The Prince of Darkness has shuffled off this mortal coil. Ozzy Osbourne died on Tuesday morning at the age of 76. The legendary Black Sabbath frontman played the band’s farewell benefit concert just earlier this month in his hometown of Birmingham, England. Osbourne had a lifelong love for cars despite his tumultuous relationship with driving. He notoriously gave up driving after crashing a brand new Ferrari 458 Italia in 2010.
The original members of Black Sabbath reunited for the final time on July 5, when Ozzy performed on a throne for 45,000 fans, raising nearly $190 million for a local children’s hospital, children’s palliative care and Parkinson’s disease research. Osbourne himself was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019 and lost the ability to walk in the years afterward. In an interview with The Guardian earlier this year, Ozzy admitted that he was truly done with touring after spending over half a century entertaining fans. He wanted to retire and spend time with his grandkids. After his death, the Osbourne family released a statement reading:
“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.”
Ozzy didn’t get his license until he was 60
Believe it or not, Ozzy didn’t pass his driving test until 2009 when he was 60 years old. It took him 19 attempts to finally receive his driver’s license. He jokingly admitted that he wasn’t sober for a few of his earlier road tests on the Howard Stern Show in 2010. Ozzy added that he had “a couple of drinks and a few lines” because he was nervous. His passed test came with the caveat that he passed in Los Angeles, not his native England. Osbourne called his American road test “a f*cking joke!”
Osbourne didn’t use his license for long. In 2010, he rear-ended another car on a freeway while driving a Ferrari 458 Italia with less than 20 miles on the odometer. His son, Jack, described the incident as “a little bumper kiss” to the Daily Mirror and explained that it turned his father off driving due to the potential for accident lawsuits. He didn’t have his own safety in mind despite nearly dying in an ATV crash in 2003. Biting the head off a bat for a roaring crowd is tame compared to the legal fallout from a fender-bender in LA traffic as a celebrity. I’d opt for a chauffeur too.
Away from music, the moment of Ozzy’s life that sticks in my mind to this day was when he appeared during the pre-race festivities of a Formula 1 weekend. Like any celebrity car enthusiast, he was interviewed on grid by driver-turned-broadcaster Martin Brundle before the 2003 Canadian Grand Prix. Brundle attempted to continue a stumbling interview with Ozzy by asking about his family’s famously adorable dogs. Osbourne replied, “They’re all at home sh*tting!” Brundle quickly walked away. Ozzy, wherever you are, I hope you don’t need a license to get behind the wheel.
