(The Sun) (12/03/03)

Edited By Michael Bennett

LONDON, UK - A brand new book by THE OSBOURNES, entitled "Ordinary People," is due for release tomorrow in The UK.

Excerpts of OZZY OSBOURNE's comment were published yesterday by The Sun:

ATTEMPTED MURDER

I couldn't remember anything that had happened when I woke up in the prison cell. All I knew was that I felt like crap, and was not sure why I was there.

Shaking and sick, I asked the guard if he knew the charges.

When I heard him say "attempted murder" of my wife, I couldn't believe a word. "Could you read that again?" I asked.

He turned to a page on a clipboard and read: "John Michael Osbourne, you are hereby charged with attempted murder of your wife, Sharon Rachel Osbourne."

I spent the weekend in that cell, and I couldn't have felt sicker.

Without anything to drink, smoke or swallow, I went through two days of painful withdrawal that made every part of my body ache.

When I finally walked into court, I saw Sharon across the room. As soon as our eyes met, I started to cry.

Though we couldn't speak, I hoped she saw how sorry I was.

I pleaded not guilty by reason of temporary insanity, but I was saved when Sharon told the judge she didn't want to press charges.

At her suggestion, I was sentenced to three months of rehab at Huntercombe Manor, a drug and alcohol treatment centre in Buckinghamshire.

I wasn't allowed any contact with Sharon or the children, unless it was authorized by the rehab's doctors, and agreed to by my wife.

People do all sorts of shit when they drink. I used to be a wife beater.

I'm not proud of it, but I will own up to the fact.

I think it's wrong. I don't know why she stayed.

I love Sharon more than life itself. And I love my children. I haven't always been the greatest guy. I used to do crazy things.

The way I felt when I hit Sharon is the same way I feel right now thinking about it. I hate myself.

Sharon started coming to visit about a month into my stay. A few weeks later, she brought the kids - who broke my heart when they said: "Bye, Daddy. Get better soon."

As for treatment, I survived.

GROUPIES

I still remember our first American tour. It was October, 1970.

Black Sabbath's first album was out, and the biggest thing a British band could do was tour the States.

Led Zeppelin's drummer John Bonham was the first to congratulate me. He said: "It is very cool."

Then he added, with a grin: "But before you go, make sure your dick is rested and you've got plenty of penicillin."

One thing about Sabbath -- we were a great fucking band. Another thing about Sabbath -- we were great at fucking.

In England, you'd meet a girl, take her to a movie and buy her a drink. Three weeks later you might get your hand on her left breast. It took time.

Not in America. The fun started as soon as we got off the plane.

I checked into the hotel about 9 P.M. By 9:15 P.M., there was a knock at the door.

I figured it was one of the guys forgetting something, but it was a girl.

She had a great body -- not that I noticed anything after I heard her say she wanted to ball me.

"Ball me?" I said. "Do you mean you want to play ball?"

"No, let me show you what I mean," she said. And for the next few hours, she shagged my brains out.

Though we were still pre-Aids, there was still the clap.

I remember going to a doctor, slightly embarrassed, and said I had a pain in my lower back.

The doctor asked if I happened to be with the other guys.

Then he opened the adjoining door, and I saw the band with their pants down, and a nurse with a handful of syringes.

BOOZE AND DRUGS

Everyone has a button in them waiting to be pressed. Or at least in some people, it's a button. In others, it's a stick of dynamite. I have both.

One was pressed by The Beatles. and one was hit by drink and drugs.

John Bonham once took me to a restaurant, and ordered 24 bottles of champagne.

That made even a heavy-duty alcoholic like me ask what was going on.

Straight-faced, he said: "We're going to have a race. We'll see who can drink the most."

After years on the road, I can tell you it ain't that good or grand as people think.

Once you get over the initial thing of late nights, chicks and parties, it wears thin.

The schedule is always the same. I watched too many highway signs pass by my bleary eyes.

Back then, I had three and often more well-balanced meals a day, consisting of grass, speed, vodka, quaaludes and acid.

I tried heroin twice, but got too violently ill to like it. Thank God for blessings like that -- or I'd have died long ago.

The amount of alcohol could be staggering, too. Some nights, I downed three or four bottles of vodka. None of it made me feel any good, but I couldn't stop myself.

THE ALAMO

No one has to tell me to remember the Alamo. I showed up at the Texas landmark wearing my wife's dress, and holding a bottle of cognac.

Despite the photographer's reservations, I convinced him to go ahead with the shoot.

As he changed the film in his camera, I needed to take a leak.

I relieved myself against an old wall, as I'm sure countless dedicated, patriotic and drunken soldiers had done 100 years earlier when they were shooting at attacking Mexican fighters.

But by February, 1982 times had clearly changed.

The policeman told me: "Son, when you piss on the Alamo, you piss on the State of Texas."

After a night in jail I was banned from playing San Antonio ever again.

Though it was rescinded in 1992, no one could have imagined that - in another ten years - I would be trading jokes with the President of the United States, a former Texas governor.

But if you live long enough or go through enough, you learn one thing is true: All sins can be forgiven.

FAME

At 53, I suddenly went from being Ozzy to OZZY. I met the Queen of England. I met the President of the United States. And I'm STILL Ozzy, you know.

This year, we had a huge party. My house was turned into this place that I could hardly recognize.

A dance floor was put up. People were running all over with hors d'oeuvres.

Tony Bennett sang in the back yard. I turned around, and there was Sylvester Stallone and Elton John.

My wife was hanging out with Elizabeth Taylor.

The scene hit me like a brick. I had a problem dealing with it. I made Tony Bennett walk into a quiet room.

"Tony," I said, "I'm from a working class background. I woke up this morning and I thought, 'I have a house in Beverly Hills, a house in Malibu, I've got three houses in London, plus a farm.'"

"I fly around in private jets. And now I have Sir Elton John and Dame Elizabeth Taylor in my house. Pretty wild, eh?"

Tony smiled. I said: "Well, tell me this -- how the fuck did this happen?"

He said: "I don't know, Ozzy."

I looked back for a moment and told Tony straight: "I don't fucking know either."

RAISING A FAMILY

I'm never going to say anything bad about my family, but here's the main thing about the Osbournes -- they are all out of their fucking minds.

My wife and kids are insane. I'm the one who actually thinks things through.

If there is one message I want to get across, it's to love your family. No matter what.

I have strong opinions about drinking, drugs and sex.

They nearly fucking killed me. I don't know of a better example for my kids than my fucked-up past.

But then, I think back to when I caught my father with a cigarette in his mouth and he said: "Ozzy, if I ever catch you smoking, I'll break your arm."

Of course, I spent the next 30 fucking years smoking like a chimney.

Kids always do the opposite of whatever their parents tell them.

That's a fact of fucking life, man.

HEALTH

When I was growing up in Birmingham, I had one shirt, one pair of pants, one pair of socks, shoes and a jacket. I was always dirty and smelly.

The kids teased me unmercifully, which is why -- years down the road -- I spent the first bit of money I earned from music on drugs and strong fucking cologne.

I think I'm a biological miracle. Obviously my time isn't up yet.

Copyright 2003-2008 The Sun/Internet Music Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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