Sharon Osbourne

Sharon Osbourne is a television personality, music manager and wife of the ex-Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne.

Sharon Osbourne

Born: 9th October 1957 (Brixton, London)
Married to: Ozzy Osbourne (4 July 1982)
Children: Aimee, Kelly and Jack

Although well known in rock music circles, Sharon first became a household name when her family appeared in a fly-on-the-wall reality TV show, The Osbournes. In the wake of that series, she has been a judge on The X Factor and America's Got Talent, as well as hosting her own chat shows and new reality TV shows such as Rock Of Love: Charm School.

Biography

Sharon Osbourne was born Sharon Rachel Levy on 9th October 1957 in Brixton, London. She is the daughter of Don Arden, a music manager with a tough reputation. Arden was the manager of Black Sabbath, and it was through him that she met her future husband, frontman Ozzy Osbourne. When Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979, she took over management of his solo career and the two began a relationship.

As Ozzy's manager, Sharon earned her own reputation as a formidable businesswoman, and there are many stories of how she dealt with non-payments and fraudulent merchandisers.

As a music manager, Osbourne has managed rock artists such as Lita Ford, Motorhead, Gary Moore, The Smashing Pumpkins and Coal Chamber. She was also instrumental in the Ozzfest summer tours which started in 1996.

Television Career

The Osbournes was the show which introduced the public to Sharon and her dysfunctional but close family. The show was produced and shown on MTV and first aired in 2002 through to 2005.

She briefly hosted her own chat show, The Sharon Osbourne Show, in 2003, but the show was cancelled after one series due to poor ratings.

The X Factor

She returned to UK television in 2004 as a judge on the British reality TV series, The X Factor, alongside Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh (and in her final year Dannii Minogue was added as a judge. She left the show after the fourth series in 2007, and the British press cited that she had made pay demands in contract renegotiations that weren't met and had decided to leave. However, in a television interview with Piers Morgan in 2009, she claimed that she had actually left the show because of her relationship with Dannii Minogue.

Osbourne was replaced on the show by Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole, whom she apparently recommended as her successor.

America's Got Talent

Sharon joined the judging panel of America's Got Talent after singer Brandy decided not to return as a judge. Despite a rocky start (Osbourne threatened to leave after an bust-up with Piers Morgan), she remained with the show and continues to appear as a judge.