“Ozzy and Me: Life Lessons, Wild Stories and Unexpected Epiphanies from Forty Years of Friendship with the Prince of Darkness”
Right down front. Those are the best seats. You can catch every glance and dance from there and the sound wraps around you from 30 car-size speakers. The lyrics mean more when your favorite act is seen from mere feet away; in fact, the only place better, as in the new book “Ozzy and Me” by Stephen Rea, would be backstage.
As a young boy living in the midst of “the Trouble” of Northern Ireland in the 1970s, Stephen Rea knew violence. He also knew quiet: He spent summers with his paternal grandparents in a small, safer, nearby village, where older boys befriended him. Those boys also introduced him to punk rock music.
He was only 11 when he “encountered Ozzy Osbourne…” and he became obsessed. By age 12, he was collecting Everything Ozzy — clippings, bootleg recordings, magazine articles, vinyl. He joined Ozzy’s fan club, becoming its 90th member.
When he was 14 his parents bought him tickets to his first Ozzy concert.
Months later, his mother wrote a letter to the Fan Club, asking for more information about a concert in Brazil — and to Rea’s utter amazement, Sharon Osbourne’s assistant phoned their house. So Rea went to Rio to see and meet Osbourne, his idol, now his friend.
His obsession deepened, to the point where journalists in search of details on Osbourne’s career and discography factchecked with Rea. Soon, the Osbourne camp did, too, as Rea became a hanger-on for tours, then a roadie, a go-fer, a friend, a fan and a paid employee. By then, he was spending most of his discretionary money on travel with the band and the Osbourne family. He was entrusted with the Osbournes’ children, he spirited concert footage away from police, he slept with groupies, and he drank. And drank. Stayed up until dawn and drank.
And he kept track of it all: early in their friendship, Osbourne bought Rea two luxury journals.
“He asked me to write,” says Rea. “So, I wrote.”
Your head-banging days are over — or are they? Probably the latter, if you saw “Ozzy & Me” and decided on the spot that you needed this book.
You’d be right, by the way, because author Stephen Rea is a fan’s fan with plenty of stories to share. They’re told with care: Despite many personal troubles in Osbourne’s career, Rea doesn’t belabor them specifically, which is rather pleasant, nor does he gratuitously name-drop. Of course, there are tales of debauchery and destruction and alcohol in nearly every scene, but the Blizzard won’t be surprised.
Another thing you’ll like: There are many behind-the-scenes peeks at how Osbourne concerts used to begin, and end, and the massive work that went into a show. Metal fans will appreciate that, and they’ll like that Rea shows gratitude for his friendships and the opportunities he had, which is icing on the guitar-shaped cake.
To read this book is to turn up the nostalgia to eardrum-splitting levels and remember. If you’re a fan, snag “Ozzy & Me” because that’s the ticket.
— The Bookworm Sez
