Drummer Lee Kerslake recalls how Ozzy’s solo group after Black Sabbath was first supposed to be a band

Drummer Lee Kerslake recalls how Ozzy’s solo group after Black Sabbath was first supposed to be a band

Ozzy Osbourne solo band drummer Lee Kerslake was recently interviewed by Jimmy Kay for Canada’s The Metal Voice where he responded to Sharon Osbourne‘s claim to Celebrity Access Encore that Ozzy always intended to be a solo act after his departure from Black Sabbath.

Celebrity Access Encore specifically asked Sharon Osbourne about when Ozzy gathered musicians to play with him, whether it was intended to be a band project to which she replied: “Never, never, never. The bass player Bob Daisley has said that over the years. He’s a sad old fuck that played on two of the greatest albums in the (rock) genre, and he can’t get over the fact that we didn’t use him further. Like it was, “Goodbye. See ya.” And he’s never gotten over it. And several lawsuits later—he tried to sue us three times–each time thrown out of court. Thrown out of court three times — he’s tried to change history, and it just won’t fit. It was never a band. There’s no way. It was Ozzy Osbourne.”

Kerslake subsequently indicated to The Metal Voice (with slight edits): “First of all, Sharon wasn’t our manager at the beginning. Don Arden‘s son David was our manager for a time and he asked us what are we going to call the band? Then Bob Daisley said what about Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard of Ozz? So they went with that. The whole team at the office said ‘yes’ and that was before Sharon came over and took over as the manager. I have the recollection that we spent quite a bit of time naming the band. Also, I wouldn’t have joined Ozzy it is wasn’t a band. I wasn’t out of work. I was doing my own solo venture when I got a call saying you have got to join this band. So then I said, I will audition them and they can audition me. After my audition was a success, I said if we are a band, then I am in. Then Ozzy said this band will never part. That is all I needed. [It] was Ozzy, the singer, in his words saying we were a band and that’s when we started working.”

In terms of what the band was billed on Ozzy‘s first tour of the UK for Blizzard of Ozz, which started September 12, 1980, Kerslake advised: “Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard of Ozz.”

Wikipedia states the following about Ozzy‘s solo career when it first started (with slight edits): “In late 1979, under the management of the Ardens, Osbourne formed the Blizzard of Ozz, featuring drummer Lee Kerslake (of Uriah Heep), bassist-lyricist Bob Daisley (of Rainbow and later Uriah Heep), keyboardist Don Airey (of Rainbow, and later Deep Purple), and guitarist Randy Rhoads (of Quiet Riot). The record company would eventually title the group’s debut album Blizzard of Ozz credited simply under Osbourne‘s name, thus commencing his solo career.”

You can read other excerpts from the interview with Lee Kerslake at The Metal Voice‘s website or listen to the interview below:

Lee Kerslake (Ozzy, Uriah Heep)Interview-Responds to Sharon Osbourne comments, Kiss, Health Update

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