A diss from Lollapalooza inspired Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne to create Ozzfest in 1996
Known globally for his heavy music and cultural influence, Ozzy Osbourne – who passed away recently a few weeks after his final live performance – lived multiple lives. He was the endearing yet clumsy patriarch on the popular reality show The Osbournes; the founding member of Black Sabbath as their lead vocalist; and an inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame who released 13 successful solo albums, featuring hits like “Crazy Train,” “No More Tears,” and “Changes.
However, one significant impact he left behind was through Ozzfest, a powerful annual multi-band tour that his manager/wife Sharon Osbourne initiated. It started in 1996 and continued until 2018. Notable bands like Slayer, Tool, Motorhead, and System of a Down frequently participated for several years, contributing to its enduring success.
And we have the Perry Farrell-founded Lollapalooza Festival to thank for Ozzfest.
In 1996, I advised Ozzy’s agents, “Ozzy should perform at Lollapalooza.” They approached the organizers, and the answer was, “Ozzy is no longer significant.” This is what Sharon Osbourne shared with writer Richard Bienstock in Billboard.
Sharon became very angry about that situation. She declared, “I’m thinking of organizing an Ozzfest.” I thought she had completely lost her mind, Ozzy said to Bienstock, co-author of “Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival.
Sharon, who had gained insights into the music industry through her father Don Arden, a well-respected yet formidable music manager and agent, was burning with anger due to the disregard shown towards her spouse.
The inaugural Ozzfest consisted of just two performances, one in Arizona and another in California. Similar to subsequent Ozzfest tours, it showcased the best of metal music, including established acts and emerging artists who performed on two separate stages. Ozzy Osbourne headlined the initial festival, while Black Sabbath took the stage for the second event, joined by acts such as Marilyn Manson, Pantera, Type O Negative, Fear Factory, and Machine Head.

During a Halloween 2023 episode of their podcast, Ozzy Osbourne inquired Sharon about resuming their tour that concluded in 2018 with a one-off show in Los Angeles. Back then, from 2016 to 2018, it was known as Ozzfest Meets Knotfest; this was due to Slipknot’s manager, Cory Brennan, combining his newly created second fest in 2012 with the original Ozzfest.
In the podcast episode, Ozzy posed this question to Sharon: “Is it not just at the Kia Forum, but an entire Ozzfest we’re talking about?
Sharon explained that while his wife had agreed to the affirmative, the unique nature of Ozzfest caused its demise. He described Ozzfest as a complex entity because all the bands were friends, but their managers were excessively greedy. They believed that Ozzfest was generating billions, which it wasn’t, and they kept demanding more and more. Eventually, it became financially unfeasible due to these excessive demands.
Due to Ozzy’s deteriorating health and the enormous work and commotion surrounding the “Back to the Beginning” concert scheduled for July 5, 2025, there has been little talk about future Ozzfests or Ozzfest Meets Knotfest events.
With fewer prominent platforms for emerging heavy music, Sharon’s objective of launching new bands via Ozzfest’s secondary stage is highly beneficial. She continues to foster careers; by featuring British artist Yungblud on the “Back to the Beginning” show performing Ozzy’s “Changes,” the young singer gained a vast global audience, particularly in America, where he has yet to make a significant impact.
25 years ago, Disturbed were a fresh band from Chicago when they were offered a place on a renowned touring festival in 2000. As Dan Donegan, the band’s guitarist, put it in 2024, “This platform gave us a massive boost for our career.” Performing in these major markets during Ozzfest seemed to correlate with large increases in album sales, according to SoundScan figures. This suggested that we were making a strong connection live, as people rushed out to buy the albums after our performances, and a substantial number of copies were sold at the time.
Donegan reminisces about their album release in March 2000. By the end of summer, they completed their run at Ozzfest, and the album achieved Gold status. In that brief span, they managed to sell over half a million records. Much appreciation is due for the boost we received on Ozzfest, as playing amphitheaters five days a week provided us with the large crowds necessary for our success.

Sharon is well-known for her smart and assertive business skills, yet virtually every band who performed at Ozzfest speaks highly of their time there. According to Donegan, “Sharon, Ozzy, and the entire family were incredibly welcoming towards us. She’s one of the most formidable women in the industry; she doesn’t tolerate disrespect and makes that clear. To us as a band, she was warm, nurturing, and accepting. It was truly remarkable.
Tom Beaujour, who collaborated with Sharon during his time as editor of metal magazine Revolver, remembers her as someone who was consistently clear and honest in her interactions. There was no confusion or deception. When she promised that a task would be completed, it was indeed carried out.

Both bands and entrepreneurs admired Mrs. O’s standing. As Beaujour, co-author of “Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival,” points out, it was widely understood not to cross Sharon. If you did, the consequences were severe. It was comforting, he adds, to know where you stood with her, and that if you stepped out of line, there would be repercussions. This, he thought, was a commendable trait because it provided clarity and accountability.
On the Osbournes Podcast, Sharon vividly demonstrated an instance from Ozzfest’s past, where a band hesitated to perform until she promised them an extra $10,000. Demonstrating the resilience that propelled both her and Ozzy’s careers forward, Sharon recounts, “They were causing a delay. I said, ‘Sure, sure, I’ll give it to you!’ They performed, played their set, and afterward, I exclaimed, ‘You swindlers! You signed a contract, your representative agreed to it, and now you’re trying to take advantage of it.’
The extent of her dedication to fostering talent was evident not only in her actions but also through a record label she founded, Divine Recordings. In the year 2000, this label gave a chance to an up-and-coming band, Pure Rubbish, who were remarkably young at the time. As Derek Dunivan, the band’s singer, recounted, “My first lead singing gig was a showcase for Sharon Osbourne in Houston. She contacted Ozzy on the phone, and just thinking about that still amazes us! We attended Ozzfest that same week, and they eventually decided to sign us a month or so later. All the major labels were interested in us at the time.” Pure Rubbish performed on the secondary stage during the U.K. leg of Ozzfest in 2001.

In an interview with Bienstock for Billboard, Dez Fafara of Coal Chamber expressed that Sharon understood it was a wise decision to host a heavy metal festival exclusively playing that style of music today. If she made certain that this genre had its moment in the spotlight and got its justice, everyone would attend – and indeed they did.
The rock band Kittie made history in 2000 by being the first female group ever booked for a tour when they joined Ozzfest that year. As drummer Mercedes Lander puts it, “I still can’t believe the influence we had,” and singer Morgan Lander agrees, expressing her astonishment at the impact they made on their fans: “It’s hard to admit, but yes, what we did mattered. People are telling us, ‘You changed my life during high school.’ ‘You inspired me as an artist.’ And many of them are women.
Comparing Ozzfest to Lollapalooza during their early years, Beaujour observes that both events attracted young people seeking an alternative subculture and existing beyond mainstream radio playlists. He suggests that throughout its lifetime, Ozzfest maintained a unique connection to the fringes of popular culture because the bands it featured were massive within the metal scene, yet often overlooked by mainstream media. Beaujour further notes that while Lollapalooza rapidly included well-known bands in its lineup, Ozzfest forged a more enduring bond with the outskirts of pop culture, offering an inclusive space for those who felt marginalized or didn’t quite fit in.
Various underground groups like the Datsuns, Dwarves, and Dimmu Borgir graced Ozzfest’s stage, while there were numerous exciting partnerships between more prominent acts: For instance, Chester Bennington, formerly of Linkin Park, teamed up with Disturbed in 2001 to perform a rendition of Pantera’s “Walk.” These collaborations extended beyond performances, resulting in both on- and off-stage interactions… and mischief.
A structured Ozzfest tour could provide an exciting upgrade to the current lineup of festivals. However, as Beaujor points out, during the inaugural year of Lollapalooza, which primarily served as a farewell tour for Jane’s Addiction, they didn’t participate in subsequent Lollapaloozas. “But Sharon always had Ozzy, and fans never seem to tire of Ozzy,” Beaujor explains.
With the demise of the Prince of Darkness, who was instrumental in organizing Ozzfest, any future iterations of the tour would require a fresh perspective. Many musicians felt privileged to participate in Ozzfest due to their deep admiration for Ozzy and Black Sabbath, whose music has greatly impacted their own creations. The Times highlighted this influence in a 1997 review of Ozzfest, stating “Since Black Sabbath’s ’70s peak, their offspring have significantly raised the bar when it comes to rock’s shock value. However, in the end, Black Sabbath still possessed the most powerful musical impact.
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2025-07-25 01:31