The Twisted Sister singer said bass players wrote Ozzy Osbourne‘s lyrics. His daughter replied on Instagram, and he has since answered.
What began as Dee Snider answering fan questions on X has reached the Osbourne family.
The online exchange sparked when an X (formerly Twitter) user brought up details from Ozzy Osbourne‘s posthumous autobiography, “Last Rites“. The fan noted their shock over claims that Lemmy earned a larger fortune from his four co-writing credits on the 1991 blockbuster No More Tears than he did from his entire catalog with Motörhead.
The fan wrote on X: “I just read Ozzy‘s ‘Last Rites‘ and was stunned(if true) that Lemmy made more money off the four songs he wrote for No More Tears then from ALL his Motörhead tunes.”
“Reliable source of Ozzy himself. Insane, if true(Although it was a massive album).”
“Speaking Lemmy sounds fun”
Reacting to the financial trivia, Dee Snider hinted at his personal knowledge of the business practices within the Osbourne camp: “I know too much about the truth behind the scenes. Let’s just say that Sharon [Osbourne] doesn’t like to share.”
The thread then shifted focus to Bob Daisley. Another user pointed out the bassist’s historical claims that he drafted multiple lyrics for the 1991 sessions before being told his words were unnecessary and subsequently fired.
“Bob Daisley says he’d written a load of lyrics, then was told they weren’t needed for NMT. Then he got sacked for the final time,” the user wrote.
Pushing back against the idea that the bassist only contributed a handful of ideas, Dee Snider argued that bass players were historically responsible for the frontman’s entire lyrical output.
“’A load’? How about ALL the lyrics? Ozzy always had bass players write his lyrics. Geezer Butler wrote ALL of Black Sabbath lyrics. Daisley wrote lyrics for the first two solo albums (I’m pretty sure he was paid to write on other records but not credited) & Lemmy wrote lyrics.”
Kelly Osbourne has posted two responses to Instagram after the online exchange. Snider has since replied to her.
The first of Kelly‘s posts, set to Ozzy‘s “No More Tears“, did not name anyone.
“My father’s legacy as a musician, songwriter, singer and bandleader speaks for itself. His friends, those who who worked with him, those who love him, and millions of fans around the world that still continue to buy his records know exactly what he meant what he contributed and what he leaves behind. His legacy will live on eternally.”
The second, posted two hours later and soundtracked by a track credited to Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy Kilmister, was addressed to Snider directly. It opened: “@deesnider your last hit….not to age myself was the year I was born over 40 years ago”
She continued: “There’s something spectacularly classless about Dee Snider trying to diminish my father Ozzy Osbourne and his extraordinary abilities and achievements when he is no longer here to challenge his allegations, particularly when Snider cannot claim to know the private reality of my fathers life simply by looking in from the outside or from hearsay from a delusional man with a vendetta against my father. When to the best of my knowledge they were maybe in the same room once if even at all.”
“And if Snider wants to invite comparisons between their careers, that comparison is devastating enough on its own.”
“Snider had a brief period of mainstream success more than 40 years ago. My fathers career spanned nearly six decades—from helping define heavy metal with Black Sabbath to building an extraordinary solo career. His music will continue influencing generations long after all of us are gone.”
“It’s difficult not to wonder whether Sniders attempt to belittle my father is simply a way of getting people talking about him again. Because musically, the music industry moved on from Snider‘s commercial peak decades ago, while my fathers name, catalogue and influence still remains globally relevant.”
“My father doesn’t need Dee Snider‘s approval to establish his place in music history”
“And trying to make my father smaller won’t make Dee Snider bigger. It only reminds everyone of the enormous difference between their legacies and further proves just how irrelevant snider is to the music industry and society as a whole. However I would like to thank you Dee Snider for allowing the world to see how truly desperate he really is !”
As the response spread, Snider posted again, softening the framing without retracting the substance: “And again. To be clear, I HAVE NOTHING BUT LOVE FOR OZZY. He was always lovely to me. @BlackSabbath changed my life! As a songwriter I can be a little touchy about credit and royalties.”
The underlying claim is not new, and it is only partly supported by the record. Butler did write the overwhelming majority of Black Sabbath‘s lyrics, and Daisley shares writing credits across Blizzard Of Ozz and every track on Diary Of A Madman. But Ozzy carries lyric credits of his own and his reputation rested chiefly on vocal melodies, which is a separate job from lyric writing and one nobody has disputed he did himself.
Kelly‘s remark about the year of her last hit is close to accurate. She was born in October 1984, the year Stay Hungry produced “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock“; Twisted Sister last reached the Hot 100 the following year and retired from touring in 2016. Snider has continued as a solo artist, author and broadcaster since.
The exchange lands three weeks after the first anniversary of Ozzy Osbourne‘s death. He died on July 22 last year at 76, of a heart attack, with coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s disease recorded as contributing factors. Kelly marked the date with an open letter to him on Instagram.
And again. To be clear, I HAVE NOTHING BUT LOVE FOR OZZY. He was always lovely to me. @BlackSabbath changed my life! As a songwriter I can be a little touchy about credit and royalties. https://t.co/ZUlgFO4g0j
— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) August 14, 2026
