“People say to me, if you could do it all again, knowing what you know now, would you change anything? I’m like, f*** no. If I’d been clean and sober, I wouldn’t be Ozzy. If I’d done normal, sensible things, I wouldn’t be Ozzy. Look, if it ends tomorrow, I can’t complain. I’ve been all around the world. Seen a lot of things. I’ve done good… and I’ve done bad. But right now, I’m not ready to go anywhere.” -Ozzy Osbourne, Last Rites.
Last Rites
Ozzy Osbourne’s influence is no secret; he was the godfather of metal, a multiple Grammy winner, and a two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. But aside from music, he was also a New York Times Bestselling Author with his books I Am Ozzy and Trust Me, I’m Dr. Ozzy: Advice From Rocks Ultimate Survivor.
He felt that since the release of his first autobiography, I Am Ozzy, plenty of new life stories and memories had been created. He completed his second autobiography, Last Rites, just days before his passing in July.
Last Rites is a brutally honest, shocking, funny, unfiltered, and life-affirming story of the past seven or so years of his life. It covers his life and career, his marriage with Sharon Osbourne, and what led him back to the stage for the Back To The Beginning final concert. Last Rites is a must-read, filled with never-before-told stories from the King of Darkness himself.
The autobiography is available on October 7, and can be purchased here.
Jack Osbourne completed an interview about the book, which can be read below.
Q&A With Jack Osbourne
How did the idea for doing Last Rites come about?
JACK OSBOURNE (JACK): My father had been working on Last Rites for a very long time—chipping away at it over the last three or four years. He always felt he needed to do a follow-up to I Am Ozzy, because so much had happened in the 20 years since that book was released. From life after the TV show, to the Sabbath reunion, to releasing his last two albums, and finally his health issues. It was important to him to capture all of that.
Do you or other family members have favorites passages/anecdotes from the book?
JACK: If I’m being honest, not many of the family members have read the book yet—it’s been difficult time for everyone. For me, the last chapter is what I’ve reflected on the most. He finished it just a few days before he passed.
Throughout Last Rites Ozzy reflects on his early life with the insight gained as we grow older. Were there things that changed about him and the way he experienced the world towards the end of his life?
JACK: There’s a lot to reflect on with that question. My father was always considered the “wild man of rock,” the “Prince of Darkness,” and so on, but the last seven years were the complete opposite. Because of his injuries and declining health, he slowed down. And sometimes with a curse comes a blessing. Slowing down gave him the space to really reflect on his journey—his successes, his failures, his joys, his sadness and ultimately, what mattered most to him. This book captures some of that.
Do you recall any moments or conversations with Ozzy as he was working on the book—funny, touching, surprising—about the material he wanted to include or stories about working with a writer on the project?
JACK: He was very private about the process and didn’t share much about what he was including. I’d try to ask, but he’d often brush it off. I’ve often said this about my father, he was the most humble egomaniac you could ever meet. He honestly didn’t think anyone would care about what he was writing in Last Rites. So when I asked him, he always downplayed it.
It’s so clear from reading Last Rites that Ozzy loved his fans. Is there anything that didn’t make it into the book that you’d like for them to know?
JACK: Here’s the truth—my father fought a very hard fight to get on that stage in Birmingham on July 5. He was determined to say goodbye to his fans, and that’s exactly what he did. He loved them deeply because they gave him the life he had. He always said he would have been nothing without their love and support. That last show was his way of giving back one final time.
What do you think Ozzy would like readers to take away from the book?
JACK: My father would want people to smile, laugh, and feel love when they read it. He absolutely hated when people felt sorry for him. I know some fans will get emotional—it’s hard not to—but he couldn’t stand when people cried in front of him or got sad around him. So enjoy his words. Feel his energy. Remember who he will always be. And never stop loving him.
