MBW’s World’s Best Managers collection profiles one of the best artist managers within the world enterprise. Sharon Osbourne is a star in her personal proper, however for greater than 4 many years, she has additionally managed her husband, and true rock revolutionary, Ozzy. Right here she discusses that relationship, their success, and Black Sabbath going out on a excessive in July. This interview initially appeared within the Q1 difficulty of Music Enterprise UK, printed in March. World’s Best Managers is supported by Centtrip, a specialist in clever treasury, funds and international alternate – created with the music business and its wants in thoughts.
Let’s take this chance to settle one of many largest debates in music.
Black Sabbath have been the primary heavy steel band. They’re, thematically and sonically, pioneers. Only a few acts scheduled to headline a stadium in 2025 can declare to have outlined a style of music and paved the way in which for over a dozen different musicians on the identical line-up.
In July, Black Sabbath’s authentic 4 members return to their hometown of Birmingham, the birthplace of heavy steel, to play their last live performance at Villa Park with assist from giants of the steel world: Slayer, Metallica, Pantera, Lamb Of God, Mastodon and extra.
In accordance with the live performance’s musical director Tom Morello, the ultimate reunion of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Invoice Ward, can be “the best heavy steel present ever”.
For Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy’s spouse and supervisor of greater than 4 many years, the planning of Again To The Starting – because the charity occasion has been dubbed – is “very bittersweet”.
“It’s been our lives collectively for 45 years,” she says of hers and Ozzy’s storied careers in music. “It’s nice, but it surely’s unhappy on the similar time,” she provides of her emotions concerning the last present. “But it surely’s undoubtedly time to say goodnight. It’s time for Ozzy to do no matter he needs and never must plan something or be anyplace at any specific time.”
After guiding heavy music’s authentic provocateur to solo megastardom, Sharon Osbourne constructed an empire throughout music administration, festivals (Ozzfest between 1996–2018) and tv (The Osbournes, The Sharon Osbourne Present and so on). She’s additionally a best-selling creator and was a decide on a number of collection of hit expertise exhibits America’s Acquired Expertise and the UK’s The X Issue.
Osbourne was, in her personal phrases, “born into the business”.
She witnessed the start of the rock‘n’roll enterprise in London within the Sixties because the daughter of notorious music govt Don Arden – who labored with stars from Gene Vincent to Jerry Lee Lewis, and later Electrical Gentle Orchestra, Black Sabbath and extra.
“I simply noticed one thing in Ozzy. I noticed that spark that he had. It was electrical.”
“I watched my father go from an artist himself, to an agent, to a supervisor to working his personal report label [Jet Records]. I labored for him for a number of years,” Osbourne says.
“I discovered all the pieces I knew from my father. I watched him make horrible errors, and I discovered lots of good issues and in addition issues that you simply simply don’t do within the business. I used to be like an apprentice. I discovered all of it from him, good and unhealthy, as a result of I undoubtedly have my father’s mood, however I don’t take different folks’s cash!”
The primary artist Sharon managed on her personal was guitar participant Gary Moore, however would later go on to handle Ozzy’s solo profession by herself after his cut up from Black Sabbath in 1979. “I began with Gary, and I used to be doing day-to-day administration for ELO on the time,” she explains.
“And I simply noticed one thing in Ozzy. I noticed that spark that he had. It was electrical. Ozzy would stroll right into a room, and everyone would have a look at him. In two minutes, he had everyone laughing on the ground. He was a really charismatic younger man. I simply believed in it.”
That perception manifested into important success. Ozzy’s first solo album Blizzard Of Ozz (1980), that includes the classically educated late nice Randy Rhoads on guitar and co-songwriting duties, has offered over six million copies worldwide, hit No.21 on the US album chart and included iconic tracks like Loopy Practice and Mr. Crowley.
“It simply exploded,” Sharon recollects of Ozzy’s transition from Sabbath frontman to solo star in 1980. “As quickly as Loopy Practice got here out on the radio, it was simply prompt. Ozzy was blessed.”
Ozzy has since offered over 100 million albums worldwide throughout his work with Black Sabbath and his 13 solo studio albums. His most up-to-date LP, the Andrew Watt-produced Affected person Quantity 9 (Epic), hit No.3 on the US album chart and gained the Grammy for Greatest Rock Album in 2023. He additionally gained Greatest Metallic Efficiency that yr for Degradation Guidelines (feat. Tony Iommi).
Requested concerning the legacy she hopes to depart within the music enterprise as she prepares for Ozzy’s final ever stay efficiency, Osbourne responds: “I’m not vital. Managers are on the coat-tails of their artists. It’s about what Sabbath leaves, and what Ozzy leaves. That’s the vital factor.”
However first, Osbourne takes MBW again to the start of Ozzy’s solo profession and weighs in on the trendy music business, superfans, big-money catalog offers and extra…
How did the thought come collectively for Again To The Starting?
Since Ozzy’s sickness, which has been six years, he’s stated his one remorse is that he by no means bought the prospect to say goodbye to his followers and everyone that he’s ever labored with.
After which it was like, ‘Okay, how can we do that with out Ozzy simply performing for two-and-a-half hours?’, as a result of Ozzy can’t carry out for two-and-a-half hours anymore.
So then I considered having all of the bands he’s ever had relationships with carry out and perhaps do Sabbath songs and Ozzy songs. I began to ask actually shut buddies, they usually have been like, ‘Certain, yeah.’
It turned a celebration of the music. All of the generations are going to be there that Sabbath and Ozzy have handed the torch all the way down to. The one place that we may do it will have been Aston, as a result of that’s the place Ozzy was born and grew up, which is correct the place the Villa floor is.
There are two bands that we’d have liked to have been there, however they couldn’t as a result of they’re working that day. And that was Judas Priest, a neighborhood band, and Angus [Young] from AC/DC, as a result of he’s all the time been an enormous supporter of Ozzy’s.
Going again to your early profession as a supervisor after Ozzy left Black Sabbath and also you took over managing his solo profession, what was your technique for creating him as an artist?
Have you learnt what it was? Blind ignorance. It was like, ‘We’re gonna make it,’ And that’s it. We did no matter we needed to do. At first, once we have been reserving Ozzy in America, the album hadn’t even come out but. Promoters have been reserving him with out the success of his first album.
We have been speaking to folks within the fall, and he could be planning to tour the [following] summer season. It was an extended look forward to these promoters, and most of them have been shitting as a result of they [were] blindly reserving him.
It was enjoyable to see all of it occur. I imply, so many dates went up on sale and simply offered immediately. And all the guarantees that you simply make to a promoter, ‘Don’t fear, we’ll promote the present. We’ll do each little bit of promotion that can assist you promote out.’ After which it simply exploded. It was very natural.
Blizzard Of Ozz clearly turned an enormous success. You’ve written about how the sound was extra commercially accessible than among the heavier Sabbath music. Other than the songwriting and musicianship, how a lot of the lore round Ozzy’s stage persona at the moment performed into the success of his profession in these early days? And the way difficult was it as his supervisor to deal with the enterprise aspect of all of it?
Oh, yeah. Nicely, it simply went from, ‘Ozzy’s the wild man’, to ‘Ozzy’s insane and kills animals’ and all of that shit. And all of the tales: Ozzy’s lower his finger; no, he bit the pinnacle off a bat!
And so it simply sort of unfold. It had a lifetime of its personal. It simply bought larger and extra exaggerated; something he did at the moment within the business.
We have been instructed by our report firm: yet one more incident of their constructing, yet one more misbehaviour, and he could be dropped. It was very humorous to look at all of it play out!
In order that was CBS, earlier than they turned Sony?
Yeah, and the pinnacle of authorized [at CBS] known as me and warned me. We used to chortle as a result of it was so humorous, going into radio stations and gigs. It was simply hysterical, as a result of folks take all the pieces actually.
Then, in fact, at the moment, Judas Priest had the identical factor happening concerning the lyrics, the content material of the album. , it’s bought to be [censored]. Are you able to think about immediately if you happen to needed to [censor] an album, each album could be fucking [censored]!
Ozzy ended up having a extremely lengthy affiliation with CBS after which Epic after CBS was offered to Sony in 1988. You presumably had a superb relationship with them through the years after that?
Yeah. The factor was, the heads of the businesses would change, however Ozzy’s solely ever been on Epic as a solo artist. Nicely, Sony, and the identical as Sabbath, have been solely on Warner Bros. We don’t like chopping and altering. It’s been the identical with brokers and individuals who work with us.
It’s the identical crew of individuals. I’m not a kind of who will go and do an album right here and an album there, and store each report firm.
What’s among the greatest music enterprise recommendation you’ve ever been given?
Oh, God, maintain on to your publishing! By no means let your publishing go, till you get to the stage the place you suppose you need to bail, and you then promote all of it for a fortune.
You have a look at the place your songs may find yourself; you possibly can get a few million every time your music is utilized in an commercial.
Different folks may cowl your music and have successful with a music that wasn’t successful for you. It’s one thing which, now, I do know lots of artists, they go in, they usually need offers, [and the] report firms need their publishing. It’s like, ‘Fuck you, no manner.’
You talked about those that select to promote their catalogues for a fortune. What do you consider the development of massive cash offers struck by legacy artists and would you ever think about that for Ozzy’s music?
Everyone’s life is totally different. Artists who’ve labored and constructed an amazing physique of labor, it’s like, ‘Hey, promote it. It’s your massive payday. Go for it.’ And there’s some that need to say, ‘No, I need to hand it over to my kids.’
It’s no matter is best for you at the moment in your life. However if you happen to had 100% of it, you’ll be able to think about what it will be value, as a substitute of giving it to a writer, and also you get your no matter it’s, 40-50% they usually nonetheless retain the remainder. It’s like, ‘Fuck them’, as a result of publishers often simply sit there and look forward to it to occur.
Have there been any offers that you simply both remorse making or remorse not making throughout your profession?
Yeah, the largest mistake I ever did with Ozzy was that they requested him to go and browse for Pirates Of The Caribbean. I stated, ‘Fuck off’. Are you able to think about? He would have been so good in it.
Ozzfest turned a giant challenger within the pageant market within the Nineties. I’ve learn you got here up with the thought since you approached Lollapalooza to guide Ozzy, they usually stated no. What occurred?
Sure, that’s proper. I assumed it will be a lot enjoyable [to book] him [at Lollapalooza]. And so they have been like, ‘No, by no means. Not for us.’ It gave me the thought of, ‘Fuck it [then], we’ll do our personal steel pageant’, as a result of it didn’t exist. There have been no touring steel festivals. It was the start; all the remainder [followed]. And I’m so happy with that. We did it first, and it was a possibility for thus many youthful bands to play in entrance of an enormous crowd.
Have been all of the bands, labels and brokers on board with the thought immediately? Or did it take some convincing?
It took slightly convincing for the primary one. We really began out by doing two in a single week. And everyone stated, ‘Come again subsequent yr. That is big. That is improbable.’ And it simply constructed and constructed and we did it for 20 odd years. It was wonderful.
How did you method Ozzy’s touring and stay offers, particularly within the early years?
We had a coverage that Ozzy was by no means going to open for anybody. If you happen to exit with that mindset, you higher know what you’re doing.
“We had a coverage that Ozzy was by no means going to open for anybody.”
You don’t have the cushion of claiming, ‘It didn’t promote out. It’s not me, it’s them, it was badly run, and the sound system was shit!’ You’ve bought to know what you’re doing as a result of all of it comes all the way down to you.
What can the broader music enterprise study from rock and steel in terms of superfans?
Longevity. You have a look at what goes on in our business immediately, and also you suppose, I ponder if I’m going to be listening to this music in 5 years’ time? It’s very disposable. You have a look at all of the artists, and also you go, ‘Okay, who’s going to be like the subsequent Diana Ross that can be nonetheless related after they’re of their late seventies?’
I feel half of them gained’t be, I actually do. I don’t suppose they might stand the take a look at of time. Who’s going to be the subsequent Madonna from this lot that’s on the market proper now? Who’s going to be the subsequent Rolling Stones?
These bands you have been talking about, so far as merch goes, their logos, their names, can be on T-shirts decade after decade.
Are we gonna see a Coldplay T-shirt in 50 years strolling down the highway just like the Stones? that tongue and lips will go on ceaselessly. It’s like, which one among you lot immediately goes to be that?
However that’s what artists have to consider with their profession. It’s not simply now, now, now. It’s concerning the future. It goes so fast. Earlier than the place you might be, you’re in one other decade, and it’s like, ‘Am I nonetheless related? Am I doing an excessive amount of?’
I feel that lots of the artists immediately are being badly managed, badly suggested [and] doing an excessive amount of. [They] don’t know when to take a break, take a breath, again off for a yr, or two years.
On that word, do you suppose there’s sufficient long-term artist improvement within the music business, throughout administration, labels, publishing?
There isn’t any improvement presently at report labels. They take all the pieces. Document labels creating [artists] doesn’t exist. A&R departments simply go on the web. That’s it. They’ll take your publishing, your merchandise and all the pieces else, and all they do is press and distribute and stream you.
Many of the report firms personal the streaming anyway and all of this about, ‘Oh, I’ve bought a billion streams, it’s wonderful.’ Nicely, you’re getting lower than a fucking penny for a stream. It’s completely bastardising an artist’s music.
How does this all impression the position of the supervisor when it comes to discovering and creating artists, and the danger that managers take?
Hear, managers in my day would assist an artist so that they didn’t must assist themselves, so that they have been capable of write and hone their craft. You’d actually put them in an condo or a home, if it was a band, and also you’d pay all the pieces. You’d make investments your personal cash in an artist. That doesn’t occur immediately!
It’s an entire totally different manner of breaking artists due to social media. You get lots of managers on the market wheeling and dealing, and lots of managers on the market that additionally [act as] brokers, and lie about the truth that they don’t personal the company as a result of it’s unlawful to do this.
Artists used to must gig. You used to study your efficiency abilities by always gigging to construct your fanbase. And also you don’t have to do this anymore. You are able to do it out of your again backyard. Simply sit there and play to the canine. And if you happen to’re good, folks decide up on it, and it’s prompt.
The years of trailing all over the world, attempting to interrupt territories. It’s simply prompt now, which is improbable for the artists, however then you must look forward to the artist to develop their efficiency abilities, as a result of they didn’t must tour and know work with an viewers and all of that.
Even mic methods, you get younger youngsters immediately that don’t perceive even work with a microphone. They only stand in entrance of it.
If there was one factor you possibly can change concerning the music enterprise, what wouldn’t it be and why?
The phrase perpetuity ought to be taken out of the music business. No report firm ought to be allowed to take an artist’s work and personal it for all times. No writer ought to be capable to try this. Take a look at it this manner, you go to a financial institution since you need to purchase a home, so that you get a mortgage. Now you end paying that mortgage after which the financial institution says to you, ‘You’re by no means going to personal your own home.’
That’s the factor that occurs to an artist. You go to a report firm, they’ll upfront you the cash to make an album. If it’s successful, you pay again the report firm, they usually’ve bought all their a refund that they gave you for making that album, after which they owned it for all times. Now, how does that work? You’ve paid them again. Everyone’s made a revenue, the artist, the report firm, however but you continue to personal my work.
Have you ever not seen deal phrases enhance rather a lot from the Eighties to the Nineties to the 2000s to now?
Sure, in fact. However you’ll all the time get youngsters that come alongside who have gotten the dream. They don’t care concerning the cash, they don’t care about something. They don’t perceive the enterprise. They only need to launch their music.
They need to be a real artist. Document firms [and] publishers will all the time make the most of them. Take a look at all these boybands which have come and gone up to now. Take a look at how they have been all abused and brought benefit of. It may be a extremely powerful enterprise.
What does the longer term maintain for the standard report business?
They’ve all bought to cease being so smug and realise that it is extremely simple for artists to do it themselves. They’ve simply bought to suppose for his or her futures. A few of my greatest buddies are nonetheless at report firms. However you have a look at what [some] report firms are doing immediately, they’re hideous.
I’ve heard sure folks [at] among the largest report labels on this planet flip round and say, ‘Now we have to fuck the artist earlier than they fuck us.’
It’s such big prompt cash which you could make on this business, and it’s very cut-throat. However extra energy to these youngsters that need to go on the market and do all of it themselves.
