Surviving the Stress
With all of the reality television families out there today, it’s easy to forget that The Osbournes were one of the first to pave the way for other reality show families, such as the Kardashians. Having a film crew following you and your family around and intrusively documenting your every move would prove stressful enough to cause serious problems for almost anyone. We tend to see celebrities as superhuman figures who live to be in front of the flashing lights of cameras. However, no celebrity is immune to the frustration that is brought about by the total loss of privacy. Just look at the number of celebrities that have had run-ins with paparazzi, many of them violent, impulse-driven clashes that ended with costly lawsuits and negative publicity. The Prince of Darkness turned out to be the king of dealing with perpetual camera crew attention, and managed to keep his family together through all of the stressful situations that accompanied his success both on and off the stage. Not just anyone would be comfortable with a film crew following their family during extremely difficult and trying times like the ones faced by Ozzy and the rest of the Osbourne clan. Over the course of filming The Osbournes for MTV, Ozzy and his family battled serious addiction problems, cancer, and living next door to the neighbors from hell. Most reality television couples don’t make it beyond a few seasons (look at Kim K and Kris Humphries, for example), but Ozzy and Sharon are among the few who have bucked the stereotypes and stood the test of time, keeping their marriage alive for over 30 years and counting. MTV’s reality show, The Osbournes, documented a dysfunctional but happy and loving family over the course of three years, four seasons and a grand total of 52 episodes. Ozzy showed everyone a unique example of patience, strength, and willingness to change and adjust for the sake of his wife and children. If Ozzy was able to do that so well with a camera crew following him around, the rest of us shouldn’t have any excuses not to be able to do it from behind closed doors.
Acceptance and Support
Ozzy encouraged his children to be whoever they wanted to be, and provided them with the resources and support necessary to do so. For better or worse, parents have the intrinsic ability to influence their children’s decisions early in life, and those decisions often play a big role in who they grow up to be as adults. While most of Ozzy’s six children have remained out of the spotlight, his children Jack and Kelly have both publicly dealt with a myriad of struggles including drug and alcohol abuse and life-threatening health problems. Ozzy has stuck by his children through it all, and his unconditional support and acceptance were the primary reasons his children have seemingly overcome their personal struggles and have established happy families and successful careers of their own. Say what you will about his music or lifestyle choices, there is no disputing the fact that he has been an exceptionally great father to his children.
Family First!
He has the fame, the mansions, the cars and the cash, but Ozzy knows that his wife, Sharon, and his children are his most valuable assets. Sharon helped shape Ozzy’s success, beginning early in his career when she took over as his manager in 1979. Prior to Sharon taking the reins of managing the once-volatile rock star, her father, Don Arden, had been managing the heavy metal group Black Sabbath, with Ozzy providing the lead vocals. Due to substance abuse problems, the band made a unanimous decision to give Ozzy the boot and find a new front man, despite their massive success and growing fan base. It was at that time that Sharon took Ozzy on as a client to help him pursue his solo career as a musician, much to the disapproval of her father. Ozzy’s greatest financial success of the nineties was Ozzfest, a heavy metal music festival that was managed by Sharon. She enlisted the help of their son Jack to work as her assistant and find artists to book for the show. Sharon also managed the musical career of their daughter Kelly, and has been instrumental in cultivating and maintaining the world-famous Osbourne brand. Putting his family first proved to be one of Ozzy’s best decisions, both personally and professionally.
From Rolling Stone to Dad-at-Home
The glamorous lifestyle that accompanies the career of a rock star often comes tied to legal, financial and substance-related problems. Many who ‘make it big’ in the music industry are unable to maintain their rock star status and lifestyle without going over the edge, and often wind up losing everything trying to have it all. Ozzy is the first to admit his rock star lifestyle took its toll on his family life, and caused serious problems in his relationship with Sharon. Ozzy was arrested in 1989 after a drug-fueled domestic dispute with Sharon, but spent the following months in a treatment facility and managed to save both his marriage with Sharon and his own life. For now, Ozzy seems to have given up the rock star lifestyle for the most part to be the best version of himself he can be for his wife and children. Not letting professional success cloud your judgment and get in the way of marital and/or parental success is difficult for some people, but if a world famous rock star like Ozzy was able to do it so well, chances are you can too with a little effort.
In Sickness and In Health
Given his lengthy history with substance abuse and addiction problems, even Ozzy himself can’t believe he’s still alive and kicking! Serious medical and emotional problems can either tear a family apart or bring them closer together. The Osbournes have dealt with major health struggles as a family, including drug addiction, Sharon’s battle with cancer, Jack’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis, and a near fatal ATV accident that almost killed Ozzy. Through these life-changing challenges, Ozzy’s marriage has remained intact for over 30 years, which means he must be doing something right considering over half of all marriages end in divorce (and that number is exponentially higher for world-famous rock stars!) Having been through so many difficult trials and tribulations over the years, not allowing his personal struggles to tear apart his family speaks volumes to the unwavering dedication Ozzy has to his family above everything else. If you and your family fall on hard times, think of Ozzy and everything he has overcome. Remind yourself that no matter what life throws at you, it shouldn’t get in the way of being the best husband and father you can possibly be.
