Ozzy Osbourne, who died in July aged 76, left behind a posthumous memoir titled 'Last Rites' that chronicles his tumultuous life. The rock legend, known for his wild antics with Black Sabbath, offers ten life lessons drawn from his battles with addiction, fame, and health.
Osbourne credited his career to his father, who bought him a 50-watt PA system on hire purchase for £250—an astronomical sum for a factory worker with six children. His greatest regret was never thanking him. He formed his first band, the Polka Tulk Blues Band, aged 19 after a stint in prison for burglary.
As a 'world-class' addict, Osbourne's habits escalated from one pint of Guinness to cocaine and pills. Smoking 30 cigars a day after trying to quit, he also became addicted to apples, ice-cream, and Peter Gabriel's album 'So'. Despite his excesses, he never used needles, claiming they 'freaked him out'.
His last bender in 2012 began when he bought two Ferraris and an Audi R8 despite not knowing how to drive. After passing his test easily in Los Angeles, he returned to Buckinghamshire and started drinking and driving to buy cocaine. He writes that he 'absolutely no' memory of that period.
Osbourne also details his health struggles, including Parkinson's disease and high-stakes spinal surgery in 2019. Yet he remained self-aware and savagely funny, reflecting: 'I had 70 great years, which is a lot longer than I ever expected or probably deserved.'
