Why was Ozzy Osbourne fired from Black Sabbath? Musician says Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction is "more special" because of his solo career

On April 21, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath's lead vocalist, was announced as one of the inductees for the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. On April 22, Osbourne posted a tweet on X, expressing gratitude for his induction, calling it "more special."

"Thank You @RockHall Voters & Fans for this induction. My solo career, has been a much larger part of my overall music career as a whole, so this feels more special. Not bad for a guy who was fired from his last band."

Ozzy Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath for his alcohol and drug problems in the 70s. The band, consisting of guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, and bassist Geezer Butler, replaced Osbourne with Ronnie James Dio.

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Ozzy Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath on April 27, 1979

According to Loudwire, Ozzy Osbourne descended into alcohol and cocaine use after the poor critical reception to their album Never Say Die! in 1978. After returning home from a tour, the band had rented a house in Los Angeles to begin working on their next album.

But Ozzy Osbourne allegedly blew off their recording sessions and went missing for six weeks. In the book Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal, Iommi shared:

“Ozzy was going to clubs and getting really out of it and not coming home. It got to a stage where nothing was happening with him. He came apart on us.”

The drug use, plus the added tensions between Osbourne and Iommi, reached a standstill and, on April 27, the three band members decided it was time to fire Osbourne.

In his memoir, I Am Ozzy, Ozzy Osbourne recounted what led to his firing, saying he was "loaded" all the time during rehearsals in L.A. He also revealed that Ward had been "sent by the other" to inform him about the band's decision to fire him.

“I can’t remember exactly what he [Ward] said to me … but the gist was that Tony [Iommi] thought I was a pissed, coked-up loser and a waste of time for everyone concerned,” Osbourne wrote.

The rockstar, who adopted the moniker "Prince of Darkness" also wrote that he felt betrayed by his band, calling his fellow bandmates his brothers and claiming them to be hypocritical in firing him for his drug use when they were drug users themselves.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel betrayed by what happened with Black Sabbath. We were four blokes who’d grown up together a few streets apart. We were like family, like brothers. And firing me for being f*cked up was hypocritical bullsh*t. We were all f*cked up. If you’re stoned and I’m stoned and you’re telling me that I’m fired because I’m stoned how can that be?"

The band has since reconciled and Ozzy Osbourne joined Black Sabbath as they took to the stage for a world tour in 2011. The band also released an album, titled 13, in 2013.

Black Sabbath at a press conference in 2011 after reconciliation (Image via Getty Images)

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Ozzy Osbourne has 13 solo albums to his credit

Ozzy Osbourne, who flourished as a solo artist even while being Black Sabbath's leading vocalist, will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on October 19, 2024, in Cleveland. This comes after his wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, criticized the Rock Hall for not considering her husband as a solo artist despite his numerous solo albums.

In an interview with Billboard about his induction, Ozzy Osbourne claimed that this one "feels different" compared to Black Sabbath's 2006 induction, saying he wasn't particularly confident about his solo success and it feels different as his solo career had been a huge part of his music career as a whole.

The musician's latest album, Patient Number 9, came out in 2022. When asked about future albums, he revealed that he plans to release new music soon, saying:

“I’m not putting a timetable on it, but I plan to start working on a new album sometime in the near future.”

When asked whether he would perform at the induction ceremony, Ozzy Osbourne replied "You never know", while promising his outfit for the induction “will most certainly be black.” The rockstar has effectively retired from touring due to various health issues, including Parkinson's.