Posted on 12/29/2023 4:29:50 PM PST by nickcarraway
Ozzy Osbourne has always been perceived as a controversial figure, but that’s nothing new for rockstars, who seem to be always met with disdain and controversy. The difference for Ozzy Osbourne is how much he welcomed and encouraged such dispute; whether it was a PR tactic or simply because of a lapse in judgment is unknown. The ‘Prince of Darkness’ has never been a stranger to dividing opinion. His 1982 interview with Night Flight is the pinnacle of this, where, amongst other things, he cites Hitler as an influence.
To get straight to the quote, when Ozzy was asked where he got his ideas for his stage show and who his influence was, he bluntly said, “Adolf Hitler”. The interviewer, remaining calm, asks what he meant by that.
“Adolf Hitler had a charisma, in a bad way, and I kind of admired him,” he said, “He was a freak, he was a lunatic, but he had summat about him, you know. It was bad what he did, it was terrible what he did, he killed all of these people and whatever, but it was like, erm, he had something about him, you know. I admired him, not for what he was, but for people; I suddenly stopped and thought, hang on a minute, if somebody put that in a positive way, for the good of mankind… whatever anybody says about me, I might be the biggest lunatic that you’ve ever met in your life guys, but I’m here for you guys, I’m here for people, I’m here for enjoyment, I’m here for giving people my life, my soul, my everything.”
The interview takes place three years after Ozzy was fired from Black Sabbath. He was let go because of his complicated relationship with drugs and alcohol, which was likely only heightened by his leaving the band, as it’s well-documented how much he struggled with the split. In the interview, he comes across as somewhat drunk, as he struggles to string two thoughts together and almost pleads to be liked throughout most of it.
When asked about biting the head of a bat and his stage antics, he shrugs it off as performance. “All I am is a conductor of mayhem. I like to see people get off in a good way.” However, he does confess that he spends a lot of time in his stage persona, to the point it weighs down heavily on him. “I’m a split personality; Ozzy Osbourne and John Osbourne are two different people.”
In this interview, it looks like Ozzy is trying to explain himself to himself rather than to the interviewer and the people watching. If there is ever any attempt to try and excuse citing one of the worst human beings ever to walk the earth as an inspiration, it would be to remember that viewers are likely seeing Ozzy at his lowest during a time when he is steadily losing grip on the world around him and what is right and wrong.
His actual comments don’t praise Hitler’s views or actions, but they are so dismissive of them to be still ignorant and offensive. It’s good that these aren’t views Ozzy has ever resurfaced and that he did seem to take a turn for the better as life continues. Whilst he still seems spaced out at times, he tends to have a better grip on his opinions and himself.
The interview is ugly, reflective of an ugly time, and completely inexcusable. Ozzy’s ramblings are less the diary of a madman and more the comments of someone lost entirely.
Live = love.
I hate my phone.
Me?
I also remember him being asked who his favorite historical figure was and he said hitler. It was 75 or so in circus magazine or hit parader...doesn’t bother me. Only a very narrow mind would be bothered by this. Just intellectual dishonesty by the writer. Faux outrage.
I suppose the author would’ve been fine if he said that, Joseph Stalin, or Mal were influences rather than Hitler…
Because national socialist equals bad… International socialist equals good…
Wonder if Mr Crowley told him to say that.
He did give us Randy Rhoades for a short time.
Is anyone still becoming troubled by anything O. Osbourne has to say? Even Sid is no longer that Vicious.
Randy was quite randy. He was a fag. Queer as Gomer Pyle.
Is there someone else on this thread who's humping FR 24/7 like it's life, relentlesslessly stirring the $**t - for like years now?
Probably fighting with his wife Sharon’s dad at the time. For the old man, eating bats definitely wasn’t kosher.
I have no idea what you are taking about. I don’t believe in Cancel Culture.
I didn’t claim you believe in cancel culture.
What you are is mystery-meat forum $***-stirrer - and you always have been. How management tolerates you, and people like you is beyond me.
And a never Trumper to boot with a TDS infected a-ahole.
Since you won’t get banned maybe go choke?
You couldn't name a single instance of that, because its the exact opposite. What are you going to do next, point at me, and scream "Insurrectionist," and try to get the FBI to jail me?
I admire Hillary.
sometimes I even wish I had a magic cloth, and in the odd case a backup Ninja team on call.
Aren't never Trumpers people who say Trump is too conservative? I have never said that, I say he isn't conservative enough. And TDS you are a liar. I was against all the impeachments and prosecutions and said many times they were wrong.
Yes, you are just like the media, you want anyone to the right of Bernie Sanders to be banned. I could care less because you hate me because I am pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment, and I won’t kowtow to your LGBT buddies. If you hate conservatives so much go volunteer for Biden for Pres. Maybe they’ll get you to steal some ballots.
Don’t care about OO one bit and have no desire to oraise Hitler but his quote really doesn’t say anything wrong. People go on about childish things, and worry about the words of drugged out childish performers.
Rhoads got more women in his short life than you could ever dream of....ignorant thing to say...
Rhoads was the greatest i ever heard or saw...and i saw em all in their prime. I didnt see wildly over rated Jimi Hendrix, a little before my time...but i saw all the others. Randy put em all to shame.
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