This time last year heavy metal fans were looking forward to legendary Brummie rocker Ozzy Osbourne teaming up with his former band-mates to reform the massively successful Black Sabbath.
It looked as if the four original members of the band – Ozzy, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward would reform to make their first new album in 33 years, backed up with a European tour.
But then the fates intervened. Drummer Bill Ward pulled out when he was unable to agree a contract, and then legendary guitarist Tony Iommi was diagnosed with early stage lymphoma.
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Despite these obstacles, a Black Sabbath line-up without Bill Ward played three gigs – a warm-up gig in Birmingham, the Download Festival at Donington and the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago.
The other planned dates were filled by an Ozzy and Friends line-up that included Geezer Butler along with Tommy Clufetos and Zakk Wylde.
Now the band is in the studio putting together that eagerly awaited album, scheduled for release in the spring, and is planning a 2013 tour, although only dates in New Zealand, Australia and Japan have been confirmed.
In the meantime Black Sabbath has been named as the Most Important British Heavy Rock Act by record industry trade body the BPI.
The original line-up last reunited in 1997 to headline the Ozzfest festival, and released the live album Reunion, recorded at the NEC in 1998.
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The project came to an end when Ozzy resumed his solo career.
In April 2012 Ozzy became a granddad for the fifth time. His 26 year-old son Jack and his actress wife Lisa Stelly gave him grand-daughter, Pearl. It was Ozzy’s wife Sharon’s first grandchild. Jack and Lisa married in October in Hawaii.
Despite being 63 Ozzy has no plans to leave the rock and roll lifestyle behind, though he’s more likely to enjoy a cup of Yorkshire tea first thing in the morning than the drink and drugs he’s better known for. He’s been clean for more than seven years.
Ozzy’s company, Monowise, has a turnover of more than £4 million and is doing nicely, boosted by his touring, personal appearances and his albums. Since 2001 Monowise has earned Ozzy close to £16 million.
Plans suggested by Birmingham councillor Phil Parkin to honour the heavy metal legends with an official “Sabbath Day” seem to have gone on the back burner, and Ozzy will also be saddened to hear that Ozzy’s Wine Bar in Newport Shropshire, which was bought by Ozzy in 1978 for then wife Thelma has put up the shutters.
His phenomenal musical success is a long way from Ozzy’s childhood in Lodge Road, Aston where he was born into a poverty stricken family with six children. Bullied at school and suffering learning difficulties, he turned his back on crime and found refuge in music.
His leap from rock star to celebrity came in 2002 when he became the unlikely star of an MTV reality TV series The Osbournes. The series, based on the unconventional domestic life of Ozzy and his family, ran for three years and became one of MTV’s greatest hits.
He lives on a vast Buckinghamshire estate and has homes in Beverly Hills and Malibu, but Ozzy remains Brum’s favourite rocker.