Sharon Osbourne

I wouldn't give it two hoots about Sharon Osbourne, but just because her dad managed Black Sabbath and she is Ozzy Osbourne's wife I decided to give her a go and pick her autobiography. After all, any insights into the Sabbs and their line up can't hurt! Well, what's there to get?

There are some nice glimpses at the music business of the 50s and 60s, when rock n' roll hit Britain and her dad, Don Arden, once described as the 'Al Capone of music', used to manage some of the then big names. show more It's nice; but since she had a nasty feud with her father it quickly turn revengeful, a family vendetta where her dad is all but spared. Don Arden was indeed a big name, and so getting to see his disgusting scams and how he ripped even his own bands (ELO...) is here quite a take on the music industry back then:

'... he was just one among many. The business was full of lying, cheating mobsters. There was barely a decent person among them. Everywhere I turned there was another liar, another bullshitter, another fake.'

There are whole chapters, too, dedicated to her husband Ozzy. How she picked him up after he was thrown out of Black Sabbath; how she launched his solo career; the tragedy that unfolded (the death of Randy Rhoads...); how she tried and have him to get clean and sober; the creation of the Ozzfest… There's no denying she's a tough, tenacious woman, and a determined manager who knows what she wants and usually gets it! Thing is, since she's Ozzy's wife it quickly turn into an insight into their marriage, and the whole becomes an unsettling tale of a toxic relationship. She wasn't a saint for sure (agressive, arrogant, violent) but the recounting of all the abuses, physical and emotional, melted upon her is frankly harrowing to read. Ozzy has a reputation for being clownish, wait to see how he was behind closed doors...

Now, yes, she's a self-centred 'motormouth' and in between the lines you see all the shallowness and insecurities of the celebrity culture she belongs to: the craving for fame, money flouting, names dropping... I found it all, not annoying, but quite pitiful. She can also sound funnily hypocrite, as when she offers her opinion on nowadays music industry:

'... full of small, blinkered persons. There are few pioneers..., people prepared to take a chance... the majority are pampered, untalented also-rans who have no musical ability at all. I don't even know an A&R man these days who can play an instrument or read or write music. All they have is an ear for what is current.'

This coming from someone who paid her debts by being some judge on some sh%tty talent show, it's quite gutted!

Having said that, she can attract sympathy and some sort of admiration too. She's coming from a dysfunctional family and, sadly, ends up living in a dysfunctional marriage herself (although she's absolutely head over heels about Ozzy! Her love just shines throughout...). She is selfless to the point of coping with Ozzy's behaviours, even if for the sake of her kids (sadly, ain't it always like that with abused women?). She is also very strong, as her battle against cancer shows quite clearly. She has, in a word, the tenacity of an indestructible warrior - there's no taking that away from her.

A loose canon ball with a attitude, Sharon Osbourne surely is not everyone's cup of tea. Well, as a shallow celebrity she certainly is not mine; not matter how admirable her determination! But I picked this up to get insight into the music, and when it comes to that her side of the story makes for a great read. From the rock n' roll era to the Ozzfest, straight through Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne (I personally don't care about The X doolali) here's a frank insight into it all. Like her or not: her impact remains. show less

Sharons självbiografi är mycket bättre än hennes man. Sharon är kvinnan bakom Ozzys framgång, jag har alltid uppfattade Ozzy som svagbegåvad eller har han blivit kraftigt knarkskadad tidigt under sin karriär . Om det inte hade varit för Sharon hade han blivit fattig och bortskämd, utnyttjad och knarkat bort sin karriär.
En ärlig självbiografi, Sharon visar vem hon är och ger oss en inblick i musik indistrin som är en värld full av lurendrejare och mäktiga män. Ändå har show more Sharon lyckats hävda sig och skapa ett varumärke, och även räddat bandet black sabbath . Som kvinna är Sharon en krigare men hennes förhållande med Ozzy liknar mer ett inbördeskrig än kärleksförhållande , jag förstår inte hur hon orkade att vara ihop med en man som inte bara är missbrukare utan verkar sakna egen vilja och kan påverkas av vem som helst. Ozzy har vänt sig ifrån Sharon många gånger och han har varit otrogen , lämnat henne, misshandlat henne och gjort narr av henne offentligt.
Jag undrar om det verkligen är kärlek eller om Sharon har skapat Ozzy och sedan hållit fast honom till varje pris då han vissade sig vara kassako . show less

I'm afraid I've never had any respect for Ozzy Osbourne due to the infamous bat and dove incidents, so it's with a great deal of surprise that I have to admit I really enjoyed this book. (Same as I actually enjoyed "The Osbourne's" despite not wanting to...)

But I don't know why exactly? After all it's filled with alcoholism, drug addiction, abusive men and above all a very abusive main relationship between Ozzy and Sharon. It's hard for me to see how they have risen above that to have the show more relationship they seemingly have now. I think I would find it near impossible to love someone who constantly cheated on me, punched and hit me, broke my teeth and of course tried to strangle me to death! Maybe it works because they are as bad as each other!

Still I did enjoy it, found it a book I couldn't put down and ended up giving a 4 star rating to...go figure.... show less

I haven't read either of Sharon Osbourne's autobiographies but I know they were really well received. When I received a copy of her first foray into the world of fiction I was curious to see what sort of a tale she had spun.

The plot is loud and brash, and completely addictive. It covers every base you'd expect from Mrs O - there's scandal and rivalry, feuds and fame, and more than a smattering of sex. The story weaves all of these elements together into a thoroughly enjoyable romp of a read. show more

Every character has an ulterior motive, mainly fame, money and success, and they all seem prepared to do whatever it takes to get what they want.Whilst this made the characters easy to engage with even I found it didn't make them easy to like. Chelsea and Amber are the two main characters, but their mother Margaret gets a lot of attention - her story starts the book and it's clear to see the effect her story has on theirs.

It's been documented elsewhere that Sharon Osbourne worked with a co-writer to bring this book to life. This collaboration has definitely worked, the book is a fun read that kept me turning the pages. show less