Ed’s note… this feature was recently published on the LOCAL AMBASSADORS pages in the July/August Erdington Local newspaper/.
But in light of the news that Ozzy Osborne has passed away we are publishing it online today – it paints a poignant picture of the man behind the rock star, whilst celebrating his lineage and links with North Birmingham.
R.I.P. Ozzy – a prince (of darkness) amongst men, who stayed grounded and respectful to his roots whilst becoming one of the most recognised rock icons in history. Our thoughts and condolences to his friends, family, and loved ones.
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You may have heard, a local band done good recently played their farewell gig at Villa Park…
To celebrate Erdington’s links with Black Sabbath, LOCAL AMBASSADOR Sheila Pennell dug out an article she first published in The Oldie Magazine – telling the story how Erdington local John Slatford knew Ozzy Osbourne before he became the founding frontman for Heavy Metal, an international superstar, and self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness.
Words by Sheila Pennell – written on behalf of John Slatford
“A boom-baby, born before the NHS, I grew up in the slums of Aston in Brum – as did John ‘Ozzy’ Osbourne. And in the late 1960s/early 70s, I’d drink beer and play snooker with Ozzy, his dad Jack and uncle Jim – also known as Ozzy – along with my own dad Frank at the Brookvale Park Social Working Men’s Club.
“My dad had been friends with the Osbourne family for years, and before the war lodged with Jim and Violet Osbourne, along with a woman known as ‘Old Lady Osbourne’ in Turfpits Lane, Erdington.
“I’d go listen to Ozzy’s band in their earlier incarnation as the Rock/Blues band ‘Earth’ at Henry’s Blues House on a Saturday night at the Crown Pub in Brum’s city centre.
“Later, Ozzy invited me to the first ever Black Sabbath concert at Birmingham Town Hall. Others invited included his mother Lily and father Jack, who had paid for the venue, Uncle Jim and Aunt Violet, my mom and dad, my wife Kath, plus my Uncle Joe. John had organised that we’d have the Dress Circle to ourselves and all the men were dressed in suits and ties.
“The paying public were few in number, and initially sat in the ‘cheap seats’ on the steps of the organ behind the stage. And this wasn’t surprising as only those of us who’d known the earlier band would have heard of them.
“Once Sabbath started their act and the audience realised that the more expensive seats on the ground floor were empty, there was a mad rush as they climbed over the dividing barriers to occupy them.
“Some of the invited family ‘guests’ complained that ‘the music was a bit loud’, never having heard a band like Sabbath before.
“Part of the band’s image was a result of Ozzy’s father Jack, an engineer by trade, making their original large crosses out of aluminium sheet. Amazing he could do that, as he never even repaired his own spectacles, which were held together with an Elastoplast. He claimed this allowed him to adjust the frame when playing snooker – something he was very good at – unlike [Ozzy].
“One bizarre happening in the early days was when Freddie Harris, the Concert Secretary of the working men’s club, asked Ozzy’s Dad if he could ‘book the band for one of the Saturday night dances’. As the couples attending expected Waltzes, Quick Steps and Tangos it was no big surprise that Black Sabbath was never booked again.
“I always found Ozzy a laid-back easy-going guy, and believe him when he says the nearest he ever came to Black Magic was a box of chocolates! John was just a regular young man with a wicked sense of humour who liked a pint with ‘just an interest’ in heavy rock. I’d say nothing like the man he became. It seems the years of drugs and alcohol abuse have taken their toll.
“At the launch of the band as Black Sabbath, [Ozzy] gave me the first ‘off the press’ publicity photo. He signed it and gave me a copy of their first album, which I have to this day. I took it home, played it, and thought that the first track was a micky-take. It had church bells, torrential rain, along with thunder and lightning.
“When I told [Ozzy], he was far from impressed. He told me quite firmly, ‘it was supposed to be serious’.”
