Jim Simpson, the first manager of Black Sabbath, has issued a detailed, point-by-point response to claims made by Sharon Osbourne on “The Osbournes Podcast,” calling her accusations “inaccurate” and “unfair.”
The heated dispute centers on Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes, a collection of 1969 recordings from the band Earth, which featured Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward just before they became Black Sabbath. Simpson, who funded and owns the tapes, has had the album’s release blocked by legal threats from Sharon Osbourne.
During her podcast, Sharon accused Simpson of waiting for the 50-year copyright to expire to claim 100% of the profits and questioned whether he ever had the money to pay for the original studio time.
Simpson, now in his late 80s, refuted these claims in a formal statement.
“It’s such a shame Sharon has decided to go all out on the attack without sitting down to talk about this. It’s also very unfair of her to make such inaccurate and potentially defamatory comments,” Simpson said.
Regarding Sharon‘s skepticism that he paid the original £500 studio bill, Simpson countered:
“How can Sharon possibly know what I could afford back then? The fact is that I did pay for the Earth recordings, and they belong to me… I’d already had a hit single with Locomotive, and record deals with major labels like EMI Harvest and Parlophone.”
Simpson also flatly denied Sharon‘s allegation that he intended to keep all the money from the release and that his charitable intentions were fake.
“Sharon is very mistaken. I wanted all band members to receive royalties from the album in the usual way, and I’m still more than happy for that to happen,” he stated.
“This is so unfair and potentially defamatory. I have correspondence with St Basils, a charity for homeless young people in Birmingham, dated 21 January 2025, which clearly states that if Black Sabbath refuse to accept royalties, then we will pay them to this charity.”
He also clarified that he did not “hide” the tapes for 50 years; rather, he was busy running his successful blues and jazz label, Big Bear Records, which is the same label, in partnership with Trapeze Music & Entertainment Ltd., that is handling the Earth release.
Simpson also took issue with Sharon‘s portrayal of his management, which ended in 1970.
“Under my management, we renamed Earth as Black Sabbath and they became one of the biggest names in heavy rock music… While under my management… they received proper payments. It was when they broke their contract that it all went wrong for them.”
Despite the public dispute, Simpson said he approached the band about the project in September 2024 and is still open to working with them, noting that he emailed Sharon on July 4, 2025.
“I suggested it might be fruitful for her and I to meet for coffee to discuss this issue. If they want to strike a deal with me to launch this album, I would therefore be delighted to discuss that with them.”
Simpson insists his main goal is preserving the album’s historical significance, which includes blues covers and early versions of songs like “Wicked World” and “Warning.” “My reason for launching this album now is because it will become a crucial segment of music history… It shows how these four young men… were already remarkable musicians,” he said.
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