Sharon Osbourne biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Music manager and promoter, reality television star, author, talk show host and entertainer Sharon Osbourne was born on October 9, 1952, in London, England. The daughter of music manager and concert producer Don Arden, Sharon Osbourne grew up surrounded by rock musicians. As a teenager, she went to work for her father as a receptionist, and later moved up in the business, working in promotions. Her life took a new direction not long after her father began managing the heavy metal group Black Sabbath in 1976.

The band's lead singer, Ozzy Osbourne, had a dark, demonic persona and was known for his wild antics on and off stage. In fact, he was kicked out of the group for his substance abuse problems in 1979. At that time, Sharon Osbourne took him on as a client, and became his manager. This move caused a rift between her and her father - one that took decades to mend.

Relationship with Ozzy

Sharon fell in love with Ozzy, but they experienced troubles in their early days, struggling with substance abuse and engaging in intense fights. The two were married on July 4, 1982, but their darkest day was around the corner. In 1989, Ozzy was arrested after trying to strangle Sharon while he was under the influence of illicit substances. He spent several months in a mental health facility after the incident.

Despite their personal problems, the Osbournes were a successful business team. Sharon helped launch and maintain Ozzy's solo career, during which he sold millions of records. She also managed other rock acts, including her daughter Kelly, the Smashing Pumpkins and Lita Ford. As concert producer, Osbourne also created the hugely successful Ozzfest, a touring concert festival featuring a variety of new and established heavy metal bands.

'The Osbournes' on MTV

Sharon also negotiated a deal with the MTV cable network for a reality series featuring her family. Like a twisted, curse-filled version of the Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Osbournes debuted in the spring of 2002. The show captivated audiences, who were intrigued by shock-rocker Ozzy's softer side as a doting - if somewhat spacey - father. Fans also loved Sharon's blunt and direct parenting style, and couldn't help but watch the two youngest Osbourne children as they battled their way through their sibling rivalries. Their oldest daughter, Aimee, declined to participate in the series.

Before filming started on the second season of the show, Sharon Osbourne discovered that she had colon cancer.