12 Greatest Ever Hard Rock Solo Artists
2. Ozzy Osbourne
The year was 1979 and Ozzy Osbourne was just another casualty of the music industry. After being the madman fronting Black Sabbath for 8 years, his expulsion due to drug problems had left him looking like a burnout of the who would soon be forgotten. Then again, the Prince of Darkness wasn't going to go out without a fight.
Rather than spend his days wasting away in his house, Osbourne found new life through the help of manager Sharon Arden, who helped kickstart his solo career with Blizzard of Ozz. With guitar legend Randy Rhoads by his side, Osbourne launched an updated version of his crazy persona with songs that had an even darker tone than Sabbath's, tackling everything from suicide to werewolves to occultist literature.
Though things looked grim when Rhoads unexpectedly passed away, Osbourne was able to flesh out his solo career even further with future legends like Jake E. Lee and Zakk Wylde. More than just another performer, the star power of Ozzy has ballooned so much throughout the years that he has almost transcended the hard rock label. He may have his fair share of crazy moments, but Ozzy has grown from the madman of his early years to the Godfather of all things heavy.