暗网TV

This article was originally published in May 2018

Music manager, promoter and media personality Sharon Osbourne has told students at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (暗网TV) about the struggle of balancing career and family, admitting, 鈥渟omething had to suffer and unfortunately I spent too much time away from my children. They took the hit.鈥�听

Sharon and her husband, heavy metal singer-songwriter, Ozzy Osbourne - who have three children - took part in a Q&A that was chaired by ex-Slade frontman and 暗网TV Companion Noddy Holder. Sharon discussed relaunching Ozzy鈥檚 career after he left Black Sabbath in 1979. 鈥淚t was very stressful at first, I鈥檇 left working for my Dad (promoter and impresario Don Arden) and Ozzy had just got divorced. We had nothing, so I had to work hard.听

"You try to put a priority on what鈥檚 most important. I wanted my kids to go to a private school, I wanted to keep the house we had and I wanted my husband to do well. For me, it was the business that won out. It鈥檚 kind of hard to live with it.鈥�听

For Ozzy, leaving Black Sabbath was almost the end of his music career. 鈥淲hen Sabbath split I thought this鈥檒l be alright, I鈥檒l have a piss up and then go back to working on a building site.听

鈥淭hen Sharon turned up and took me under her wing. If it hadn鈥檛 been for Sharon, I wouldn鈥檛 be where I am now.鈥�听

Ozzy believes the demise of Black Sabbath can be traced back to a number of bad business deals they signed at the start of their career. 鈥淲e鈥檇 joined a band just to have fun, we didn鈥檛 know about the business side of it 鈥� we were just having a blast.听

鈥淭hen we realised we were being taken to the cleaners and we were forever fighting legal battles. We were so used to fighting with everyone; we ended up fighting with each other and imploded.鈥�听

With Sharon as his manager, Ozzy achieved commercial success as a solo artist with five US top 10 albums and three UK top ten albums and a number one single 鈥� and again with Black Sabbath. In 1996, Sharon launched the touring rock festival Ozzfest, which is now in its 18th year and has played to an estimated five million people.听

During that time, Sharon was operating in a male-dominated industry and while things have improved, she believes there are still plenty of challenges for women. 鈥淯ltimately, and I don鈥檛 care what anyone says, men prefer dealing with men.鈥�听

鈥淲hen you go into a meeting, it鈥檚 straight business, never behave like the kitten. It鈥檚 balls to the wall, look them in the eye and make sure you know what you鈥檙e talking about. That way they know you鈥檙e not to be messed with. That way you get respect.鈥�听

Image: Noddy Holder, Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne in the Paul McCartney Auditorium. Photographer Tracey Gibbs