.

The Osbournes Coming To An MTV Near You! (2/14/2002)

The Cleavers, the Bradys, the Cosbys...and now the Osbournes. It's the next generation of family-oriented sitcom, a reality- based comedy in which cameras followed around the Prince of Darkness and his royal family for six months. There's no script, the situations are real, the family is normal...well, sort of.
Check out a clip of the First Family of Rock and Roll welcoming you to their world:
Click Here!
Don't miss the series premiere March 5 at 10:30 p.m. ET.

OZZFEST: European Appearances In The Works (2/10/2002)

Long-running metal festival Ozzfest is in talks to complete several dates overseas before beginning its annual North American summer trek. According to several credible reports, the outing has already lined up a May 26th show in Ireland at the Punchestown Race Course near Dublin, while a concert at Castle Donnington in England is in the works for June. In addition, an appearance at the Goffertpark in Nijmegen, Holland on June 1st is reportedly close to being wrapped up. Osbourne, who headlined last year's Ozzfest with BLACK SABBATH, will close out this year's tour with his own band, while SYSTEM OF A DOWN, DISTURBED, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and ONESIDEZERO are also said to be confirmed for the event.

System of a Down To Headline Ozzfest Main Stage (1/29/2002)

System of a Down will be headlining the main stage at this year's Ozzfest.
"We're headlining it right before Ozzy," said bassist Shavo Odadjian backstage on the Sydney leg of the Big Day Out festival on Saturday (Jan. 26), which marked the start of the L.A.-based band's world tour.
"This is our third year on the Ozzfest," he continues. "The first year we played we were on the second stage, and we got recognized, you know? We played in '99 again, we played the main stage, first band. Now it's 2002 and we're doing it, and we're headlining the main stage. So that's pretty psychotic the cycle that life takes you to. And we're also doing Castle Donington [in the U.K.] this year."

Dreamer DVD Single (1/29/2002)

Epic UK are releasing OZZY OSBOURNE's 'Dreamer' as a DVD single. I have no futher information on this - so don't e-mail me!!!!

"Expanded Edition" Re-Issues To Be Released In March (1/25/2002)

March 26 marks the release date of the first wave of Expanded Editions from the Ozzy catalog: Blizzard of Ozz, Diary of a Madman, Tribute, and the Grammy-award winning No More Tears.
Expanded Editions include:
Original cover art restored
All original issue information featured
Bonus tracks
New, never-before-seen photos
In-depth liner notes from Phil Alexander (editor-in-chief of Kerrang!)
Digitally remastered from the original master tapes for the ultimate sound
Bonus Tracks
Blizzard Of Ozz "You Lookin' At Me Lookin' At You," from the UK single for "Crazy Train", and "You Said It All (Live)" from the UK b-side of "Mr. Crowley."
Diary Of A Madman "I Don't Know (Live)," taken from the b-Side of the "Flying High Again" single.
Tribute A previously unreleased single edit of "No Bone Movies."
No More Tears Two b-sides: "Don't Blame Me" and "Party With The Animals".

Ozzy Canadian Tour 2002 (1/17/2002)

Click here for the new dates!

Jack's Been Scouting Bands! (1/17/2002)

Jack Osbourne isn't interested in following in his famous father's heavy metal footsteps, but he's doing well on the other side of the microphone, scouting bands for Epic Records.
"They gave me a contract," says the 16-year-old son of Ozzy Osbourne. "I've been interning, scouting over there for a year already." He's currently "looking at two" acts -- Rooney, fronted by actor Robert Schwartzman (The Princess Diaries, The Virgin Suicides), and a band from Calabasas, Calif., called Delusion, which he describes as fitting in with "the whole Incubus kind of thing."
Might one of them end up on this summer's Ozzfest? "Hopefully," he says.

Update On MTV Ozzy Series (1/16/2002)

PASADENA, Calif. -- Ozzie and Harriet, meet Satan. That's pretty much the premise of what has to be hands down the funniest -- as well as the most surreal -- show to emerge from this winter's network press tour, The Osbournes. Debuting March 5 on the U.S. music network MTV, and headed to the new diginet MTVCanada (exact date not confirmed as yet), The Osbournes is a weekly "situation reality show" centring around the actual home life of heavy-metal icon Ozzy Osbourne.
Yes, that Osbourne, the one who used to bite the heads off live bats for kicks on stage.
On Monday, the family was trooped out before the critics just like any other sitcom cast. There sat Ozzy,53, the granddaddy of Goth, a study in black and bright blue sunglasses. He was joined by his wife Sharon (also his manager), 17-year-old daughter Kelly (she with the smart mouth to match her wacky red hair), and 16-year-old son Jack (home schooled, of course, and sporting a new yellow Mohawk).
A sample tape was played of their home life in Southern California, culled from six months of MTV tailing the Osbournes 24/7 with cameras and boom mikes.
Not that any microphone could decipher Osbourne's mumbled ramblings, prompting one critic to ask if the series would be subtitled. "Who said that?" asked wife Sharon, springing from her chair. "Get up, you a--hole!"
Actually, not being able to understand Ozzy may be a good thing, since every second word rhymes with "truck." This is one rocked-out, vulgar dude, all of which makes seeing him as a TV dad all the more hilarious. "I'm a normal dad and the kids tell me to go screw myself," explained Ozzy.
For instance, when daughter Kelly tells dad she's got a tattoo. A teeny red heart, on her pelvis. Osbourne, who is covered in more ink than Lex from Survivor, is the original illustrated man. How can this dad say anything to this daughter? Yet it is Ozzy who squirms when it comes time to tell the wife.
Watching him give bumbling, stupid advice to Kelly about drugs and condoms is beyond bizarre. This is Cliff Huxtable's worst nightmare.
Most of the shows play out like Home Improvement on crack. You'll die laughing as Ozzy is stumped by his new cable hookup. There he is, sitting in front of a giant screen and forever stuck on the Weather Channel. All he can do is yell for his kids.
Then there's the episode when the Osbournes move. The camera pans down a tower of boxes in the driveway marked "linens," "dishes," and "dead things."
Before that move, these freaks actually lived next door to squeaky clean '60s crooner Pat Boone! "The best neighbour that we've ever had," said Sharon. "We had Pat Boone on one side and Meatloaf on the other," added Kelly. Said Ozzy, "It was sort of like a Satan sandwich."
Critics roared with laughter at these living, breathing, rock and roll Munsters. Finally, a real American family on TV.
The punchline is that the Osbournes have been married for 20 years, despite the excesses of touring and fame.
Not that they don't have their moments. "So many celebrities have done bullshit documentaries," said Osbourne. "There is good, bad and ugly in this film. That's reality, and I didn't want to tidy up this stuff for this show."

Ozzy on Mummy III Soundtrack (1/16/2002)

Godsmack, System of a Down, Creed and Nickelback will contribute new songs to Music from and Inspired by "The Scorpion King", the soundtrack to the third Mummy movie. The disc is due March 26th. The Godsmack song, "I Stand Alone," will be the collection's first single, hitting radio stations February 5th.
The soundtrack also features new songs from Sevendust, Drowning Pool, Coal Chamber, Hoobastank, Mushroomhead and Twelve Stones; a new remix of P.O.D.'s "Set It Off"; and previously released material, including the Rob Zombie and Ozzy Osbourne collaboration "Iron Head."
The Scorpion King, starring The Rock, Michael Clarke Duncan and Kelly Hu, opens April 19th.
The Music from and Inspired by "The Scorpion King" track listing:
Godsmack, "I Stand Alone" P.O.D., "Set It Off" Drowning Pool, "Break You" System of a Down, "Streamline" Creed, "To Whom it May Concern" Nickleback, "Yanking Out My Heart" Hoobastank, "Losing My Grip" Flaw, "Only the Strong" Rob Zombie w/Ozzy Osbourne, "Iron Head" Twelve Stones, "My Life" Mushroomhead, "Along the Way" Lifer, "Breathless" Sevendust, "Corrected" Injected, "Burn It Back" Breaking Point, "27" Coal Chamber, "Glow"
AUGUSTIN K. SEDGEWICK

Gossip From Ozzfest.com (1/14/2002)

Rumor has it this year's Ozzfest bill is going to be heavier, as the backlash against butterflies has shift(y)ed into overdrive, as evidenced by the deluge of e-mails since the Daily Decibel posting last week. Keep 'em coming-- OZZMINISTRATOR@aol.com (please, suggest only five bands and title your e-mail OZZFEST TOP FIVE).
When will Ozzfest U.K. be announced? Previous British music rag interviews have quoted Mrs. O saying the '02 Ozzfest U.K. would mark a return to the hallowed Castle Donington. Will Tool play? Manson? System of a Down? Queens of the Stone Age? Xentrix? One thing's for certain: the Mother Land will be soiled by the time we're done "over there".
Who would love to see a reunited Motorhead get together this summer? Will Zakk Wylde do double-duty playing with his Black Label Society dwelling motherfuckers AND then a headlining set with Ozzy? And if so, does his liver have anything to say about that? Will Ozzfest also play dates on the mainland of Europe for the first time ever? Oddsmakers are banking on Germany. When will the outlandishly entertaining 'We Sold Our Souls For Rock 'n Roll' see the light of day? The Ozzfest film is nearing a distribution deal, finally. Or so they say. The film ended up in year-end critic's polls at both the L.A. Weekly and the Dallas Morning-Star, among others. Will South of the Border promoters make Ozzfest, Ltd. alluring enough offers to take the road circus to Mexico and Brazil for the first time? We shall see.

Ozzy Joins The USO Club (1/12/2002)

Ozzy Osbourne is planning to join a club that includes Blur, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Storm Troopers of Death and, most famously, Cheap Trick next month when he records his own version of Live at Budokan.
The Grammy nominated (Best Metal Performance) Brit rocker will tape his February 15th show at Tokyo's famed venue for a live album to be released this summer on Epic. According to the Osbourne's Web site, the disc will likely feature "Black Skies" and the B-side "No Place for Angels," as well as Ozzy favorites.
Before the Tokyo show, Osbourne will join another club -- one that includes Jennifer Lopez, Bob Hope, Kid Rock, Judy Garland and The Andrew Sisters -- when he heads out on his first USO tour. Osbourne's destination, like that of all USO stars, is being kept under wraps for security purposes, but USO tour producer Bernie Rone is confident his appearance will be more than welcomed.
"We're dealing with kids who know who Ozzy Osbourne is," Rone says. "We have to look at what's happening right now and get the troops what they want."
JOLIE LASH and STEVE APPLEFORD - Rolling Stone

New Ozzy Album "Live at Budokan" Definite (1/8/2002)

I got word today from Divine Recordings that this album is definite and will be released in June.
"Live at Budokan" will be recorded at one of the dates on Ozzy's forthcoming February tour of the Far East.
Three unreleased studio tracks, including the left-for-dead "Black Skies" from Ozzy's defunct video game (the company went under), will also be made part of the package.

L.A. Show Is A No No (1/8/2002)

Ozzy will not be performing for the Artists Rights Benefits as previously reported in L.A.
Ozzy will not hit L.A. until this summer at Ozzfest 2002.

Tonight Show Appearnace Update (1/8/2002)

Ozzy will perform on Jay Leno's Tonight Show in March.

Ozzy, Sabbath Nominated for Another Grammy! (1/4/2002)

Black Sabbath have been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance ("The Wizard" from Ozzfest 2001: The Second Millenium) by the National Acadamy of Recording Arts & Sciences, the organization responsible for the awards show. This marks Ozzy's third nomination, the previous two being for "I Don't Want to Change the World" from Live & Loud (1993) and Sabbath's "Iron Man" from Reunion (1999). Ozzy came out victorious on both occasions. May the Wizard walk by, casting his magic and twinkling his bell the night of the awards and make Ozzy a three-time winner!

What? No Tonight Show? (1/3/2002)

Due to scheduling conflicts Ozzy (obviously) did not perform on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno December 27, as previously reported. Tonight Show producers are working to find a date for Ozzy to be a guest on the show before he departs for Mount Fuji in early February.

Japan Tour Dates (1/3/2002)

Click here to visit the tour dates section.

Ozzy Performs WTC Benefit And Visits Ground Zero (1/3/2002)

Although known to many as the dove eating, bat wielding rebellious fontman of Black Sabbath and notorious solo star, his fans know that offstage Ozzy Osbourne is a family man and good hearted soul who loves and appreciated his fans. Well, the Ozz-man proved his devotion to his fans in New York and showed his human side when he staged a Merry Mayhem charity concert for the World Trade Center victims at the Meadowlands in New Jersey on December 23rd and stopped by Ground Zero to pay his respects to the victims and workers who are clearer the rubble round the clock. KNAC.COM fan Rick Bonadies, a firefighter with New York City's Engine 153, has been working at Ground Zero and is a longtime Ozzy fan. He was asked by his co-workers if he could help arrange to get Ozzy to come down to Ground Zero the day before the concert to pay his respects and contacted his wife/manager Sharon, who happily arranged the visit. Ozzy and Sharon where the most down to Earth people, taking pictures and signing autographs with everyone who asked, Bonadies told KNAC.COM. Ozzy even talked to fans kids and wives on cell phones when asked. The night of the show Ozzy stopped the show and took six fireman and six police officers on stage with him and again showed the respect he hade for us. The police presented Ozzy with a cross cut out of a beam from the WTC. He looked shocked to see it and gave the cross a kiss. I just want all Ozzy fans to know that Ozzy is a rock star and a gentleman." - Knac.com

My Review Of The 12/23/01 New Jersey Show (12/26/2001)

Well, I got back stage, and met with Ozzy and Sharon. Need I say more? Click here for the full story!

The Osbournes are coming to MTV! (12/23/2001)

MTV is currently filming a documentary/real life adventure show called "The Osbournes". 13 episodes will be put together. The show is scheduled to air in March 2002.
Ozzy visited Ground Zero today (12/22/01) along with the MTV crew. Sharon, Jack and Kelly were also in attendance.

"Live at Budokan" - Ozzy Style (12/20/2001)

With Ozzy's forthcoming February tour of the Far East (tour dates to be announced soon) there is much talk about a "Live at Budokan" - styled live album to be recorded at one of the dates on the tour. Supposedly three unreleased studio tracks, including the left-for-dead "Black Skies" from Ozzy's defunct video game (the company went under), will also be made part of the package. A summer release is planned through Epic Records.

Ozzy Goes Shopping (12/20/2001)

Okay, we all suspect that Ozzy's really a family man at heart, even after all the gross antics with animals and repulsive stage stunts that he's been responsible for throughout his 30-year career as the loony one now we have proof. Seems metal's baddest bad boy, Ozzy Osbourne, is bringing his family to New York and is very excited about doing a little holiday shopping at Virgin Megastore Times Square this week. MTV will be on hand to shoot the Osbourne family's holiday outing for a documentary program on the top family man. Stay tuned for any reports of ill behavior in the store.

Specs For Dreamer Single (12/14/2001)

Dreamer - Japanese release. Tracks:
1.Dreamer (Full Version) 2.Dreamer (Acoustic Version) 3.Black Skies (Unreleased Track)
Country: JAPAN. Release Date: 1/28/02
You can pre-order this through Siren Disc.

Ozzy Segment On Much Music (12/14/2001)

The NewMusic (SHOW #13-882) Airdates: Mon. Mon. Dec. 17, 2001 @ 9pm et Sun. Dec. 23, 2001 @ 4:30pm et
When Ozzy Osbourne first entered music with heavy metal godfathers Black Sabbath, you wouldn't think that he would be around in 2001 and remain relevant. Well he has, with a new album and his Ozzfest tour. Yup, Ozzy is metal royalty. The NewMusic's George Stroumboulopoulos got a chance to jet with Ozzy on his private plane between Chicago and Philadelphia.

Ozzy To Perform "Dreamer" On Tonight Show (12/8/2001)

Yes, Jay Leno has asked the world's most notorious Madman to again play on the Tonight Show. Mark your calendars for December 27th when Ozzy will premiere the first live performance of "Dreamer". A must-see for sure! Maybe Ozzy will get some "couch time" this time around.

Ozzy drops out of Black Skies (12/8/2001)

The fantasy action game being developed at iRock Interactive drops the Ozzy Osbourne license and will now be known as Savage Skies.
GameSpot received more details from iRock Interactive Vice President Robert Stevenson regarding the status of Ozzy's Black Skies, the company's upcoming fantasy action game. According to Stevenson, the company has dropped the Ozzy Osbourne license due to financial expense and misconceptions about the game that made it difficult to secure a publisher for the game. The game will continue to be developed at iRock Interactive under the title Savage Skies and will continue to focus on fast-paced fantasy creature-vs.-creature aerial combat. The team at iRock is currently working on tuning the game and enhancing its gameplay.

Black Skies Bites The Dust? (12/6/2001)

This is from Joe Siegler @ black-sabbath.com:
I got off the phone this morning with Sharon Osbourne's office, and I had inquired about the status of the "Ozzy's Black Skies" videogame which had been in production most of the year, and was due to come out this month for a vareity of platforms, PC, Xbox, PS2...
Anyway, I was informed that the game will not be coming out, and is canceled - the reason for this is that the company making the game (Irock) has gone bankrupt.
Now, I found this news on www.homelanfed.com:
HomeLAN has learned that, contrary to a notice on the Black Sabbath Online web site, the game Ozzy's Black Skies is still in development. HomeLAN spoke by phone with Robert Stevenson, the vice-president at IRock Entertainment who stated that the PC-Xbox-PS2 game is still being developed by the company and that the company itself is not bankrupt. Stevenson would not comment further on their plans for the action-fantasy game but said more news on the development of the game would be released soon.

Two More Tour Dates Bite The Dust (12/6/2001)

The much-beleaguered Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Zombie Merry Mayhem tour has suffered two final setbacks. The last two shows of the year, scheduled for December 28th and 29th in Los Angels and San Diego, California, respectively have been canceled due to routing problems.
In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, the tour's New Year's Eve show in Phoenix was scrapped, and in November the tour was sidelined for three weeks when Ozzy suffered a fractured tibia. The tour will now wrap up on the 23rd in East Rutherford, NJ.

New Zakk Album 2002 (12/3/2001)

New Black Label Society album, "1919 Eternal" (yes, the title has been changed from "Deathcore War Machine Eternal") is coming in early 2002. It is all done, mixed and mastered, and I heard some of it yesterday at the photo shoot. It's another mind-blowing piece of work from Zakk!
Tracklisting
Bleed for Me Lords of Destruction Demise of sanity Life/Birth/Blood/Doom Bridge to Cross Battering Ram Speedball Graveyard Disciple Genocide Junkies Lost Heaven Refuse to Bow Down Mass Murder Machine Bezerkers

Zombie Directing Ozzy's New Video For "Dreamer" (11/23/2001)

Rob Zombie isn't going to let a little thing like a broken leg get in his way especially if it isn't his.
The ghoulish rocker whose tour with Ozzy Osbourne was recently sidelined when Ozzy suffered a stress fracture is using his newfound downtime to direct two new videos. Zombie is working on clips for the second single from his 'The Sinister Urge album', "Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red Kroovy)," and Ozzy's next single, "Dreamer."
Workaholic Zombie plans to fit both video shoots in during the impromptu one-month break from the Merry Mayhem Tour.
"I figured out a way to fill every second of [the unexpected time off]," Zombie said recently. "Basically preparing those two videos has taken up the whole time.
"I hated the fact that the tour stopped," Zombie added, "but we were trying to figure out how to shoot these videos while we were on tour, and that's a nightmare. Having the time off kind of worked out well in that sense."
Zombie scheduled a shoot for his "Never Gonna Stop" video on Tuesday and Wednesday (November 21) and plans to begin shooting Ozzy's "Dreamer" clip after taking a holiday break. The pre-holiday portion of Zombie's ambitious schedule finds him revisiting a film classic and realizing a long-held dream in the process.
"I'm finally doing an idea that I've wanted to do for years and years and never got around to," Zombie said of his treatment for "Never Gonna Stop."
"I wanted to basically refilm 'A Clockwork Orange' and rebuild all the sets. ... I always loved that movie, and the art direction's just the best."
Zombie is promising a more restrained approach for Ozzy's "Dreamer" clip.
"Ozzy's video is much simpler because the song is almost like 'Imagine,' so he wanted to do something super-simple that was not gimmicky or weird. It's kind of a really different video for Ozzy."
The treatment may be simple, but putting together a video for another artist, especially one of Ozzy's stature, isn't, Zombie said.
"I want to do a better job on his video that I do on my own, because when you're working for someone else you really want to come through for them. They could have picked anyone, and for Sharon (Osbourne, Ozzy's manager and wife) to come to me and say, 'We really love the video for "Feel So Numb." We really want you to do Ozzy's video.' It's a big responsibility."
Perhaps Zombie can breathe a bit easier when his "break" ends and he returns to the Merry Mayhem Tour on November 29 in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Down to Earth Goes Gold (11/23/2001)

Ozzy's new album has been certified gold (500,000 sales) and is still climbing according to billboard.com.

"Dreamer" Will Be 2nd Single Off New Album (11/18/2001)

Promo copies for "Dreamer" have just gone out for Ozzy's 2nd single off of his latest album "Down to Earth"

Ozzy Performance On MTV - Nov 18th (11/15/2001)

It's MTV's fifth annual stage dive into alternative sports, set to a soundtrack of aggressive live music, airing November 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET. The world's top athletes from skate, inline, moto-x and BMX will square off, including the first-ever female expo competition. For the first time in the event's history, live bands will perform while the sports action goes down.
Performers:
Ozzy Osbourne Ludacris The Crystal Method Puddle of Mudd

Ozzy Osbourne Trading Cards (11/15/2001)

In the 1960's and 1970's Ozzy Osbourne fronted Black Sabbath, the heavy-metal band that forever changed Rock and Roll. Ozzy's subsequent solo career established milestones in music history. Twenty years after Ozzy's departure, the original Black Sabbath reunited claiming their rightful place as the Masters of Metal. Now Ozzy is back and ready to conquer the world once more with a new album and titanic tour with Rob Zombie! Now you can read and see Ozzy's complete story in this all-new 68 card series, authorized by the Ozz himself!
The first-ever trading cards featuring the Ozz Biographical text with new and classic photos Discography cards 7 cards per pack 36 packs per box 68 cards per set
*SPECIAL OFFER* For a limited time, boxes of OZZY OSBOURNE trading cards are available for $69.95 + $5.00 s/h domestic, $12.00 international. Please check or money order to:
Studio Chikara 244 Fifth Avenue #2464 New York, NY 10001.

(Click the picture to enlarge)
(Thanks Joe!)

Ozz In The Box (11/15/2001)

Forget that crappy, old Jack-in-the-box! You want a box that really rocks, then brace yourself for the new Rock �N� The Box collectibles from cutting edge toy manufacturer Aztech Toys!
Originally conceived by Digger, the head inmate at Art Asylum, these rockin' boxes really kick ass! Pick one up, press the button on the front and BAM! Ozzy leaps up to bite your head off!
And instead of that wussy �Pop Goes The Weasel�, you'll be blasted by 21 seconds of head-banging, hard-rockin' music, custom mixed for the box! Suck on that, Jack!
Each box measures 3 1/2 cubic inches with four panels of 3-D relief artwork on all sides! And when the rocker within pops out, the full figure (with box) stands 7 inches tall! You can find these in Spenncer's gift stores.

Ozzy To Resume Merry Mayhem Tour on Nov. 29th (11/15/2001)

After consulting with his physicians in Los Angeles, Ozzy Osbourne has been given the green light to resume his Merry Mayhem tour on November 29 in Grand Forks, N.D. Doctors are confident that the stress fracture in Ozzy's leg will be healed enough for him to begin performing again, however, he may have to wear a leg brace. Ozzy is currently recuperating at home.
No word yet on when the postponed dates will be rescheduled.

World Tour In The Works???? (11/14/2001)

Don't hold me to these, but it looks like Ozzy will be embarking on a world tour:
February 8th & 9th - the Zepp - Osaka 11th - Pacifico - Yokohama 13th - Zepp - Fukuoka 15th - Budokhan - Tokyo

Ozzy Forced by Doctors To Postpone Tour Dates (11/9/2001)

Ozzy Osbourne has been forced by doctors to postpone ten dates on the Merry Mayhem tour due to a stress fracture in his leg. The fracture occurred when Ozzy fell coming out of the shower before the Tucson show on 10/31. He was unaware that the leg was fractured and continued to perform each night until the pain became unbearable. It was only yesterday that Ozzy went to the doctor and discovered that his fall had resulted in a stress fracture injury to his leg. The doctor immediately ordered Ozzy to stay off his leg and to cease touring to prevent further injury.
Ozzy is flying back to Los Angeles today to consult with his personal physician to assess the extent of his injuries and to determine when he can resume touring. The dates will remain postponed until otherwise notified.
The dates immediately affected are as follows:
11/9 Houston, TX / Compaq Center 11/10 Bossier City, LA / CenturyTel Arena 11/12 Knoxville, TN / Thompson Boling Arena 11/14 Nashville, TN / Gaylord Entertainment Center 11/15 Cleveland, OH / Gund Arena 11/17 Cincinnati, OH / Firstar Center 11/19 Birmingham, AL / BJCC 11/21 West Palm Bch, FL / Mars Music Amphitheater 11/23 Greensboro, NC / Greensboro Coliseum 11/24 Atlanta, GA / Philips Arena
Further news regarding Ozzy Osbourne's condition, and the rescheduling of the dates postponed, will be forthcoming as soon as it becomes available.

New Items for sale on ozzy.com (11/9/2001)

For official OZZY and MERRY MAYHEM merchandise go to www.ozzy.com and click on OZZY STORE. We have just posted the OZZY Xmas stockings and the OZZ Bless America t-shirt, not to mention the Ozzy Santa cap. This is the ONLY place to get this stuff unless you go to the show! There are many other exclusive items for sale at the store, including all the MERRY MAYHEM tour shirts. Check it out!

Arizona 12/31 show cancelled (11/9/2001)

The Merry Mayhem Tour featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Zombie has cancelled it's New Years Eve date in Phoenix. It was announced today. Unfortunately, the current climate reflects the public's need to be with their families this holiday season. Both Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Zombie have the utmost respect for their fans and share in their desire to be with loved ones this New Years Eve.
Tickets purchased to the December 31st concert will be refunded at the point of purchase. For additional ticket refund information, call Ticketmaster at 480.784.4444 (Phoenix Metro Area) or 520.321.1000 (Outside Phoenix Metro Area).

Firefighters & Police Invited To Have A Little Merry Mayhem (11/9/2001)

Clear Channel Entertainment commends the peacekeepers of our nation for their amazing work over the past two months. To show our deep-felt appreciation of the dedication, Clear Channel Entertainment, in conjunction with Ozzy Osbourne, are extending a personal invitation to all police officers and firefighters to share in the common passion for music that resonates within us all.
Ozzy Osbourne's current fall tour with Rob Zombie, dubbed the Merry Mayhem Tour, kicked off October 31 in Tucson, Ariz. and is on its way through 27 cities across the nation. In each of the upcoming cities Ozzy and Clear Channel Entertainment are providing two tickets for each firefighter and police officer to attend the local performance.
"We feel by hosting a "Policeman and Firefighter Appreciation Night" in each city on the tour, it's a great way to show our support for the local heroes as well as getting back to our daily lives," says Jane Holman of Clear Channel Entertainment Touring. "The show is really tremendous irreverent, fun, visually assaulting, potato-flake spraying a completely entertaining show."
Tickets are on sale now through cc.com for all Merry Mayhem dates.

Much Music Special (11/9/2001)

Playlist for Saturday, November 10:
LOUD: The Ozzy Edition
George hooked up with the OZZ man for a couple of days on the Ozz Bless America tour. A must for any Ozz fan!
1.Ozzy Osbourne: "Gets Me Through" 2.Ozzy Osbourne: "Bark at the Moon" 3.Black Sabbath: "Iron Man" 4.Ozzy Osbourne: "No More Tears" 5.Ozzy Osbourne: "Crazy Train" 6.Ozzy Osbourne: "The Ultimate Sin" 7.Ozzy Osbourne: "Mama I'm Coming Home" 8.Ozzy Osbourne: "Back on Earth" 9.Black Sabbath: "Paranoid"

Ozzy's "Merry" Setlist (11/1/2001)

1. I Don't Know 2. That I Never Had 3. Junkie 4. Mr. Crowley 5. Gets Me Through 6. Suicide Solution 7. Zakk Solo (with Star Spangled Banner) 8. No More Tears 9. Iron Man 10. Sweet Leaf 11. Children of the Grave 12. I Don't Wanna Change The World 13. Road to Nowhere 14. Crazy Train
ENCORE
15. Mama, I'm Coming Home 16. Bark at the Moon 17. Paranoid

MTV Sports Music Festival (10/30/2001)

October 28th, Ozzy performed for the MTV Sports Music Festival, scheduled to air on November 18th. Ozzy played Gets Me Through, No Easy Way Out, and Crazy Train.

Welcome To the Rainbow (10/17/2001)

Just about every rock-n-roller who's passed through L.A. has been to the Rainbow Bar & Grill. They come to eat the food, pick up the girls, and meet the owner. His name is Mario. Since 1965, Mario Maglieri has been the unofficial king of the Sunset Strip. His three nightclubs, including the Whisky A-Go-Go and The Roxy, collectively define rock-n-roll. "Welcome To The Rainbow" is the first fully authorized portrait of this man and the world he created. Broad in scope yet intimate in detail, it's an uncensored look at L.A.'s most notorious watering hole. Headbangers, strippers, punks, cops, and other denizens of the Strip tell the story of the Rainbow from the inside. Doors' guitarist Robbie Krieger, heavy metal icon Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, porn pioneer Ron Jeremy, Ozzy Osbourne and many others offer first-hand perspectives on a way of life that refuses to die quietly. Combining original interviews and concert footage with previously unreleased archival material, "Welcome To The Rainbow" is a rockumentary like no other.
Click here to purchase this video.

Finally! Me and Ozzy! (10/17/2001)

I met Ozzy for the third time on October 17, 2001 at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ. Got to the store around 4:00, there was about 100 people online. Ozzy was slated to be there at 7:00pm. Around 6:30 we got word that Ozzy was stuck in the Lincoln Tunnel and he was going to be about 30 min late. Around 7:30 we heard these really loud roars, sounded like a hot rod, or a plane and all of a sudden "Get's Me Through" starts blasting over a PA system and Ozzy's van pulls up to the store surrounded by 10 very loud motorcycles. Very cool entrance! Ozzy jumps out of the van and walks right over to the crowd where a little stage was set up with a microphone and explains to us that he got caught in traffic and he's sorry... I was in shock! That was very cool. So about 15 min later I got into the store, had my picture taken with him and it was all over! Went so quick! I had waited 3 hours to get my wristband, then an additional 4 hours in line... 7 hours total, and in 4 seconds it was all over! Ouch. But at least I got a picture this time! So much better than a signature. I told Ozzy to check out my website and I handed him a piece of paper with my website address on it. He sat there looking at it for a few seconds and then I saw Tony Dennis take it and put it in a pile of crap that other fans had given him. Oh well! On the way out I was handed a new bottle of Ozzy holy water (3rd series!) and an Ozzy removable tattoo. Pretty cool.

Ozzy's Press Schedule (10/10/2001)

Friday, October 12th, 11:35pm, NBC - The Tonight Show with Jay Leno - Ozzy Osbourne interview and performance!
Friday, Oct. 12 - KROQ-FM, Los Angeles, Ozzy to appear with Stryker on Furious Five at Nine
Monday, Oct. 15 - KLOS-FM, Los Angeles, Ozzy to appear on Mark & Brian Radio Show
Monday, Oct. 15 - Rockline, Ozzy to guest on syndicated Rockline radio show
Monday, Oct. 15 - Loveline, Ozzy to guest (with Sharon) on syndicated Loveline radio show
Thursday, Oct. 18 - Howard Stern Radio Show, another sure-to-be-hysterical in-studio appearance by the Madman
Thursday, Oct. 18 - TRL, Ozzy to make appearance with Carson Daly
Friday, Oct. 19 - VH-1 The Rock Show
Friday, Oct. 19, 12:35pm, NBC - Late Night with Conan O'Brien - Ozzy Osbourne sketch
Oct. 28 - VH-1 FanClub - Ozzy Osbourne
Oct. 28 - VH-1 Behind The Music, with new extra footage, 90 min

Ozz On TRL (10/10/2001)

Ozzy's new "Gets Me Through" video has reared its head on TRL, and so will Ozzy on 10/18. Usher the man in with a #1 video!
1. Pick up the phone and call 1-800-DIAL-MTV (1-800-342-5688)
2. Call between 3-3:30 PM (ET), 2-2:30 PM (CT), 1-1:30PM (MT), 12-12:30PM (PT)
3. Request Ozzy Osbourne "Gets Me Through"
4. Repeat
5. Repeat
Three phone calls can make all the difference in the world. Give it up for the Godfather of Metal, call 1-800-DIAL-MTV and support the rock.

Instore Appearances (10/3/2001)

Ozzy will be doing a "photo only" appearance tour!!!! Woo hoo... even better than a signature!
So far, the only dates I have are:
October 16th - Tower Records, West Hollywood, CA October 17th - Vintage Vinyl, Fords, NJ (I'm there!!!) October 18th - Looney Tunes, Long Island, NY October 19th - Tower Records, Philadelphia, PA (Roosevelt Blvd) October 20th - Rolling Stone Records, Chicago, IL

Win Dinner With Ozzy (10/2/2001)

What cooler contest could there be than one that gives you a chance to have dinner with His Royal Madness, Ozzy Osbourne?! Well, it's true and it's real: to coincide with the release of Down to Earth, Ozzy is throwing the ULTIMATE contest for his fans: the chance to break bread with the Madman himself. And to boot, the dinner will be webcast at ozzy.com and knac.com. To enter and for full rules simply go to www.getozzynow.com

Down To Earth - My Review (10/1/2001)

1. Get's Me Through (Ozzy/Tim Palmer) - Love songs that start out slow with piano and jump into heavy riffs. A+.
2. Facing Hell (Ozzy/Tim Palmer/Scott Humphrey/Geoff Nichols) - Awesome song, awesome lyrics, very heavy, can't stop listening to it, best song on the album!
3. Dreamer (Ozzy/Marti Frederiksen/Mick Jones) - My second favorite song on the album. Reminds me alot of John Lennon's "Imagine". Ozzy should make a video out of this one, it would be a big hit.
4. No Easy Way Out (Ozzy/Tim Palmer) - Love the middle of this song with the special effects on Ozzy's voice "and now, as the Sabbath begins, it wakes your nightmare again...."
5. That I Never Had (Ozzy/Marti Frederiksen/Joe Holmes/Trujillo) - Best part of this song is the middle: "Should I think about tomorrow, should I live for just today?" It rocks!
6. You Know... (Ozzy/Tim Palmer) - Not long enough! This song is really great, but it's just not long enough. Seems to be written about his daughter Jessica, who was left out of the thank you notes as well.
7. Junkie (Ozzy/Marti Frederiksen/Joe Holmes/Trujillo) - heavy tune, most people seem to love this song but it doesn't do much for me.
8. Running Out Of Time (Ozzy/Marti Frederiksen/Mick Jones) - Awesome tune!!! Opening is very cool, lyrics are great. Ozzy's love for the Beatles shines through on this tune. Sounds like something that should have been on the White album. My fourth favorite song.
9. Black Illusion (Ozzy/Tim Palmer/Geoff Nichols/Andy Sturmer) - Pretty heavy and slow...cool lyrics.
10. Alive (Ozzy/Danny Saber) - Great Tune! My third favorite song. It's slow, easy, fast and heavy...all thrown into one big ball of a song...awesome stuff!
11. Can You Hear Them? (Ozzy/Marti Frederiksen/Joe Holmes/Trujillo) - Another great tune!! This one is #5 on my list. Good Chorus (Freak Me Out!!!), nice riffs.
Overall, I give this album an 8 on a scale from 1-10. I wish Ozz had given Joe Holmes a chance...would have loved to hear him play on some tunes. I don't think Zakk's playing is that great on this album. If you were to compare this album to the work he did on No Rest For The Wicked, you would hear a great difference. Of course, this is just my opinion.
The video footage on Down To Earth is all taken from "Don't Blame Me" and the new Ozzfest movie due out soon "We Sold Our Souls For Rock and Roll." Pretty much all the same stuff we've seen before, except for some Randy/Ozzy "After Hours" footage. It's got some different takes and camera angles. Pretty cool. Thumbs down on splicing all that other crap in there. Straight "NEW" After Hours footage and full songs would have been killer. Another plus would have been to have the video for "Get's Me Through" on here. God knows MTV will never play it.

Ozz Bless America! (10/1/2001)

On October 31, Ozzy Osbourne invites one and all to revel in Merry Mayhem, a holiday extravaganza -- Ozzy style!!! Rob Zombie joins Ozzy, along with Mudvayne, on the two-month tour that is sure to give the yuletide season a whole new meaning. In true Ozzy fashion, concertgoers will be titillated by the sights and sounds of Xmas as the concourse area of each venue is transformed into Santa's Grotto. Filled with Santa's elves and other wild surprises, Santa's Grotto is a holiday adventure not to be forgotten.
Originally titled the Black Christmas Tour, Ozzy Osbourne decided to change the name of the tour to Merry Mayhem following the events of Sept. 11. He feels that because so many lost loved ones, it will indeed be a dark holiday season for countless of families and he wanted to be respectful of their feelings.
Ozzy is taking special steps to give back to the families of the firefighters and police men and women who lost their lives helping others in the World Trade Center tragedy: Ozzy will donate proceeds from the sale of special "Ozz Bless America" merchandise sold at the "Ozz Bless America" booth at every show.
Both Ozzy and Rob Zombie will donate all proceeds from ticket and merchandise sales from the Meadowlands show on December 23 to the families of the firefighters and police men and women.
Merry Mayhem is Ozzy's first solo tour in seven years and is in support of his new album, Down To Earth, in stores October 16th. "Gets Me Through,'' the first single, is just one of 11 powerful tracks featured on the Tim Palmer-produced disc. Guitarist Zakk Wylde, bassist Robert Trujillo, and drummer Mike Bordin all played on the record and will join Ozzy on tour.

Don't Expect A New Black Sabbath Album Anytime Soon (10/1/2001)

Earlier this year, the four original members of Black Sabbath-- Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Terry "Geezer" Butler, and Bill Ward--got together to try to write some new material, possibly for another Sabbath album. And while they did come up with at least one new song--"Scary Dreams," which was performed during this summer's OzzFest sets--Osbourne tells LAUNCH that the prospect of more new music from Black Sabbath music is unlikely.
"We all sat down and said, 'It's gotta be the same way as it was before,' but it wasn't, you know? I'm not the same anymore, neither are they, you know? I mean, when we started writing, it wasn't the same vibe," he explains. "I'm used to being a bandleader--I mean, I'm used to having a solo career rather than being a singer with a band. Since I left Black Sabbath, I've never had a band like Black Sabbath, where everyone was equal--it was my solo project, and I had outside help to do writing, so I had the last say on it all, you know?"
Osbourne adds that he doesn't know when or if Sabbath will work together again, but that this year's OzzFest helped to smooth over some of the previous issues that have afflicted the group. "People say, 'It was so cool to see you guys back onstage again,' and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But I can now rest my head and say, 'We rounded off the rough edges.' When I say that, I mean that we buried the hatchet. And for whatever reason, I'm glad I did it," he adds. "And if it comes up again and it's worthwhile doing, then I'll do it again."
Gary Graff, Detroit

Attacks Sent Ozzy Osbourne To Church (9/29/2001)

Hellraising rock star Ozzy Osbourne sought solace in a Manhattan church after witnessing the Sept. 11th attacks.
Osbourne and his wife, Sharon, tearfully watched the carnage unfold from the roof of their midtown hotel, and then went to a church across the road to collect their thoughts.

Ozzy Alters Video After Terrorist Attacks (9/29/2001)

The clip for Ozzy Osbourne's new single "Gets Me Through" had to be re-edited because of tougher MTV standards. "There was a TV exploding and a ceiling collapsing," says Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy's wife and manager. "It's not acceptable."
Mitch's 2 cents - WHAT'S THE POINT? MTV WILL NEVER AIR THE VIDEO ANYWAY, BECAUSE THEY SUCK!

Dates For "A Night of Merry Mayhem" Tour (9/26/2001)

The tour formerly known as Black Xmas, is now entitled "A Night of Merry Mayehm". Click here for tour dates.

Update On Live In '75 Sabbath Album (9/26/2001)

Fall release has been delayed. Divine Recordings' Distributor (Priority Records) was bought out by Capitol Records and Sharon's people are still waiting to hear what's going to happen with their label (Divine) - whether or not they're going to Capitol or if they can pursue a new deal elsewhere. It's a lawyer issue now, and it will be delaying the release of the album until the first quarter of next year - but it will definitely be released. Also, it will no longer be called "Live in 75" - the exact name is as of yet unknown.
The material on this album will include all of the "Live at Last" album, as well as some of the Paris 1970 bootleg, and a February 75 Baltimore, MD bootleg - and to top it off some of the tracks from the old Beat Club appearances.
Thanks to Joe Siegler (black-sabbath.com)

Down To Earth Updates (9/22/2001)

(cover art found on www.amazon.de)
OZZY OSBOURNE's new album, Down To Earth, is out in Japan on October 11th.
The b-side being released with Ozzy's new album is entitled "No Place For Angels". This will be available by import only. If you'd like to order it, click here and do a search for Ozzy.

Ozz Cancels Sept. 28th San Diego Gig (9/22/2001)

Ozzy was in NYC while tradgedy struck last week and was forced to take a bus back to LA. Because his worldwide press campaign was so dramatically altered, he has been forced to cancel the San Diego show.
To read the letter from the Osbournes, click here.

Pre-order "Down To Earth" (9/21/2001)

OZZY OSBOURNE'S NEW CD DOWN TO EARTH AVAILABLE NOW!! LOG ON TO www.getozzynow.com BEGINNING SEPT. 24TH TO PURCHASE THE CD THREE WEEKS BEFORE IT HITS STORES.
Die-hard fans of rock icon OZZY OSBOURNE don't have to wait until October 16 to buy his new CD DOWN TO EARTH. Instead they can log on to www.getozzynow.com beginning Monday, September 24 to purchase the CD and receive their copy up to three weeks before it hits stores.
As OZZY enters his fourth decade as one of the major rock musicians of our time, he releases his first solo album in six years, DOWN TO EARTH, in stores on October 16th. Produced by Tim Palmer DOWN TO EARTH features Zakk Wylde on guitar, Robert Trujillo on bass, and Mike Bordin on drums. The album is bursting with OZZY's signature brand of hard-hitting rock laced with driving melodies and crunching guitars. There's no rest for the wicked as the listener is faced with 11 powerful tracks leading off with the first single, "Gets Me Through", a song Ozzy wrote as an open letter to his fans. "Dreamer", "Junkie" and "Running Out of Time" are just a few of the standout tracks on DOWN TO EARTH. A limited edition 'CD Extra' with a video montage featuring rare footage of Ozzy with Randy Rhoads ('Mr. Crowley', 'Crazy Train'), among other retrospective highlights from Ozzy's legendary career, is also included on this special offer.
DOWN TO EARTH can be purchased via www.getozzynow.com for $14.99 plus shipping and handling.

Possible Benifit Concert (9/21/2001)

A 14 hour concert is in the making to benifit The Child Group. Ozzy is rumored to be headlining this concert which will take place January 19th, 2002 at the Millenium Stadium. Once supporting acts are confirmed, the information will be posted on www.childgroupltd.com.

MTV Special (9/21/2001)

Watch MTV this Sunday (9/23) for the 'Down to Earth' Ozzy special at 8:00pm EDT/PDT, and again NEXT Sunday (9/30) for the World Premiere of the "Gets Me Through" video, Ozzy's first clip in four years. The video will air during WWF Heat which runs from 7-8pm EDT/PDT.

Black Xmas (Now Called ???) Tour Info (9/21/2001)

First of all.. The Black Xmas has been renamed.... what it is being called now, I do not know. So far, it's gonna be Ozzy, Rob Zombie and Mudvayne. Cradle of Filth were asked to join but have denied. System of a Down and Marilyn Manson have both been heavily rumored to be on the bill, but nothing has been confirmed yet. The tour will kick off October 28th, 2001.
The only date I can find so far is (and I don't even know if this for real or not): Ocotber 31 - East Rutherford, NJ, Continental Airlines Arena.
Official dates and line up will be announced next week.

Possible In-store Appearance Tour??? (9/12/2001)

Vintage Vinyl in New Jersey is reporting on thier website (http://www.vvinyl.com/default.asp) that on October 17th Ozzy will be doing an instore appearance there. Could this be one of many possible stops on an instore appearance tour??? Signs are pointing to yes!!!

Black Skies Update (9/3/2001)

This thing is 17mb, but well worth the download. It's got the whole main riff for Ozzy's new song "Black Skies" plus all of the animation that is going to be in this new video game. Check it out:
Black Skies

Tracklisting For New Solo Album (9/2/2001)

Gets Me Through Something That I Never Had Dreamer Easy Way Out Facing Hell You Know... Junkie Running Out of Time Black Illusion Alive Can You Hear Them?

Ozzy TV Specials (9/1/2001)

MTV will air a half-hour special on Ozzy September 16 followed by the world premiere for "Gets Me Through", directed by acclaimed Swedish auteur Jonas Ackerland (Metallica, Madonna, The Prodigy, U2). The video shoot took place last weekend (August 25 & 26) in L.A. and while we don't want to give away too much we can tell you that there's an Ozzy on every corner! Also, this week, amidst his hectic schedule of photo shoots, interviews, and recording sessions for album b-sides, Ozzy is also sitting with VH-1 to tape more interview footage for his "Behind the Music" episode. The music channel is putting together an extended half-hour of footage to complement the original 1998 "Behind the Music", one of the bio-program's top-rated episodes. Look for the new & improved Ozzy Osbourne "Behind the Music" to air on VH-1 in October. Moreover, Ozzy will host an episode of VH-1's "Rock Show" during the week of October 14.

Ozzy Osbourne To Present MTV Award (8/29/2001)

Ozzy Osbourne will be presenting a moon man at this years Video Music Awards show in September.

Ozzy To Attack San Diego In September (8/29/2001)

Ozzy's first gig with his solo band since Ozzfest 2000 will take place in San Diego next month. As part of the KIOZ-FM "When Bands Attack--The Trilogy" radio show Ozzy, Staind, and Godsmack will share the stage for one night along with up & comers Saliva, Nonpoint, and Clutch. The groups will convene at the Coors Amphitheatre in the southern San Diego County city of Chula Vista September 28. It will be the Ozzman's first show since completing his heavily anticipated "Down To Earth" album (in stores October 16) and the gig will also mark his first performance with guitarist Zakk Wylde since February 1998.

New Video Premiers September 16th (8/29/2001)

Ozzy's new studio record, the Madman's long-awaited, lucky 13th studio album, "Down To Earth", will be released October 16 through Epic Records. The first single, "Gets Me Through", will be premiered on the radio September 4 so keep that old transistor close by! The album was recorded and produced by Tim Palmer and features Zakk Wylde (g), Robert Trujillo (b), and Mike Bordin (d)--it's a heavy, multi-faceted roller coaster of an album and one that is well worth the six year wait since Ozzy's last studio album. The Madman shot a video for "Gets Me Through" this past weekend (Aug. 25 & 26) with Jonas Ackerland in Los Angeles and it will be premiered on MTV September 16--mark your calenders! The concept of the video is pretty cool but we don't want to give too much away so we'll just leave you with this: there's an Ozzy on every corner!

Ozzy 'Gets Through' Video, Plans Tour With Zombie (8/29/2001)

Metal god Ozzy Osbourne is going straight from Ozzfest to TV sets with a clip for his new single, "Gets Me Through."
Ozzy shot a video for the track the first salvo from his new album, Down to Earth in Los Angeles on Saturday. Jonas Akerlund (Metallica, U2) directed the clip, according to Osbourne's publicist.
The video's concept remains under wraps, with a post on the Black Sabbath frontman's official site, www.ozzy.com, promising only that "there's an Ozzy on every corner" in the clip.
"Gets Me Through" is slated to be shipped to radio September 4, though at least one station, New York's WXRK (K-Rock), has been broadcasting the track. Opening with a delicate piano progression essential to any righteous power ballad the sentimental song's daintiness is abruptly shoved aside in favor of distorted buzzsaw riffs and Ozzy's distinctive vocals, which give a shoutout to a Black Sabbath trademark in the opening line: "I'm not the kind of person you think I am/ I'm not the antichrist or the Iron Man."
After Down to Earth, Ozzy's first solo studio album since 1995's Ozzmosis, drops October 16, the aged metal ancestor will embark on a tour of North America. Scheduled for November and December, the Black Christmas Tour will also feature Rob Zombie, according to an Interscope Records spokesperson, and two or three other bands that will be announced shortly. Dates and venues have not been set.
Ozzy appears on Zombie's The Sinister Urge, due October 30, on a track called "Iron Head".
Joe D'Angelo

Manson Wants To Record With Ozzy (8/29/2001)

MARILYN MANSON has said he would like to collaborate with OZZY OSBOURNE, and has spoken out about his long-awaited novel. The pair became friends after Manson joined the Ozzfest tour of the US in the summer. Now, the controversial rocker has said he has discussed "creative ideas" with the Black Sabbath frontman.
"I don't know if I should say what we were talking about" Manson told Kerrang! magazine. "It was private. But we talked about things we'd like to do together in the future, some creative ideas we have. There's a strong mutual admiration between us."
Manson also said that work continues on his long awaited novel, which was originally intended to coincide with his 'Holy Wood' album. The star is currently editing the book down.
He said: "It's a fiction novel, most likely comparable with something like 'A Clockwork Orange'. The storylines are not similar in any way, but it's a social commentary and it takes place in a fictional time that's neither the past nor the present.
"It deals with all the subjects that the record focuses upon: the value of children, politics and religion, violence as entertainment. I'm sure it will be greeted with great controversy and hatred, and I'm sure someone will read it and want to make it into a film. But my original idea of making it into a film the way I wanted to would never be possible. It would never be shown in a theatre; the images are far too grand, elaborate and violent."

Ozzy Back In Rehab??? (8/20/2001)

"F**king bullshit" exclaimed a spokesperson from Divine Recordings recently about the rumours OZZY OSBOURNE was back in rehab. The label says that he's relaxing now and getting ready to finish off his next solo album this week. The radio date for the new Ozzy single 'Gets Me Through' has been confirmed for August 28th at 8pm (Eastern). The album, Down To Earth, is out on October 16th.

VH-1 Seeks Big Ozzy Fan (8/20/2001)

Are you OZZY OSBOURNE'S biggest fan? If so, VH1 FANCLUB wants to hear from you!
We are looking for hardcore OZZY fans to be profiled on VH1.
We want to know why YOU are an OZZY fan. Is there a particular song that has a special relevance in your life? Do you have the largest OZZY collection in North America? Are people surprised when you tell them you are an OZZY fan? Tell us why you should be featured on VH1 Fan Club.
Please send your stories via email to Ozzyvh1fanclub@yahoo.com or visit vh1.com/fanclub
Please be sure to include the following; * Your name, age and hometown. * What you do for a living (Occupation, Student, etc.) * Why you are an Ozzy fan and what sets you apart from other fans. * How many Ozzy shows you have been to and if you have ever met him. * What sort of Ozzy memorabilia you have. * What unique hobbies you have. * How Ozzy and his music influence you. * How you see your story on VH1.
This is not a contest to meet Ozzy. It is a chance to share your stories of being a fan with the VH1 audience. Due to production costs, we are limiting our search for fans to the United States & Canada at this point.

Paranoid To Be Featured In Video Game (8/17/2001)

Black Sabbath's Paranoid will be featured on the soundtrack to Dave Mirra 2 Pro BMX. The game will be available for The Nintendo Gamecube, The Xbox and Playstation 2. Tracklist is as follows:
Rage Against The Machine - Wake Up Black Sabbath - Paranoid Sublime - Doin Time Sum 41 - Makes No Difference The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary Tribe Called Quest - Buggin' Out Methods of Mayhem - Hypocritical Godsmack - Keep Away Fenix TX - All My Fault Gang Starr - Moment of Truth

Ozzfest 2001: The Second Millennium (8/17/2001)

The hallowed Wizards of Metal, Black Sabbath. Marilyn Manson, the Third and Final Beast. Slipf*ckingknot. All part of the biggest metal festival in the world, and hands-down the concert to attend this summer. And now it's all been laid down for eternity: the soundtrack to HELL, Ozzfest 2001: The Second Millennium, brings together the cream of this year's crop with exclusive live versions of songs recorded on location, spanning 65 minutes and 16 tracks of fire, brimstone, and balls-out metal. Fear no evil, buy the official Ozzfest 2001 live album - in stores August 14!
Tracklisting: Black Sabbath - The Wizard Marilyn Manson - The Love Song Slipknot - New Abortion Papa Roach - Blood Brothers Linkin Park - With You Disturbed - Fear Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society - Superterrorizer Mudvayne - Death Blooms Drowning Pool - Bodies Union Underground - South Texas Death Ride Otep - Fillthee Nonpoint - What a Day Hatebreed - Last Breath Systematic - Deep Colors Bleed Pure Rubbish - Kiss of Death American Head Charge - Reach and Touch
Download the official e-card now and listen to the album! PC: Click Here MAC: Click Here

My Ozzfest review - Homdel, NJ - 8/11/01 (8/12/2001)

I just got back from Ozzfest 2001. If you'd like to read my review and check out all the pictures I took, click here.

New Album Title (8/7/2001)

From Ozzfest.com...
Ozzy just arrived at the venue (Mansfield, Mass) and in passing through the Ozzfest production office proudly told everyone the "official name of my album, and you can put it on the Internet, is DOWN TO EARTH." The album, Ozzy's lucky 13th solo album, is set for worldwide release October 16. The first single, "Gets Me Through", goes to radio in the States Sept. 4.

New Single, New Video (8/4/2001)

The date is set for Ozzy's first single, "Gets Me Through", from his forthcoming studio album to land at your local rock station: September 4. The album title, track listing, cover art, and video are all under Fort Knox-level security, and there are rumors a limited amount of discs will be packaged with enhanced video of rare Ozzy footage from the past.

Ozz On Zombies New Album (8/4/2001)

The Godfather of Metal himself Ozzy Osbourne was in the studio yesterday doing vocals for the song "Iron Head" off the new Zombie album.

Black Sabbath "Live in '75" To Be Released in October (7/26/2001)

Two CD's of rare and never-before-heard Black Sabbath material is due for release October 9 on Divine Recordings. Recorded at various shows during their 1975 'Sabotage' tour the album is endorsed and will have liner notes written by the four original members of Sabbath.
The tracklisting is:
Tomorrow's Dream Sweet Leaf Killing Yourself to Live Cornucopia Snowblind Children of the Grave War Pigs Wicked World Paranoid
Hand Of Doom Hole In The Sky Symptom Of The Universe Megalomania Iron Man Black Sabbath NIB Behind The Wall Of Sleep Fairies Wear Boots

Ozzy On Howard Stern Thursday, July 19th @ 8:30am (7/17/2001)

Need we say more? Tune in this Thursday at 8:30am (approx. time) for another sure-to-be memorable interview with the Ozzman.

Ozzy Getting Star On Hollywood Walk Of Fame (7/17/2001)

Sandra Bullock, Al Pacino, Regis Philbin and Rodney Dangerfield are among an eclectic group of celebrities getting stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Exercise guru Jack LaLanne, heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne and Fabian also will get the sidewalk honor.
Entertainers in film, television, radio, recording and live theater-performance are honored each year with stars along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.
The Walk of Fame Committee of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce chose recipients from hundreds of nominees, said Johnny Grant, committee chairman.

Xmas Tour? / Solo Album Update / Sab Hit Studio Winter 2002? (7/9/2001)

Rumors that a Ozzy/Zombie/Manson/Disturbed 'Black Christmas' tour may happen around the holidays. Also, keep you eye out for a Rhino Records/Warner Bros. Black Sabbath boxed set this Christmas season.
Ozzy's first solo album in a blue moon (still untitled) is listed on Epic Records' release schedule for October 16. Ozzy has made it a point to come out charging with undoubtably his heaviest album since 'No Rest For the Wicked'. Zakk, Robert Trujillo (b), Mike Bordin (d), and John Sinclair (k) backed Ozz on the opus with Tim Palmer producing.
Black Sabbath have consistently been playing 'Scary Dreams', the first song played from their March writing sessions, but when it will be laid down for posterity (ie. in the studio) has yet to be determined. Looking like recording sessions with Rick Rubin will take place during winter 2002.

New Ozzfest Album Due August 14th (7/9/2001)

The official Ozzfest 2001 album, "The Second Millenium" is scheduled for release Aug. 14 and features the following artists: Black Sabbath, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, Disturbed, Mudvayne, Drowning Pool, Union Underground, Otep, Nonpoint, Hatebreed, Systematic, Pure Rubbish, and American Head Charge.
01 - Black Sabbath - "The Wizard" 02 - Marilyn Manson - "The Love Song" 03 - Slipknot - "New Abortion" 04 - Papa Roach - "Blood Brothers" 05 - Linkin Park - "With You" 06 - Disturbed - "Fear" 07 - Black Label Society - "Superterrorizer" 08 - Mudvayne - "Death Blooms" 09 - Drowning Pool - "Bodies" 10 - Union Underground - "South Texas Death Ride" 11 - Otep - "Filthy" 12 - Nonpoint - "What A Day" 13 - Hatebreed - "Last Breath" 14 - Systematic - "Deep Colors Bleed" 15 - Pure Rubbish - "Kiss Of Death" 16 - American Head Charge - "Reach And Touch"

Sabbath Cancel Mini-Tour (7/9/2001)

Dear Fans,
Ozzy and I would like to express our sincere apologies to all of you who were stuck in the traffic leading to and from the Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion last week. Ozzy saw his fans shit on by the venue so he's decided to shit on the venue himself by vowing never to play there again. They should have called it the Glen "Hell to Get In" Blockbuster Pavilion. Also, Ozzy's record company has demanded he return to the studio after the last Ozzfest date to put the finishing touches on his forthcoming solo album. As a result, Sabbath have had to regrettably cancel their post-Ozzfest dates.
Sincerely, Sharon Osbourne

Sabbath Post-Ozzfest Outing (6/26/2001)

Metal veterans Black Sabbath have tapped current Ozzfest compatriots Disturbed for a string of dates scheduled to kick off after the multiband metal fest wraps up August 12 in Holmdel, New Jersey.
Disturbed were promoted from Ozzfest 2001's second stage to its main stage after some 20,000 fans crowded in to see them when the tour opened in their hometown, Chicago.
The brief jaunt, with seven confirmed gigs, will be confined to the East Coast, according to Disturbed's publicist. The mini-tour will either kick off August 14 at New York-area Jones Beach or wrap up at the venue on August 25, making it the only unconfirmed venue.
In light of the additional tour dates, it's unclear when Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne will put the finishing touches on his first solo album in six years, scheduled for release October 16, or begin recording the first Black Sabbath album with the original lineup since 1978's Never Say Die. Ozzy was reportedly going to begin work on both projects once Ozzfest 2001 concluded; though Ozzy/Sabbath spokespersons were unavailable for comment by press time.
Black Sabbath/Disturbed dates, according to Disturbed's publicist:
8/14 - Wantagh, NY @ Jones Beach Amphitheatre (tentative) 8/15 - Scranton, PA @ Coors Light Amphitheatre @ Montage Mountain 8/17 - Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Arena 8/18 - Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Arena 8/21 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amph 8/23 - Saratoga Springs, NY @ Performing Arts Center 8/24 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post 8/25 - Wantagh, NY @ Jones Beach Amphitheatre (tentative)

Ozzfest Reveals Clues To Ozzy's Future (6/13/2001)

For Black Sabbath fans, the opening date of Ozzfest was an omen, offering revealing glimpses of what lies ahead for Ozzy Osbourne and his bandmates.
An ad announcing his impending solo album adorned Ozzy's tour bus at Friday's festival kickoff in Tinley Park, Illinois, and Black Sabbath's performance was preceded by, essentially, a commercial for it. Ozzy's first solo album since 1995's Ozzmosis, scheduled for release October 16, is described by producer Tim Palmer (U2, Robert Plant) as "a contemporary rock record" reflecting influences ranging from the Beatles to some new bands that may have got their start on past Ozzfests.
Before festival headliners Black Sabbath took the stage for their 90-minute set, fans were treated to a preview of the video game Black Skies, in which players assume the role of the Ozzman himself in three incarnations, each representing a different phase of his career, according to a spokesperson for Virtus Entertainment. His Black Sabbath era is marked by a demonic dark master, while his '80s solo career is exemplified by the beast that graces the cover of 1983's Bark at the Moon. The '90s, family-man Ozzy is depicted as a noble, angelic character. Players use their Ozzy avatars to control one of 24 winged beasts in scenarios derived from Ozzy/Sabbath songs such as "Steal Away (The Night)," "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," "The Ultimate Sin" and "Planet Caravan."
Osbourne recorded new versions of "Crazy Train," "War Pigs," "Paranoid," "No More Tears" and "See You on the Other Side" for the game's soundtrack, along with the title track, "Black Skies."
The game, designed for the PC and PlayStation 2 platforms, is scheduled for a fall release. It currently occupies a tent in Ozzfest's Village of the Damned vendor concourse.
During Sabbath's set at the Ozzfest kickoff, Ozzy, bassist Geezer Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward debuted a song, "Scary Dreams," that may appear on Sabbath's first album of new material since 1978's appropriately titled Never Say Die.
The band is expected to begin recording the LP after Ozzfest wraps August 12 in Holmdel, New Jersey. A release date has yet to be set.
- Joe D'Angelo, with additional reporting by Robert Mancini

OZZY's 50th Birthday Show On VH-1 (6/12/2001)

This Thursday, June 14th at 10:00pm EDT VH-1 will air The LIfe of Rock and Roll featuring a look into Ozzy's regal, ribald, and rambunctious 50th birthday party. Live the life!

Ozzfest Review From MTV (6/12/2001)

Ozzfest has traditionally been about hard rock's heavyweights uniting to fight the encroaching pop hordes. But if the launch of Ozzfest 2001 on Friday was any indication, this year's model will be about rock policing its own ranks.
"This one's for every f---ing one-hit-wonder band that tried to sell you their record," Marilyn Manson barked from the stage of the Tweeter Center on Friday as he hurled "The Fight Song" at unspecified rock pretenders.
Ozzfest 2001 finds Manson sharing the bill with Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Crazy Town, Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, Disturbed, Mudvayne, and (of course) headliners Black Sabbath; there's also an army of up-and- coming second stage acts.
While the lineup is as eclectic as always (the tour has played host to Queens of the Stone Age, Slayer, the Melvins and Primus in past years), Manson and Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor sent a clear message on opening night.
"I'm sick of all these bands who say they are heavy, and then they come out and pull the balls off of heavy music," Taylor declared from the stage.
So is there room on the Ozzfest 2001 stage for the new-jack metal of Crazy Town, Linkin Park and Papa Roach?
"Aggression is aggression," said David Draiman, frontman of second-stage headliners Disturbed. "You can let your aggression out in different forms, but all the bands that participate in this tour are all using the music as a medium of releasing that aggression."
"From Marilyn Manson to Disturbed to Taproot or Mudvayne there's a lot of variety there," Linkin Park singer Mike Shinoda said.
Potential philosophical conflicts aside, it was Ozzfest business as usual on opening day. Playstation 2, Camel cigarettes, Pringles, Trojan condoms, Levi's, 1-800-COLLECT and Jagermeister all had prime midway real estate, and fans could also purchase snakeskin cowboy hats, leather collars, heavy-gauge jewelry, marijuana pendants and at least seven t-shirts prominently displaying the word "f---."
With the day's first act, Drowning Pool, taking the stage at 10:10 a.m., the mood at the beginning was more metal brunch than prime-time rock gig. But the Ozzfest crowd, as usual, turned out early in full force at this amphitheater outside Chicago. In past years, fans like these have propelled Slipknot, System of a Down, Static-X, and others from the second stage to metal's A-list, and Friday found Drowning Pool, Beautiful Creatures, American Head Charge, Pure Rubbish, Systematic, Hatebreed, Nonpoint, Otep, Godhead, Taproot, Union Underground and Mudvayne jockeying for attention with their allotted 20 minutes.
"There are a lot of new sounds on the second stage, so it will be neat to hear what's coming up and who's going to be on Ozzfest next year," Mudvayne bassist Ryan Martinie (a.k.a. Ryknow) said. > Ryknow and his Mudvayne cohorts seemed to drum up the strongest second-stage support on Friday, playing to a throng dotted with at least a few Mudvayne-esque painted faces, and whipping up a heated (and seemingly brutal) pit of activity.
"There's probably quite a vacuum in heavy music," Mudvayne drummer Matt McDonough (a.k.a. Spag) explained. "We're basically an anomaly, so in a transitional time in heavy music, we just happen to be something to cling on to."
Hardly up-and-coming, Disturbed drew on their platinum sales success and a hometown following to bring a fitting close to second-stage activity. "There's a lot of talent on this stage, and they make us work, believe me," Draiman said. "We were offered a spot on the main stage and we declined it ... I'm all about the intensity of the mass crowd, bodies against other bodies."
The dirt-pit madness of the second stage yielded to the more organized chaos of the main stage after Disturbed walked offstage shortly before 5 p.m. (Ozzfest's new, streamlined schedule means no more overlapping sets). Guitar wiz Zakk Wylde and his Black Label Society gave a decidedly old-school performance, and then Crazy Town emerged as the first of three hip-hop-flavored main-stage acts. Next, Ozzfest babyfaces Linkin Park proved they could deliver live, as fans bounced, danced and rapped their way through the band's 30-minute set.
Saying, "This is music for real people," Papa Roach frontman Coby Dick upped the ante, prompting the amphitheater crowd to bounce in unison during a 45-minute set that included the hits "Last Resort" and "Broken Home." Dick slammed his microphone into his head and flopped and twitched on the stage like the dying roach silhouetted on the band's drum riser while fans on the Tweeter Center lawn hurled cups, shirts, shoes, sod and any readily available objects into the air.
"You can take everything. As long as I got music and I got the energy we got here, I'm all right," Dick said.
While those acts worked to enroll students into heavy music's new school, Slipknot and Marilyn Manson called for a heavier, harder world. Drawing on the dark and dense material on their upcoming Iowa LP, Slipknot assaulted the senses with their tribal-drum-meets-performance-art approach to metal. "You're all going home in a body bag," frontman Taylor screamed before the band launched into new offerings including "People = Sh--," "Disaster Piece" and "New Abortion."
As his eight bandmates plowed through an hour-long set, Slipknot percussionist Shawn Crahan decked out in the band's new black coveralls and a clown mask that now boasts an open head wound wreaked havoc throughout the amphitheater, mounting the back of a security guard's head, hugging a Hell's Angel, riding a stuffed goat head, slamming a mic into his skull, sucking his thumb, bashing his drum kit with a lead pipe and running into the crowd.
It was a tough act to follow, but a lean and hungry Manson returning to Ozzfest to re-connect with his metal core was up to the challenge. Taking the stage to "God Bless America," Manson launched into a hard-driving set thick with chugging numbers such as "Beautiful People," "Disposable Teens," "Rock Is Dead," "The Love Song," "Antichrist Superstar" and "The Fight Song." Clad in a leather bustier, long black gloves, fishnets, a g-string and a spiked helmet adorned with a black feathered head-dress, Manson worked the Spartan stage like a twitching serpent gliding, pausing, jerking and gliding again during an appropriately bare-knuckled set.
While Slipknot and Manson came out swinging, Black Sabbath decided to lead by example. Playing with the confidence of a band at ease with its place in music history, the metal forefathers spoke volumes about the power and durability of heavy music without asides or pronouncements, but with 90 minutes of classics: "War Pigs," "Paranoid," "Iron Man," "Children of the Grave," "N.I.B.," "Snowblind" and more. The roles were familiar Ozzy Osbourne as the mad jester, guitarist Tony Iommi as the leather-clad English gentleman, and the crowd echoing every word. The band managed to keep it fresh with a new song the blues dirge "Scary Dreams" and some fretwork from Iommi sprinkled throughout familiar gems.
After a day of pondering what is "heavy," Sabbath's set may have provided the clearest answer.
- Robert Mancini

Ozzy Will Be On The Howard Stern Show Soon! (6/4/2001)

Ozzy will be on the Howard Stern show very soon. Don't know an exact date yet...could be tomorrow! Get your tape recorders going!

Ozzfest Film To Screen In Select Markets (6/1/2001)

The long-awaited Ozzfest feature film is here! Yes, finally, this summer in select Ozzfest markets the ultimate movie of sheer metal mayhem, lensed and directed by renowned Penelope Spheeris (Decline of Western Civilization series and Wayne's World) and produced by Sharon Osbourne, will be exhibited at your local movie house. Featuring interviews and performances by Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Rob Zombie, Godsmack, Deftones, Slayer, Slipknot, Primus, Static-X, System of a Down, and Fear Factory in addition to a brilliantly captured exposes of life on the road and classic backstage stories, the gestalt of Ozzfest, captured in all its low-brow, High Definition glory, will turn the silver screen black and let you relive the excitement and insanity of Ozzfest. If you miss this one you're f****d! Check out the official trailer for 'We Sold Our Souls For Rock 'n Roll' on ozzfest.com.
CONFIRMED PLAY DATES
June 15 - 21 Century Centre Cinemas, 2828 No. Clark Street, CHICAGO, Ill. (773)248-7744
June 22 - 28 Tivoli Theatre, 6350 Delmar Boulevard, ST. LOUIS, Mo. (314)862-1100
June 29 - 30 (Midnight screenings) Mayan Theatre, 110 Broadway, DENVER, Colo. (303)744-6796
June 29 - July 5 Broadway Market Cinemas, 425 Broadway East, SEATTLE, Wash. (206)323-0231
July 4 - 7 (Midnight screenings) Clay Theater, SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.
More dates/cities/theater information will be announced on ozzfest.com.

Moulin Rouge (6/1/2001)

It has been confirmed that Ozzy recorded "Sound of Music" for the soundtrack to the new movie "Moulin Rouge". However, this track did not appear on the soundtrack.
But wait, all hope is not lost. A second soundtrack to this movie will be released later this summer.....keep your fingers crossed!
Ozzy has a very small over-dub in the movie playing the voice of a green fairy. He is also credited for a song entitled "Children of the Revolution."

Black Sabbath Performs New Song In Concert (5/23/2001)

Black Sabbath performed thier brand new song "Scary Dreams" at the 3000 seat concert on May 22 at the Birmingham Acedemy, UK.

Ozzy Up For MTV Movie Award (5/23/2001)

Ozzy Osbourne is up against The Boss for the award for Best Cameo in a Movie at the 2001 MTV Movie Awards. Ozzy has been nominated for Adam Sandler's Little Nicky, while Bruce Springstein nabbed one for John Cusack's High Fidelity. Weezer will perform at the ceremony, to be taped June 2nd at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles for broadcast on June 7th.

Black Skies Update (5/19/2001)

We sat down with Robert Stevenson, Brian Tate, and Randy Greenback of iRock Interactive to get a close look at the studio's upcoming fantasy flight combat game, Ozzy's Black Skies. The game is inspired by Ozzy Osbourne and his music, and you will actually assume the role of one of three different Ozzy characters, one for each faction featured in the game.
North Carolina-based iRock Interactive was founded on the idea of creating games based on popular music. Although the developer considered making games based on Korn and the Dave Matthews Band, it decided to focus its efforts on Ozzy's Black Skies as the studio's first game. According to iRock, Osbourne's personality and showmanship are well suited for use in a game, and the company expects to please both Ozzy fans and fans of fantasy action games with Ozzy's Black Skies.
The game will feature several interactive music tracks that will change according to the action in the game. A number of these tracks, including Crazy Train and Paranoid, have been rerecorded by Osbourne, and the artist has also recorded an entirely new track, Black Skies, which will be exclusive to the game.
Although Ozzy's heavy metal music is one of the game's selling points, the developers are quick to point out that the most important part of the game is the game itself--the detailed fantasy world, the fantastic flying creatures, and the airborne combat--and they are working to make it enjoyable for a wide range of players. Instead of worrying about keeping the flying creatures in the air, you can concentrate on the dogfighting.
Black Skies will feature three playable factions: the noble Virtwyn, the Chrysalis alchemists, and the Pariah necromancers. Each faction will initially include eight flying creatures, ranging from giant owls and eagles to skeletal dragonlike beasts and manta ray-like mutants. Each creature has different statistics, flight models, and attacks. Although players won't have to control every aspect of flight, they will have to keep an eye on the creature's energy level, since flying around fighting enemies can be tiring. Gliding will let the creature rest, while maneuvering and flying straight up use more energy.
Most of the attacks in the game are designed to engage the enemy at around 100 meters, although there are some burst attacks used for closer ranges and some items that will let Ozzy use sniperlike attacks at a long range. The developers wanted to keep the combat distance at a point where you could see the detail on the creatures, but not have it be so close as to simulate airborne wrestling.
The team has already built around 15 fantasy environments that include both indoor and outdoor areas made up of canyons, wastelands, castles, ruins, rivers, forests, and a variety of other elements. In addition, a full weather system provides cloud cover and fog, rainfall, lightning, and several other effects. The game will include three single-player campaigns made up of 10 missions each, and there will also be a full multiplayer mode for up to 16 players. Missions in the game will feature objectives of all sorts, including assault, defense, escorting, and even a racing mission.
Ozzy's Black Skies has been in development for about a year, and iRock has almost 30 people working on the project. It's about 70 percent complete, and the team expects to hit the alpha stage within the next few months. No publisher for the game has been announced at this time.

Iommi Talks Sabbath Reunion (5/13/2001)

The four original members of Black Sabbath -- Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler -- have begun work on a new album, their first since 1978's Never Say Die.
"We're having great fun," says Iommi. "Even in rehearsals, it's like we're kids again." After headlining this summer's Ozzfest Tour, the band will reconvene in London to continue writing songs. In November, they will begin recording with producer Rick Rubin. They plan to release the album next spring.
The Sabbath reunion came about after Osbourne realized that he had erred in his decision to call the band's 1999 Ozzfest shows their last. "Ozzy felt like the band had run its course, so he ended it," says the singer's wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne. "Then he was miserable for a good eight months. He woke up one day and said, 'I fucked it! Why did I do it?' So he called them and said, 'Do you want to get back together?'"
The band has at least five new songs in the works; one, called "Scary Dream," Sharon describes as "haunting . . . One of the best songs they've ever written." Iommi agrees that the songs are a return to form. "It's gone right back to the beginning," he says. "Into that format with a lot of tempo changes, and it sounds much the same as it did in the early days, hopefully only better."
Ozzy, meanwhile, will release his latest solo album on October 16th, featuring tracks co-written with artists including Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and Foreigner's Mick Jones.
JENNY ELISCU - Rollingstone

Sharon Osbourne Recants Stereophrenzy (5/9/2001)

It could have turned into the most infamous battle royal since the Rock took on Stone Cold, but Ozzy Osbourne's wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, has apologized to British group Sterophonics for calling them the "Stereo-whatever-the-f----they're-called."
In a May 5 article on British music tabloid NME's Web site, Osbourne complained that Stereophonics booked a show at Donington Park, and had "a clause in their f---ing contract preventing anyone else from playing there this summer." Ozzfest was thus unable to reclaim Donington, which Ozzy hasn't played since 1996, as the "home of metal."
Representatives for Stereophonics could not be reached for comment.
In a letter of apology sent to NME, Osbourne referred to herself as the "Queen of Evil" with a "big f---ing mouth and a crass attitude." She then referred to the Stereophonics with a slightly more complimentary use of the f-word, calling them one of the "greatest bands in the world."
In a post-script to this piece of heavy-metal diplomacy, Osbourne said, "After Ozzy heard what had happened I had to go to the hospital to have his foot taken out of my ass."
Osbourne's publicist had no comment. Ozzfest will hit Milton Keynes on May 26, while Stereophonics play Donington on July 14.
No word yet on whether the RIAA plans to begin putting parental-advisory stickers on managers.

Ozzy's mom passes away at age 85 (4/28/2001)

On or about April 10th, Ozzy's mother passed away. Ozzy had the following to say:
"Mum died of Diabetes and kidney problems. She went peacfully in her sleep, unlike dad who had cancer and died in pain. I'd been to see her a week before and she's seemed fine. I never thought I'd be affected, I wasn't affected when my dad died. But it's different with mum, it knocks the stuffing out of me. I didn't go to the funeral. They f*** me up to much. I've been to enough funerals to last a lifetime. It might have pushed me over the edge. I thought I was going nuts last year. I was driving around with spears. I was near the dark side. It was like I was waking up with the worlds worst hangover but I hadn't had a drink. I'm glued together with medicaction. I'm on everything proper psychotic medication. If I don't pop pills I lose it. I'm a f***ing nutter, I won't last to 85."
In this interview Ozzy also recapped his fears of the Y2K bug:
"I was really worried about the Y2K bug. I thought it was going to cause chaos, so unknown to Sharon, I started to bury stashes of vodka in our Buckingamshire garden. You remember I got in trouble for installing those floodlights? I said I wanted them for late night gardening but I was really digging holes to hide the vodka. On the Millennium I kept nipping out for a drink, after a while Sharon said, "Oh you're drunk...and where's all this f***ing vodka coming from?", and after all that nothing happened. I don't do it often. Christmas was the last time I was found up an alley with an empty bottle of Smirnoff. Well, why not? If you can't let off a bit of steam now and then..."

Ozzy On MTV's Real World, Life Movie On Hold (4/28/2001)

The Osbournes are currently renting property on Malibu Beach while building on their new $4.5 million pad is finished. Ozzy and his family will be featured shortly on MTV's Real World, and the movie about their lives is currently on hold until Sharon's father, legendary Don Arden dies - because of a bitter family rift.

Ozzfest TV To Feature Behind The Scenes Footage (4/22/2001)

In the tradition of the 'Beat Club' clips from 1970, a new 'Beat Club' 2001 video was shot when the Sabs rehearsed for the ESPN Action Sports and Music Awards April 5 in L.A. With a giant video wall behind them and full access to the band a crew captured a little chunk of history. Tony performed a quiet little blues interlude while Geezer and Bill screwed around with between takes. Incredible and magical! A few measures of one of the new songs were played as well. This first episode of OTV will be posted next Wednesday, April 25 by 5pm PDT at www.ozzfest.com.

Big Solo Album Update (4/19/2001)

According to www.mtv.com, OZZY OSBOURNE has recorded nine songs and is working on several more for his new album, which his producer calls "a contemporary rock record". Tim Palmer (U2, ROBERT PLANT) said the BLACK SABBATH founder has been picking up ideas from the young metal bands that have shared the stage with him on recent Ozzfest tours.
"He's got a new set of tricks," Palmer said. "He's a big Beatles fan, and that's going to come out. But it's still going to sound like him. You can have a track that is way out there, and as soon as he lays the vocal track down, you know it's Ozzy. He has the most recognizable voice in rock music."
The project is being recorded with a band that includes ZAKK WYLDE, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' bassist Robert Trujillo and former FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin, who filled in when KORN drummer David Silveria hurt his wrist on tour a year ago. Producer Danny Saber wrote some tracks for the album, as did Wylde, Palmer and producer Scott Humphrey (ROB ZOMBIE, METHODS OF MAYHEM). Some guest musicians may appear, but Palmer would not give names.
"I don't want to let the chicken out of the basket or Ozzy might bite the head off it," he said, jokingly referring to the singer's infamous stage antics. Another eight tracks are set to be recorded before Ozzy and Black Sabbath leave to headline this summer's Ozzfest, Palmer said. An October release date is planned."If we don't get everything done, I'm just going to stalk him on tour," Palmer said. "With today's technology, you can record vocals in a tour bus."

Big Sabbath Update (4/14/2001)

BLACK SABBATH - The Uncompleted Journey! Special Report by Martin Popoff
Here's an update for y'all from Geezer Butler and Bill Ward on happenings in the Sabbath camp, and there's a lot, or nothing at all, depending on whether you see life as a journey or the sum of one's completed projects. Fact is, Ozzy, Geezer and Bill all have albums in various states of undress, and Sabbath themselves have worked up about six or seven new songs, at least one of which should debut on the upcoming Ozzfest tour, which Sabbath is of course headlining.
First of all, it looks like Ozzy's album won't be out before the tour begins about a month from now with one English date. His most recent collaborations have been with Zakk. No Sabbath members are involved with his record and it isn't looking to get finished any time soon. "He doesn't talk about it much," says Geezer, "It's been six years now so his record company isn't too happy (laughs)."
The album furthest along is Bill Ward's. Entitled Beyond Aston, it will be mixed while Bill is out rocking with the Sabs through the summer. Bill gives us the lowdown. "I'm going to try finished it by May 3rd. I'm down to overdubs. I've got an accordion, a choir, a couple of 12 string guitars; we've got to put an orchestra on one song and a couple of vocals and pretty much that's it. So it will be ready. It's going to be mixed while we're doing Ozzfest, so I won't actually be there during the mix. But it's in capable hands. So it will be ready for release, although I don't have a label right now. I'm not really bothered and haven't been thinking about it. I'm just trying to get the album done. I'd like it to come out on a good label if possible. With respect to the title, Aston is where we all grew up. There are some songs on there that are reflective of my life there, from being brought up in Aston and continuing on from there. And I wrote 'Beyond Aston' basically for Ozzy. But he hasn't heard the song yet, and I wrote it for him about ten years ago."
"We're nearly there. I just want to finish it," laughs Bill, "because I've been working on it for the last three years. And also, I don't want to go into a major touring situation wondering about 'cut five, did we do the Protools? Did we cut out A and B during the Protools session?' I don't want to have those kinds of numbers in my head. I'm going out there to rock and to drive Black Sabbath, and that's my total intention and to do that I have to have focus and an absolutely clear head. So no, the whole reason why I'm kind of working a little harder in April is to make sure my decks are cleared so that when we go on that stage I know exactly where I am, best as I can be. So I wouldn't do things that would either jeopardize my energy for my own album or jeopardize my energy for Black Sabbath."
It seems that Ward's found an even keel with his health and that there's been no question of other drummers for the upcoming tour, Geezer emphatically reiterating that "oh for sure, there's only one Black Sabbath and that's the four of us together. He's always had stamina; that was never a problem. I don't know where he gets it though (laughs)."
"Yeah, I'm good. I totally stopped smoking cold," notes Bill. "And I'm vegan now, although saying that on one hand, I still like to have a piece of cheese every once in awhile. And I like that Starbucks coffee too (laughs). Even though it's non-fat milk, it's not really vegan. I'm probably not exercising as much as I'm supposed to. But I do, yeah. I work out on the exercise bike and I walk. Yesterday I walked five miles."
And how are the chops these days? Have you added anything to your drum style in the last few years?
"I'm trying to (laughs). I think I have, actually. I'm trying different things. I think I've improved a little bit between my feet and my arms and my head. I'm trying to put extra little things in. By the time when we finished with the Sabbath tours and the Ozzfest tours in 1999, I felt pretty good about my drumming. I felt that it was starting to awaken. And I thought, well, you know, you're having a good time here because I was starting to put some jazz chops in between all the hard rock. So I was enjoying doing that. I don't think the audience could ever hear it, but I was having a blast doing it. It just kept everything nice. So when we start rehearsals for the coming tour of American and of England on May the 12th, I'm kind of hoping to come out of the gate pretty hard and heavy. We've been rehearsing for six weeks already so my chops aren't too bad."
Ward has also scrapped for now plans to reissue Ward One: Along The Way, with or without the Ozzy tracks, with or without rerecording the entire album, an idea which was bandied about over the years as an additional disc completing a two disc set.
And here's Geezer on the progress of his third solo album (one song title for you: 'The Ultimate Ghost'). "I'll work more on my album when I get back from the tour. I've got about twelve songs done. It encompasses everything I've done. Right now Clark Brown has done all the vocals and I'm working with Pedro Howse again who was the guitarist on my last two albums."
Anything from your files that might make it over to the Sabbath camp?
"Yes, there's a really doomy one that Bill wants to snatch for the Black Sabbath album (laughs). As well, Tony likes one of them."
And here's Geezer with a few impressions of the Sabbath material. "We just wanted to see what we could come up with. We came up with about six or seven songs. No song titles yet, but it's back to the roots, back to the old '70s, early '70s sound. It's nothing like the Reunion tracks. That was done on Protools. Bill and myself weren't even there until the songs were done. This time we did it exactly the way we did the first three albums, just sit in the studio and jam together and record everything and then listen back to it all and then take the stuff that we like and work on it. And Ozzy would come up with the vocal melodies which is never a problem. So it's very much a group effort. And I'm not the designated lyricist anymore. Ozzy might write something or Bill or Tony. We're writing the way we used to on the first three albums. We all have to like it. If only two of us like it, then we don't keep it. And we're working up in Wales again, where we did the Reunion rehearsals."
Did you get these tracks anywhere near a finished state?
"Some of them, sort of. There are no real lyrics yet. That's always the last thing that we put on. But there are about three of them that we're probably ready to record. And all we need now is about twelve others as good as that and we'll be fine (laughs). There's one really strange one, sort of like a ballad, very radio-friendly, and that was the first one to be dumped (laugh), very commercial. We're not going to rush the album because if it doesn't sound right, if it's not up to scratch as an album, then we won't put it out."
And here's Bill's impression of the songs thus far. "I think that they're pretty melodic, definitely hard rock. I think that they're a good start in a sense that they are from four guys getting together who haven't actually written anything together for a long, long, long time. I feel that the beginning shows incredible potential and promise. There are some slower songs which actually have some jazz and real melodic feels and there's a real melodic one that I was going to say is almost like 'Changes', but in a rhythm sense it's nothing like 'Changes'. It really compliments Ozzy's kind of lament voice. I don't know, there's something that is just totally awesome about his voice when he sings sad songs; it just turns out great. So we have something in that range, and then we have something that is just so tight and up tempo and total fucking metal, so the range is quite wide. We've just started to tap the mother lode. I don't know, but there's potentially enough material to go for a long, long time, not just for one album. But it's very exciting. There are a lot of different ideas."
In terms of producers, Geezer offers that "we've talked to Rick Rubin. He wants to do it. And that's all we've spoken to so far." In terms of obscurities we might hear from the band on their Ozzfest jaunt, Geezer says that "we'll likely play one of the new ones. As well, we're working on 'Hand Of Doom', 'National Acrobat' and 'Back Street Kids', but that one's not working out so well."
Work will likely continue on the Black Sabbath album when the American Ozzfest tour is over, although the band is getting pressured to continue Ozzfest into Asia and Australia.

ESPN Awards (4/9/2001)

Metallica, Eminem, and Deftones were among the winners when the cream of the extreme-sports crop honored their favorite musicians at the first ESPN Action Sports & Music Awards, held Saturday, April 7 in Universal City, Calif.
The event - which climaxed with a performance by heavy metal gods Black Sabbath - saw the best athletes in sports like snowboarding, surfing, and skateboarding salute the musical artists who inspire them, in addition to awarding their daredevil peers.
Metallica frontman James Hetfield said the two rebel breeds honored at the ceremony have a lot in common.
"I think there are parallels, as in, we're going where we're not supposed to be - beyond the limits," he said shortly after arriving at the Universal Amphitheater. "I feel a lot of the people out here ignore the rules of what should be. We're all connected in that way."
Though Hetfield joked that he thought he was there to accept the award for Best Female Snowboarder, Metallica took home the Artist Contribution Award for "raising the enjoyment of action sports."
Also among the night's musical honorees were NOFX, Linkin Park, Moby, and newcomer Jack Johnson, who is currently touring with Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals. All the winning artists were present except Moby and Eminem, who were voted Artist of the Year by skiers and skateboarders, respectively.
"I grew up skateboarding since I was 10 years old, and I would always do it with music on - it just gives you motivation - so it's cool to be recognized," said Deftones frontman Chino Moreno, whose band was voted Artist of the Year by BMX riders.
For many of the night's attendees the highlight was seeing Black Sabbath seize the stage. The legendary rockers turned in a lashing performance of their metal classic "Paranoid," while artists in the crowd - including Cypress Hill's B-Real and members of the Offspring
and Metallica - cheered them on.
For Rob Zombie, who introduced Sabbath, it was the only justifiable reason to come. "I normally would never do anything like this because it's kind of out of my element, but to introduce Black Sabbath is good," he said.
Also among the performers were Incubus, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, De La Soul featuring Busta Rhymes, and Crazy Town.
"I never participated in sports in high school, so I figured I should start now," Crazy Town vocalist Shifty Shellshock said.
The show will air on ESPN Tuesday, April 10.
Following are the musical winners at the ESPN Action Sports & Music Awards:
Artist Contribution Award - Metallica
Music Artist of the Year, Snowboarding - NOFX
Music Artist of the Year, Skateboarding - Eminem
Music Artist of the Year, Motocross Riding - Linkin Park
Music Artist of the Year, Surfing - Jack Johnson
Music Artist of the Year, Skiing - Moby
Music Artist of the Year, BMX Riding - Deftones

Mormon Ride Conflicts With Ozzfest (4/6/2001)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - It was a scheduling conflict. The Heritage Trails Celebration wagon train was set to leave Provo on April 24, arriving at Glen Helen Regional Park in San Bernardino, Calif., June 28-30. The 700-mile journey commemorates colonization by Mormon pioneers in Southern California.
As it turned out, an Ozzy Osbourne rock concert was scheduled in the same 1,340-acre park on the same weekend. The June 30 concert is a part of Ozzfest, a nationwide tour.
"They scheduled right on top of us," said Marilyn Mills, co-chairman for the Heritage Trails event.
While the park is large enough to handle both the concert and the wagon train, the Heritage Board decided to reschedule.
"The concert is completely incompatible with our celebration," Mills said.
The wagon train will leave Labor Day weekend from Provo and arrive in Glen Helen Park on Oct. 25.
Mormon pioneers left Provo in the spring of 1851 and arrived at Glen Helen (then called The Sycamores) in early July. They camped for three months at Glen Helen until they found permanent areas to settle.

Ozz Reissues Update (4/6/2001)

Sony sources say that the forthcoming BLUE OYSTER CULT reissues will now be out in late June and the JUDAS PRIEST reissue/remaster frenzy will begin in late May. As for the OZZY OSBOURNE catalogue, the label is hopeful that four CDs will appear in late June, but given his latest studio work (solo and BLACK SABBATH), they may be delayed further.

Geezer Butler Chat (4/6/2001)

Geezer Butler will answer your questions starting Monday at 9pm EDT/6pm PDT at http://chat1.starwave.com/chat/chat.dll?room=szOzzfest. Talk to the man about the new Sabbath material, his next solo project, his lyrical inspirations, and anything else that occupies his mind. Send your questions in advance to administrator@ozzy.com.

Moulin Rouge Update (3/28/2001)

Moulin Rouge hits theaters on May 11. Moulin Rouge stars Nichole Kidman, Ewan McGregor and Ozzy Osbourne on voice narrations. Ozzy will also be featured on the soundtrack singing the "Sound of Music".