No one can accuse rocker Ozzy Osbourne of being a bore. Or a pretentious “Sir” rocker, as this Birmingham native was slated to a life in gritty blue-collar England, following the footsteps of his toolmaker night shift worker father at the General Electric Company.
It was grim existence on paper, and the learning disabled kid with big dreams acted out a lot as he grew up, as he chronicled in his memoirs extensively.
A&E Network’s genre-defining, Emmy Award-winning Biography is set to air the two-hour documentary special exploring the “nine” lives, cheating death, and defying doctors’ predictions with Ozzy’s notorious drug and booze-fueled decades-spanning career.
The feature is loaded with rock legends’ interviews, along with Ozzy reflecting on the many phases of his journey. The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne will premiere this summer on A&E.
A&E said:
“For more than five decades, Ozzy Osbourne has personified rock and roll rebellion. The documentary will trace his life from his childhood in poverty and time in prison, to fronting metal band Black Sabbath and successful solo career, to one of rock’s elder statesman and a loveable 21st century television dad. During his journey, Ozzy has continually reinvented himself and his career to propel himself toward greater success. As the Grammy-winning artist turns 70, he reflects on the intimate details of his successes, failures, and his unique ability for survival and perseverance. The documentary also features interviews with Sharon, Kelly and Jack Osbourne as well as friends and fellow musicians including Rick Rubin, Ice-T, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, Jonathan Davis, Post Malone and more.
Ozzy’s son Jack Osbourne is an executive producer and said:
“Once again, it’s been an absolute pleasure working with the team at A&E. This film will take viewers on an incredibly honest and emotional journey into my father’s life that I feel will connect to people in so many ways. I not only speak for myself but also the entire Osbourne family when I say how thrilled and honored we are to have this documentary accepted into SXSW”
Elaine Frontain Bryant, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming, for A&E said:
“The ‘Biography’ banner is committed to powerful biographical storytelling and we are honored to share the deeply personal journey of a rock legend who often seems larger than life” said “The Osbournes have long been a part of the A&E family, and we are excited to continue this relationship with this definitive documentary about Ozzy and his incredible path.”
The film is produced and directed by R. Greg Johnston.
The team behind this are executive producers Osbourne Media which include Ozzy’s wife Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne, Jack Osbourne, and Peter Glowski.
Executive Producer for Critical Content is Jenny Daly. LB Horschler is a co-executive producer. Executive producers for A&E Network are Elaine Frontain Bryant and Brad Abramson.