'No Saint' Ozzy Osbourne Nearly Falls Off the Wagon

By Nicki Gostin Posted Jan 14th 2011 12:11PM

Recovery hasn't come easy for Ozzy Osbourne, the king of heavy metal debauchery whose life story boils over with tales of drunken escapades and popping pills, lots and lots of pills. The rock god is off the hard stuff, but tells PopEater that he has slipped on occasion, like about two months ago when he cracked open a beer. "I'm not a saint," he says. "But that was the first time I drank a beer in I don't know how long."

But the man that spent his reality TV days "out of my face" drunk tells us that he found the strength to stop himself. "As soon as I tried it I thought, 'Oh that's it, pull the brakes lad.' In a very short time I'd be having bottles of vodka along with the rest of the crap."

In our full chat, Osbourne, 62, talks candidly about his kids and their own substance abuse issues, the bad taste that 'The Osbournes' left in his mouth and his surprising sense of humor, which is all over his memoir 'I Am Ozzy,' now in paperback.

Sharon's a saint for putting up with all your years of addiction.
It's a two-way street. Everybody thinks I was a useless piece of work and never did anything and Sharon did it all. She did a great deal, but I still maintained my gigs. I still made recordings.

I don't know -- with the amount you drank, you must be pickled by this point.
I am. At the end of the day if you can't stand being in a certain way you either die or get out of it and get some help. It took me a long time. People go to rehab and say it didn't work. It's not that it didn't work; it's that you didn't take the advice they gave you. I was still thirsty, so I carried on drinking.

What was the final straw for you?
I got sick and tired of being sick and tired. There was a time in my drinking career where I never used to get hangovers. I could drink a bottle of booze, have a sleep for an hour and wake up OK. To be perfectly honest I get kind of pissed off that I can't have a beer but that's the way it starts because I've never had one of anything.

I just drank myself to oblivion and then did drugs on top of that. At one point they reckon I was drinking four bottles of Hennessy a day. I'm not bragging about it. At a certain point in drinking you don't care, you can't see. I used to drink myself unconscious every day.

When was the last time you had a drink?
I think I had a beer about eight weeks ago. What I don't do now is not tell anybody. I have to tell somebody because if I don't I'm down that pipe hole again. I'm not a saint. But that was the first time I drank a beer in I don't know how long. When you're on the road and stuck in some foreign country ... the best part of touring is the gig. The rest is hanging around in a hotel room, and I just thought, "Oh, I'll try it," and as soon as I tried it I thought, "Oh, that's it, pull the brakes lad." In a very short time I'd be having bottles of vodka along with the rest of the crap.

Do you regret doing 'The Osbournes?'
I believe that everyone's life is planned to a certain degree. I don't regret because it was fun for a while, and it got bad. It was mine, my wife and kids' five minutes of mega stardom. After it, I said to Sharon that I'll do the occasional interview but I don't want to be the next anchorman. I don't like doing TV. To be honest I've watched very little of the show, maybe less than half of one show. I don't like to see myself on TV.

You were portrayed a little bit as a doddering, slurring fool.
I was out of my face. You have a camera crew living in your house any length of time, you'd start drinking, too. At first it's fun, but it gets old very quickly. It was the editing. One day I'll probably sit down and watch a few episodes and I'll probably sh*t myself.

Do you blame yourself at all for Jack and Kelly's problems?
I don't blame myself. If I was a vicar they still would have found drugs. Jack got clean before I did. If you ask me, nine out of 10 families these days have problems with drugs. Every kid is going to try booze and drugs.

I gotta say your book is really, really funny.
Humor is a big part of my existence. I didn't want to write a book about how fabulous I was and my rock-and-roll lifestyle. I mean we're blessed doing what we do. I don't have to get up at 7 and go straight to work to a job I don't like. Singing is a passion of mine, and I'm very fortunate at my age to be able to still do it, you know. I've had a great career, I'm not always happy, but humor has helped me get out of my darkest places.

You seem to worry a lot.
I worry about my family, I worry about my health. I worry about the world. I suppose I worry a bit too much because whatever's going to happen is going to happen. It's just my makeup.

How's your health these days?
My doctor said to me that I'm a testament to what the human body can go through. I'm not boasting; I'm just very lucky. They tested my genes, and they found out I'm allergic to alcohol, and I said, "I could have told them that before!"

Are you tired of always having the bat story brought up?
Next question. That f**king bat's got more publicity than me.

So it pisses you off?
What gets me is I've been doing what I've been doing for 42 years and there's more to me than biting the f**king head of a bat.

That infamous incident came two years after Ozzy released his signature song.

Tags: ozzy osbourne

Comments

(94)

Saturday 15 January

By Kevin

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Yes moron I am a recovering alcoholic with 21 years of sobriety and a state certified alcohol and drug addictions counselor, so I do know a little something about the subject but obviously you do not.

Friday 14 January

By rtpurdom

Finished with my woman cause she couldn't help me with my mind.

Thursday 20 January

By Moyia

I saw you in concert in Albuquerque in 1982! I was 17, still love your music! Keep on rocking!

By Robert Booker

He must have been drunk out of his gourd all the time, because he acted goofy all the time.

By Michelle

LOVE YOU OZZY....book was amazing, as is your life, and love of family...love all of you! ....rann948~SHUT UP!

By Harlen

He certainly fell off something! Look at his ugly children! My God! Kelly is a freak! rollie pollie lollipop! No wonder luke Warell kicked her ugly butt to the curb! Yikes.

By caper

Kelli looks FANTASTIC you idiot (as does her brother Jack)!! What year are you living in?!?!!!? YA, so their younger years were in the spotlight-kudos to them and the family for finding their happiness!!

By Kathy

Oh go take your negativity somewhere else!

By jim

Sorry your doing well.

By papafishin52

Ha Oz
If you ever need to spend a little more relaxed evening with your family ..
Well Never mind.
Take care!

By Goose

I met ozzy in a bar on Bourbon St in New Orleans in 1984. He was with the guys from Motley Crue; they were doing a show in town back then. Ozzy was so sh*t faced the other band guys had to carry him out. At least I shook his hand; which Im sure he has no recollection of in the shape he was in. Also; saw him snort a line of coke during a show at the old Chicago ampitheather with Black Sabbath in the late 70s. Amazing he is even alive after all those years of partying.

By Pivos2

Ozzy is the BEST heavy metal "dude" in the world. THAT'S IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Marcel

By Bill

What a pathetic example for a role model. 9 out of 10 families have drug users? From his point of view maybe. I bet you could drive a nail into his liver it's so hard.

By mary

who cares.

By Bogey

His brain is like Jelly!

By Marcie

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

Is he still alive? I thought he was dead. I never understood why people liked his "music"....noise is more like it. But to be that crazy, partying, performer at 62...you gotta give the guy credit for durability.

By ando

Country rocks

By pks29733steel

If I looked like 'Ozzy' I'd would drink my self blind on a daily basis

By frankerin

How long, O Lord, how long must we put up with this family of jerks.

By JB

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Keep it up brother dont let things bring you down those who have no clue about what it is like dont sweat them . Keep rocking we love you ! Addictions are hard to get past we all have back slid at some point , just remember you are in control of yourself and what you do . Dont let it control you reach out someone will help in those times . Be strong as the music you sing brother .

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