In a candid new interview with Music Business Worldwide, veteran music manager Sharon Osbourne has revealed what she considers her single biggest career mistake: turning down an opportunity for her husband, Ozzy Osbourne, to audition for the blockbuster Pirates Of The Caribbean film franchise. She also shared her “bitter-sweet” feelings as she helps plan his final-ever performance this summer.
Looking back on her long and successful career managing Ozzy, which began after his dismissal from Black Sabbath in 1979, Sharon recalled what made her believe in him from the start. “I just saw something in Ozzy,” she said. “I saw that spark that he had. It was electric. Ozzy would walk into a room, and everybody would look at him. In two minutes, he had everybody laughing on the floor. He was a very charismatic young man. I just believed in it.”
However, when asked if she had any professional regrets, she pointed to one major missed opportunity in Hollywood. “The biggest mistake I ever did with Ozzy was that they asked him to go and read for Pirates Of The Caribbean,” she revealed. “I said, ‘F**k off’. Can you imagine? He would have been so perfect in it.”
With Ozzy‘s final concert, the “Back To The Beginning” show in Birmingham on July 5, now approaching, Sharon described the experience of planning his farewell as “bitter-sweet.”
“It’s been our lives together for 45 years,” she said. “It’s great, but it’s sad at the same time. But it’s definitely time to say goodnight. It’s time for Ozzy to do whatever he wants and not have to plan anything or be anywhere at any particular time.”
The weight of the final Black Sabbath performance is also being felt by Ozzy‘s bandmates. Guitarist Tony Iommi recently confessed to feeling “excitement mixed with fear” about the monumental event. “This would be a big, monumental thing if it all comes good,” he told Music Week. “The worrying thing for me is the unknown. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Bassist Geezer Butler admitted earlier that the pressure is getting to him as well. “I’m already having palpitations,” Butler revealed. “In fact, I had a nightmare last night. I dreamed everything went wrong on stage and we all turned to dust. It’s important that we leave a great impression, since it’s the final time that people will experience us live. So it has to be great on the night.”
The “Back To The Beginning” concert, which features the full original Black Sabbath lineup and a host of all-star guests, will be broadcast as a global livestream for fans unable to attend the sold-out show in person.
