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Ozzy Osbourne has hit $50 million in merchandise sales (a record for a heavy metal performer)

During the past decade, the British rocker has amassed $50 million (27 million pounds) from selling memorabilia at concerts like his Ozzfest roadshow as well as online and in retail outlets, according to licensing and merchandising company Signatures Network.
Among the best-selling products are slippers and Osbourne T-shirts black, fashion jeans, jackets, boots, slippers and action figures.

"I think the 'Ozzy for President' and the 'Passion of Ozzy' shirts we just released will be some of the best-selling and most popular among his fans," said the singer's wife and manager, Sharon.

"Of course, I love Ozzy so much I sleep with one of his shirts on every night."

Despite a downturn in summer concert ticket sales this year, Ozzfest 2004 - featuring the Osbourne-fronted Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Slayer and Slipknot - remains healthy.

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Source:internet/UK/USA

Michael E. Dukes of the Army News Service is reporting that Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne visited wounded Operation Iraqi Freedom service members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center July 21 to tell them they are thankful for their sacrifices and bravery.

The entertainers spent four hours in the hospital talking with and listening to the war stories of about 30 Soldiers, Airmen and Marines.

Some explained how their recovery was going, while others told Ozzy how they've loved his music for as long as they could remember. Nearly all of them knew Sharon from the "The Osbournes" on MTV; those who did not told her that their mothers were big fans of her "Sharon Osbourne Show".

When Marine Cpl. Kevin Rumley spoke with Ozzy, his first question was about the singer's tattoos. "Which one’s did you do yourself?" he asked. Ozzy quickly pointed to a few on his left forearm and hand. The Marine showed his tattoos, and asked the rock star if he would autograph his arm.

"I'm gonna get it made into a tattoo," he said with grin. To which Ozzy replied, "Really? That's cool man."

Another long-time fan, Spc. Kevin Pannell, said back in school he made a drawing of Ozzy's large dragon tattoo. When he asked if he could see it, Ozzy pulled his shirt up to his chin, exposing a blue dragon that was looking over his shoulder.

Spc. Leopold Pedraza showed the Osbournes how his myoelectric prosthetic arm worked, and how he could rotate the hand 360 degrees. Ozzy was fascinated by the technology asking if the soldier was getting good at using his "bionic" arm. Pedraza said he was making progress but he was told it would be a little time before he could wield the prosthetic with proficiency for normal daily tasks.

Along with the OIF patients, the Osbournes visited two teenage oncology patients on the hospital's Pediatric Ward and an 18-year-old girl in the intensive care unit who suffered from a congenital heart defect.

The Osbournes said they enjoyed their visit to Walter Reed and they look forward to stopping by in the future if they are in the area.

The visit to Walter Reed was part of an USO program that has brought nearly 100 celebrities to the hospital since over the last two years to help cheer the spirits of recovering service members.

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Source:internet/ozzy/ozzfest

At a concert July 14, rocker Ozzy Osbourne sang War Pigs while projecting an image of Bush with Adolf Hitler on the same screen, with the caption: "Same shit different asshole".
Footage of bombs dropping and Hitler marching is also being shown as part of the montage. SABBATH also flash a picture of Bush with a clown nose, along with the caption "The White House Circus".
After complaints, it was dropped from shows.

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Source:internet/reviews

Ozzfest Disclaimer 7/18/04
When Black Sabbath open their show with "War Pigs," it has been brought to my attention that the wide screen portrays President George W. Bush with a clown nose appearing with past war mongers, including Adolf Hitler. I wish to say this video structure does not represent my personal views towards President Bush. This video was made without my prior knowledge or consent.
Sincerely,
Bill Ward

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Source:billward.com

Adam will be playing Keyboards with Black Sabbath on the OZZFEST shows around America ...

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Source:Adam Wakeman

THE BOARSHEAD FOOTBALL CLUB, a U.K. soccer team that describes itself as "OZZY powered", recently managed to win a regional tournament in April.
Ozzy Osbourne is rewarding them with an appearance at the end of the OZZFEST tour.
The team will be able to kick soccer balls into the crowd September 2nd and 4th showing off their victory cup.
The team recently raised 3,000 pounds fo a childrens charity as well.

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Source:blabbermouth/classicrockrevisited
Send by Garry Raybould

Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne and James Brown will sing at a free concert to celebrate the Olympic Torch's return to London, it has been announced.

The pop, rock and soul legends will perform at a concert on June 26 which is set to turn The Mall, the historic thoroughfare in central London, into a colourful music spectacle.

The race is now on for the coveted 70,000 tickets which will be allocated by ballot to the public. They can be applied for by telephone or online.

Kelly Osbourne, Jamelia, McFly, Will Young and Emma Bunton will also be taking to the stage.

The event is set to be the grand finale to a day in which more than 140 torchbearers carry the Olympic flame on a 50km (31-mile) journey past some of London's most famous landmarks.

It is being organised by the Greater London Authority, British Olympic Association, and Visit London with the support of the London Development Agency, Coca-Cola and Samsung.

It will be the first time the torch has been in the UK since London hosted the world's greatest sporting event in 1948. It will also act as a showcase for the world as London bids to host the 2012 Games.

Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to break the four-minute mile barrier in 1954, will start the torch relay from the Wimbledon tennis championships and Sir Steve Redgrave, the five-time Olympic rowing champion, will run the final leg of the relay into The Mall.

Athletes Sally Gunnell, Jonathan Edwards, Colin Jackson, cricketer Ian Botham, ER star Parminder Nagra, boxer Michael Watson, tennis player Tim Henman, Colin Jackson and campaigner Heather Mills McCartney will be among the Olympians, sports people, celebrities and ordinary members of the public who will be among the torchbearers.

Applications for concert tickets have already begun. The ticket telephone hotline - 090 11 12 13 14 - opened today at 9am and will close on June 9 at noon. All calls are charged at local rate within the UK and will cost a maximum of 25p. Charges may differ for mobile phones. Online applications can be made from June 4 at noon until Jun 9 at noon on www.visitlondon.com.

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Source:visitlondon

After initially declining an offer to join Black Sabbath members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler for a reunion on Ozzfest 2004, drummer Bill Ward has now reconsidered.
The original line-up is now complete for their much anticipated headlining slot on the 9th annual OZZfest.
Sharon Osbourne says “You have the original Black Sabbath and the original Judas Priest. What more could you want!”

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Source:Ozzfest Official

Kelly Osbourne, daughter of Black Sabbath legend Ozzy, has spoken about her spiral into drink and drugs.

The wild child offspring blamed her addictions on wanting to escape her "chubby English girl" image.

The star of hit TV show The Osbournes was interviewed on ITV1's Tonight with Trevor McDonald programme by her brother Jack, who has battled similar demons.

Kelly was speaking just days after she left a drug rehabilitation centre in Malibu, California, where her brother was also admitted nearly a year earlier.

She told the show she had her first alcoholic drink at 12 and started using harder drugs after struggling to settle into the Los Angeles lifestyle.

She also talked of a time when she was permanently high but did not care about the damage she was causing her body despite noticing deterioration in her health.

And chillingly she fears she would be dead had she started using drugs in the UK rather than America.

Kelly is now following in her father's footsteps as a singer and dueted with him on the recent hit ballad Changes.

Her brother also talked frankly about his own addictions, which started with alcohol and cannabis when he was 13.

He admitted that he came close to suicide after becoming addicted to the designer drug known as Hillbilly heroin.

Jack, who has been sober since his recovery last year, also interviewed his parents, TV show host Sharon and Ozzy, who said they feel guilty for letting their children go off the rails.

Ozzy said: "We were in denial. You always want to think it's somebody else's kids, not your own."

Source:Sky News
Send by Deco_kh

"Dear Sabbath People,

This morning I received the very sad news that Mike Bordin is to play drums with Black Sabbath on Ozzfest '04. Black Sabbath is, and always will be an important priority in my life. I support Geezer's, Tony's and Ozzy's decisions to move ahead into Ozzfest '04 without me. I can appreciate they may not be overjoyed with the decision, and I'd really like to be with them. Nothing would please me more than to be a part of the show.

Last week I did receive a proposal which allowed no room for negotiation. It was a cul-de-sac proposal in my opinion, where the only answer was yes or no. I was asked to respond by Friday. May 14th. I wrote a brief letter of decline on Thursday, May 13th. I answered directly at the proposal, and left out any personal comments, other than I was sad to have to decline. What I did not put in my response was this:

I'm willing to be flexible
I'm willing to compromise
I'm willing to negotiate
I'm willing to play.

I understand and believe in a united front when it comes to Sabbath. I can appreciate the fallout from such a decision will upset some people, and I am so sorry. I'm more than willing to support Ozzfest in any way I can.
I've walked down this street before when Sabbath did the first reunion without me and had Mike Bordin play instead. I want you to know, I'm not being the bad guy here. I'm not trying to hold anyone to ransom.
And I'm not trying to reverse my decision to decline in hope of a positive managerial response to this letter.

I'm ready, willing and able to rock. There are some details on the proposal that don't work for me. I guess it's a case of the importance of things on both sides and I think that's all I can say for now."
Bill Ward
5/18/04

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Source: billward.com

L.A., May 18, 2004 - Black Sabbath on tour. Original Black Sabbath members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler (as well as Osbourne-solo band member Mike Bordin, on drums) – will storm the U.S., performing 26 shows on OZZfest, starting July 10 in Hartford, Conn.



Source: Ozzfest.com

An appeal from musicians who claimed they had been cheated by Ozzy Osbourne got no sympathy from a court.
A US Supreme Court judge refused to consider the appeal of Bassist Robert Daisley and drummer Lee kerslake. They sued in 1998 seeking royalties for their work on Osborne's albums "Blizzard of Ozz"and "Diary of a Madman".
Los Angeles attorney Nate Kraut claimed his clients were denied credit for writing songs that are now used in television commercials and during NFL games.
"Their music is literally evrywhere" he told justices in a filling.The appeal failure follows the dismissal of the original lawsuit by a Calafornia judge.

Source: The Star News Ireland
Send by Deco_kh

Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi will be the featured guests on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" airing Wednesday, March 31. The live show begins at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET, and fans are encouraged to call in with questions during the program at (800) 344-ROCK (7625). To find a station near you, check out www.rocklineradio.com.

Source:ozzy/rockline

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