Sharon's personality resonates with the public as she has managed to put her family first, be disarmingly honest and yet successfully navigate the male dominated waters of the music industry to become the most revered woman in the business. In fact, Kerrang Magazine (UK) named her the most influential person in rock music.
Sharon Osbourne is many things: a devoted wife and mother, a highly respected music manager, a concert producer, an Emmy Award-winning producer, a daytime talk show host, a cancer survivor and a supporter of many charitable organizations including her own Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai. She likes to say she's "lived 50 lives in 50 years" and that is no exaggeration. Now 51, Sharon grew up in the music business and went on to building a music and television empire of her own. Sharon Osbourne has always done things her way. And as a result, she has earned her reputation by overcoming insurmountable obstacles with her patented honesty, charm, sense of humor, great instincts, and a keen eye for business.
Sharon's ingenuity and creative flair is well documented. When other music festivals would not add her husband Ozzy to the line-up, she created her own summer festival, OZZfest that has out grossed and out lasted all others. She masterminded groundbreaking reality series, "The Osbournes," and in the process changed the landscape of television and earned an mmy for her efforts. She took a stab at the talk show world which she says was "an incredible and valuable experience," making many friends along the way.
This Fall, Sharon combines all her talents as music mogul and mother in her role in the ITV program, "The X-Factor,"airing in the UK. Competing against teams headed by Idol bad boy Simon Cowell and music manager Louis Walsh, Sharon grooms and grows her team of musical performers to win in the hit TV show.
Sharon began her career in the music industry at 15 years of age as a receptionist for her father Don Arden's management company. It was while working for her father that she first met Black Sabbath and its lead singer Ozzy Osbourne. Sharon was 17 when she first met Ozzy and their paths would cross on and off over the coming years. It wasn't until 1979 that Sharon began managing Ozzy's career. At the time he had been fired from Black Sabbath, but Sharon believed in his talent and became the mastermind behind his spectacular 24-year solo career guiding his ascension to become one of rock music's true icons.
Eventually their business relationship turned personal and Sharon and Ozzy were married on July 4, 1982. They had three children -- Aimee, Kelly and Jack. Because of Ozzy's touring schedule, the couple raised their kids on the road. Sharon refused to let anyone else raise her children and it wasn't uncommon for the back of the tour bus to be converted into a nursery. Sharon and Ozzy's union has had its ups and downs over the years but after 22 years, their marriage is strong and has defied the myth that rock and roll marriages don't last.
During her 36 year career, Sharon's work ethic has given her the strength to juggle an international company, Sharon Osbourne Management, run two record labels, become a concert tour producer, film producer, 5 day a week talk show host, start a charity and -- nurture her family.
After establishing Ozzy as a multi-platinum recording artist, she searched for a vehicle that would allow Ozzy to do what he loves most, perform. Sharon's vision for the perfect summer concert festival was set in motion with the 1996 launch of OZZfest, headlined by Ozzy which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2005. Under Sharon's direction, OZZfest has become the king of festivals and has propelled many of today's rock stars to superstardom. Every summer OZZfest tours the states and internationally to bring the very best rock music has to offer to fans everywhere.
Whatever the success of The OZZfest, it was no match for the most unanticipated media phenomenon of the last few years: 'The Osbournes." When Sharon first approached MTV execs with the idea of doing a "reality series" based around her family, no one expected the impact it would have on the "reality" television genre. "The Osbournes" featuring Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack, garnered the highest ratings in MTV history. Moreover, "The Osbournes" won an Emmy for Best Reality Show presented by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at the 2002 Emmy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles - MTV's first Emmy in its 20 year history. The show was renewed for three seasons and continues to be a huge success for MTV.
The phenomenon of the Osbournes changed the family's life, especially Sharon's. She immediately hit a chord with fans that identified with her as a mother, wife, and friend. Before long, Sharon was featured in Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Spin, and on the covers of Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Blender, People, to name a few. She was even named one of People Magazine's "50 most beautiful people" in 2002. Sharon's one-hour interview with Barbara Walters was the highest rated "20/20" program in the last two years. She quickly became a favorite television guest with numerous appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Live with Regis & Kelly," "Late Show with David Letterman," "Good Morning America," and "The Today Show."
Sharon, however, did not find her life in the wake of "The Osbournes" success to be without pitfalls. Diagnosed with colon cancer in July 2002, Sharon spent the rest of the year coming to grips with her own mortality as she was ravaged by chemotherapy and its attendant sickness. Her bold move to let the MTV cameras document her illness during the filming of "The Osbourne's" second season, helped to shed light on the disease. Now, fully recovered and with the cancer in remission, she started the The Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at Cedar's Sinai to provide support to those in her community who were suffering from this disease.
Sharon Osbourne's philosophy is simple: "live everyday to the fullest, and don't save for tomorrow what you can do today." She is honest and not afraid to talk about her own personal issues with weight, her plastic surgery, or her family. Her spirited approach to life, love, and business has given her many blessings. Through hard work and dedication she's raised a loving family, created successful businesses in music and television, and won her battle with cancer. /a
