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I Am Ozzy
Unavailable
I Am Ozzy
Unavailable
I Am Ozzy
Audiobook (abridged)2 hours

I Am Ozzy

Written by Ozzy Osbourne and Chris Ayres

Narrated by Frank Skinner

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

"They've said some crazy things about me over the years. I mean, okay: 'He bit the head off a bat.' Yes. 'He bit the head off a dove.' Yes. But then you hear things like, 'Ozzy went to the show last night, but he wouldn't perform until he'd killed fifteen puppies . . .' Now me, kill fifteen puppies? I love puppies. I've got eighteen of the f**king things at home. I've killed a few cows in my time, mind you. And the chickens. I shot the chickens in my house that night.

It haunts me, all this crazy stuff. Every day of my life has been an event. I took lethal combinations of booze and drugs for thirty f**king years. I survived a direct hit by a plane, suicidal overdoses, STDs. I've been accused of attempted murder. Then I almost died while riding over a bump on a quad bike at f**king two miles per hour.

People ask me how come I'm still alive, and I don't know what to say. When I was growing up, if you'd have put me up against a wall with the other kids from my street and asked me which one of us was gonna make it to the age of sixty, which one of us would end up with five kids and four grandkids and houses in Buckinghamshire and Beverly Hills, I wouldn't have put money on me, no f**king way. But here I am: ready to tell my story, in my own words, for the first time.

A lot of it ain't gonna be pretty. I've done some bad things in my time. I've always been drawn to the dark side, me. But I ain't the devil. I'm just John Osbourne: a working-class kid from Aston, who quit his job in the factory and went looking for a good time."
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 25, 2010
ISBN9781607883692
Unavailable
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Reviews for I Am Ozzy

Rating: 4.024823829787234 out of 5 stars
4/5

141 ratings20 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Honestly more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Thankfully he had a writer help him out so it wasn't all unintelligible gibberish, it was actually quite interesting. I shouldn't be surprised, he's an interesting and crazy guy and this book really highlights the insanity of his life. He starts with his childhood, formation of Black Sabbath, his first marriage, his obscene amount of alcohol and drug abuse, his marriage to Sharon, his solo career, his second family, his TV show, and getting sober. He's accomplished a lot and how he isn't dead I have no idea. My nose was literally itching from the amount of waffle dust and drugs used. I didn't enjoy all the animal abuse, cheating, or domestic abuse, but at least he owns up to those and doesn't make excuses for himself. Overall an interesting fucked up enjoyable read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It was an ok book. Interesting guy and life but after awhile I was losing attention.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book it is excellent. As another reviewer said it is like sitting in the pub with Ozzy and him telling you one crazy story after.If I had one criticism it's that there's one too many stories about him being coked up and pissed. I think though, what is most striking, love him or loathe him; his rise from very humble beginnings to international rock star makes this worth the read. Even the harshest critic would be hard pushed not to read those opening chapters and not feel a little respect for what he has achieved.Mostly though Ozzy just makes you laugh, a lot! Right through the book, and really I think that's something he always tried to do, and we all need a laugh from time to time. So thanks Ozzy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's Ozzy by Ozzy. Completely and totally insane, drugged up rock and roll excess.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I found this book to be hugely entertaining; it serves up one incredible anecdote after another. It really is amazing that he's managed to survive and keep it going after such a long time. Most of the book is just laugh out loud funny, with the exception of two particularly dark moments: the tragic death of his first (and best) guitarist Randy Rhodes, and the time he lands in jail charged with the attempted murder of his wife, Sharon. Despite the fact that Ozzy is a raging alcoholic and drug addict, reading this book I couldn't help but like and admire him for all that he's done.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A great read. We have all heard the tales but now we get to hear them from the man himself.Easy to read and funny as hell. What I found most interesting were Ozzy's stories of interacting with other music legends such as Motley Crue,Frank Zappa,Bob Marley and a whole slew of others. A must read for any fan of Ozzy's, Black Sabbath, or just rock n roll.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Reading Ozzy's autobiography is like hanging out at his house and listening to him talk. It's funny, crazy, and at times a little shocking - which is exactly what you'd expect Ozzy's life to be. He tells it like it is; no secrets and no flowery language. Whatever you might think of the man, you certainly can't say that his book is dull. And the photos included are great!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This a quick and interesting read, penned with a very conversational tone throughout. The whole book is one anecdote after the other, and all the old stories we've heard a hundred times are here, but the man's own insight and character lend them a new life, especially when woven into the context of his life as a whole, including his youthful forays into burglary all the way to his stressful stint as a reality television star. We don't hear too much about songwriting or the music itself, but that's maybe not as gripping as all the mischief, laughs, and horrors, so that's understandable. The last third lags a bit, though life has to slow down sometime, and for Ozzy slow is just above normal. A candid, honest, and amusing portrait of the father of heavy metal.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A hilarious book that keeps readers tuned in. If you are a fan of Ozzy you'll love this book. I'd have given it five stars but was disappointed Ozzy didn't say much about the Jake E. Lee period. (view spoiler) For those expecting to hear about crazy Ozzy stories you have not heard, this book is for you.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    i truly do not know how this man is still alive. This book was wonderful. I adore this man.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Gotta love that Ozzy. Poster child for why kids should NOT do drugs! LOL
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ozzy Osbourne proves a fascinating storyteller. He neither glamorizes nor apologizes in this nothing-held-back autobiography. So many of the myths surrounding Osbourne get exploded. I laughed at finding out what really happened to make him bite the head off a bat and his real opinion of Satanists. This tale of sex, lots of drugs, and rock 'n roll is not for the faint of heart.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Would have been a five if there were even more amazing content, but then again, this is Ozzy's brain dump. I'm surprised we got this many pages! Definitely a recommended read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A great autobiography from the Prince of Darkness. A hilarious, outrageous and all-entertaining read. If you're a fan of Ozzy or the Black Sabbath or simply love metal music you HAVE to read it....
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    You know, I was strangely charmed by this. I wouldn't say there were any really shocking revelations, but it was enjoyable enough for a lazy afternoon.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ozzy is a mutant , lucky bloke !!
    Rock on !!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The show, "The Osbournes" was one of the shows that I credit for pulling me out of a serious depression after my father passed away from cancer. The thing that really struck me about that show was how much they genuinely loved each other. Yes, their lives were crazy, but the love they had for one another came pouring out of them. It made me smile.Ozzy Osbourne's life was filled with crazy ups and downs; some he created and some came from left field. Ozzy worked in slaughterhouses, sang for Black Sabbath, and starred in his own reality show. Regardless of what he was doing, it was easy to see from his autobiography that Ozzy was always honest about where he came from and who he was. I think the thing that struck me the most about Ozzy Osbourne's life was that although he admits to and acknowledges his many weaknesses, that his drug and alcohol abuse also helped to serve as a cover for his weaknesses. I realize that addiction is a disease, but no matter how honest one claims to be, addiction overrides that honesty and allows one to hide behind its gruesome coat tails. From all the drugs and alcohol that Ozzy took in his lifetime, it's hard to say why he's still alive. Beyond that, his escapades with other women and larger than life rocker lifestyle should have driven any semblance of family far from the picture, but he has managed to hold on to his family. This success at home has to be due to his wife Sharon, who put up with her fair share of abuse over the years.As a fan of Ozzy's, I am hard pressed to really fault his own life story too much. The one thing I do wish he would have included more was his relationships with his children. Very little is mentioned about his kids, and I found myself curious about how he has maintained a strong, loving relationship with his children, regardless of his drug and alcohol abuse. Right or wrong, the Osbournes are a family with heart. They want to be honest about their actions and feelings, which is strangely why they seem endearing. Ozzy's autobiography was interesting, and I enjoyed reading more about his life. I do have to give a huge disclaimer that there is a lot of profanity throughout the book, reminiscent of Ozzy's way of speaking. Honestly though, the book was trying to show this larger than life character for who he was, madness and all.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It took my most of the first chapter to stop hearing Ozzy’s slurred British accent as I read, but once I got over that this book was very entertaining, as in LOL funny at times. How Ozzy is still alive is a mystery. He doesn’t skip anything in the book. The drugs, alcohol, drugs, more booze, even more drugs, bats, pigeons, jail time, etc are all there. If these are the stories he can remember I’m not sure we want to hear the stories that he’ll never remember. I thought the Motley Crue book set the bar pretty high for rock and roll debauchery, but Ozzy shows that he is the master in that dubious category. I was really expecting him to deny some of the more outrageous stories I heard as a teenager, but it seems as most of it was all true. Even with all that, Ozzy still comes off as a genuinely likable bloke. All the usual content warnings apply, this is not a book for anybody that is offended by creative use of the F word. But if you grew up on Black Sabbath and Ozzy, as I did, you’ll want to read this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Whether you’re a fan of his or not, you have to admit that Ozzy Osbourne has led a fascinating life. In his new memoir, I Am Ozzy, he tells of his childhood, finding his way into the music industry, of his marriages and his addictions. He celebrates his successes and admits his mistakes and is honest about his regrets.Carl and I listened to the abridged audio version of this book and we both enjoyed it. The audio is read by Frank Skinner, a well-known British comic, and he does a great job. The audio lasts approximately four hours and there is an interview with Ozzy himself at the end, after the book. This book works very well in the audio format because it’s written in a very conversational tone – it’s almost as if Ozzy is sitting there talking to you. Having said that, I Am Ozzy is not for the whole family because Ozzy does not censor his language and he is very creative with curse words.We found ourselves laughing at some of Ozzy’s early antics and cringing at some of his later ones. (If you’re an Ozzy fan, I’m sure you know which ones I’m talking about. If you’re not, I don’t want to spoil it for you.) We are Ozzy fans in this house, but learned lots of new things about him as we listened to I Am Ozzy. I never realized just how lucky Ozzy is to be alive until I listened to this book.You won’t mistake this for great literature, but you will enjoy it, like we did, if you’re a fan of Ozzy, music, or memoirs.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I like reading autobiographies (and biographies to a lesser extent) but tend to find they can be stale and scripted, very much talking up the individual for obvious reasons. But, then along came Ozzy Osbourne’s! I cannot remember a book I have laughed so much at, been shocked, been flabbergasted…and so vivid in description. Whether you like him or not, this is a book you have to read. Some of you might be disgusted by what you read, others will understand the iconic figure more, others may even come to like him and respect him…and God forbid, some of you might go and buy an album (I have all of Black Sabbath’s albums, and a few of his solo works). Either way, I don’t give a shit, and I can tell you something, Ozzy doesn’t either. What does he care? He’s fucken loaded (no pun intended). ‘Nuff said. From his childhood, to his early career as a burglar, working in an abattoir, and then forming a band with some randoms and becoming Black Sab, each story is a classic, each classic is a story. It then splits into a second part which chronicles his solo career, his loss of Randy Rhoads (a must read book if I can find one), and his out of control drug and booze problem (which resulted in attempted murder charges). And for those who know of some of those incidents, the dove, bat, and defecating stories are explained fully. There is some serious shit in here, some of it will have you laughing nervously, some of it will be beyond comprehension, but most of all, none of it is designed to be anything other than reality, and I think that is the refreshing part of the book, and Ozzy. But funny!? Heck, my wife would near on jump out of the bed at my roaring. I couldn’t even begin to relate some stories to you, but the Great Dane incident, the visit to the doctor (at the end), and his now and again meetings with other celebs are only a small fraction of the enjoyment. Get it, read it, and then listen to the music. Sometimes you just cannot judge a book by its cover…trust me.