In a fascinating new book on the late Black Sabbath frontman, author Keith Khan-Harris opens up on a life led at 100 miles an hour — and the legacy Ozzy left behind. Though hard to believe, it has been almost a year since the death of Ozzy Osbourne. As the author of a new book about the Black Sabbath frontman maintains, the late hard rock legend can teach us a lot about life — and death.
The Beautiful Death of Ozzy Osbourne
Keith Kahn-Harris, author of the spellbinding new book The Beautiful Death of Ozzy Osbourne: How Metal Teaches Us to Live, explores the incredible life and death of the King of Darkness. An expert on metal and one of the founders of Metal Studies as a discipline in UK universities, he believes not only was Birmingham’s most famous son a musical legend, but a unique individual who squeezed every last drop out of life — particularly as death was approaching.
“To borrow a quote from his son Jack which to me is just perfect, Ozzy swallowed the galaxy and didn’t know what to do with it,” he tells the Mirror. “He was insatiable. He got addicted to more or less everything.”
Unforgettable Anecdotes
One Ozzy anecdote that stood out to the writer as he penned his book was an example of his addiction to pretty much everything he came across. “At one point, he and Sharon went on a trip to France and… he basically got addicted to snails. He was suddenly wanting snails — every single day. He’d be like, ‘Sharon, I’m having snails today!’”
Another thing that amused the author during his research was that Ozzy had one favourite gothic cologne, which he did not stray from for over thirty years. “Apparently Ozzy used this very expensive brand, No. 88 by Czech & Speake. They've just released a special limited tribute edition, No 88 Prince of Darkness. I want to buy some — just to see what Ozzy smelled like.”
He adds, “There is one point in their reality show The Osbournes where he’s totally addicted to burritos. He just couldn’t get enough new experiences.”
The Darker Side
Of course, those new experiences would also include devastating addictions to alcohol and cocaine which nearly decimated Ozzy’s career — as well as well-publicised battles with prescription pills, tobacco, and sex. Kahn-Harris says, “That could be incredibly toxic and incredibly dangerous, and it was. It led him to do bad things, no question. But he had success beyond anything he’d ever imagined. He experienced and lived so much, for good and bad. He was never really in control of himself. His whole life was so implausible.”
The Final Farewell
When Ozzy died last July 22 aged 76, just 17 days after his final, deeply emotional Back to the Beginning concert in his hometown of Birmingham, it felt like the entire country was plunged into mourning. He passed away peacefully at home in Buckinghamshire, surrounded by his wife Sharon and children, following various long-term health issues, including Parkinson's disease. On the day of the public funeral procession through his hometown, The Band of the Coldstream Guards performed a special rendition of Black Sabbath's Paranoid during the Changing of the Guard.
Kahn-Harris says it was watching Ozzy’s stirring farewell show that inspired his book. “There was something about his performance that was so intense, so heartbreaking, but also so life-affirming. I mean, he was sat on a throne, not just a chair! It was incredibly sad to watch, but it also led to something so powerful — he was clearly unwell, but death concentrates us in the moment to truly live. It’s the most extraordinary thing Ozzy ever did, no question. I’ve got goosebumps now, just thinking about it.”
A Personal Tribute
But Kahn-Harris’ fascinating tome is not a biography, he adds — it is a personal tribute to a larger-than-life figure who he admits used to scare him as a teenager with tales of his bird-eating antics, but would go on to have a profound influence on his life. “When you look closely at anything Ozzy does, you'll find something that doesn't fit. The stories we tell about him couldn’t possibly contain him, and that includes my own book.”
As for what Ozzy taught Kahn-Harris, he says, “I think he taught me that the world is never fixed on its axis — that things can change radically. Ozzy teaches us always to expect the unexpected, to live life right up to the end.” The Beautiful Death Of Ozzy Osbourne: How Metal Teaches Us to Live (HarperNorth) is available from June 4 in hardback, ebook and audio.
