OZZY I LOVE YOU MAN

TONI JUST GIVE IT UP, OZZY IS BLACK SABBATH!!!

Ozzy is at least being fair about it saying it was a group and not a singular individual.

I am a rabid Sabbath fan and own their entire catalog even the albums like Tyr, and The Eternal Idol and to be utterly honest…Ozzy is right. Iommi take a brand and ran it into the ground.

The material with Ozzy and Dio are GREAT. But the Ian Gillian/Tony Martin material with artists such as Eric Singer, Cozy Powell, and Geoff Nichols are participating did not even come close of being what made “Paranoid,” and “Heaven and Hell” became.

Go Ozzy! I hope Geezer Butler and Bill Ward join him against Iommi!

Ozzy IS Black Sabbath? Really? Who wrote the lyrics? (Geezer Butler) Who wrote the music? (Butler, Ward and Iommi) Who came up with the riffs? (Iommi) What did Ozzy do? He sang what they told him to. Yeah, he’s a great vocalist, but that’s all he is; he’s definitely NOT Black Sabbath.

Oh yeah, I remember who did all the writing ‘cuz I was there. Oh wait, no I wasn’t. So how would I know???

Ozzy wrote the lyrics to the song “Black Sabbath”. End of story…

Even if this was the only song he had written lyrics for (but it isn’t)
he is still entitled to his 1/4 of the copyright of the band.

no, no no!!!

Butler wrote the lyrics to “Black Sabbath”.

Like any great band, the band is great because of the chemistry the members share. For that reason, Ozzy is 100% in the right, and as usual Iommi is being unreasonable. Without Ozzy, Tony Iommi I’m sure would not have had anywhere in the vicinity the success he’s enjoyed.

Here’s to hoping Tony sucks it up and grants ownership to the other members.

Interesting…

writing credits for all
“Ozzy Era” Black Sabbath albums
show:

Iommi/Osbourne/Butler/ Ward

I think Tony needs to give the others their part!

After David Cross…”literally in the toilet”, really? The name Black Sabbath was floating in a toilet bowl? That’s just … weird.

Ozzy must care so much about Sabbaths legacy because he ruined his own. As if these stupid shows weren’t enough look at what they did to Blizzard of Oz! Ozzy and Sharon are notorious for not giving others their due.

Last I checked the name carried on with Ronnie James Dio. As a matter of fact, within the TRUE metal community, the Dio albums are ranked equally if not higher than the Ozzy era albums!

Rock is dead. This is the proof.

Merchandising. how rock n’roll…

it’s always about money.

Maybe they could reunite and do a country album, with David Lee Roth on vocals and tambourine.

they could team up with the Beach Boys for a mega-selling tour.

How about the Who with Geezer and Ward backing Pete and Roger? Every song played real slow… and you could have Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman backing Ozzy and Tony. Every song crashing and burning… but with style.

Who owns the rights to “Bozo the Clown”? Sharon Osbourne maybe?

I want my two dollars

It is always sad when it comes to this, Ozzy has a point. Iommi can continue to play with whoever he wants and wherever he wants but leave the Sabbath name alone. They had every right to continue on in the 80’s with Dio but those years are gone, The Black Sabbath name was resurrected by the return of Ozzy and the reunion shows in the late 90’s. Black Sabbath was a seminal 70’s rock band, the forerunners of Heavy Rock, let it lie Tony Iommi and use the Sabbath name only when the four original members get together. The Black Sabbath name has been bastardised for years, I still can’t believe how May and Taylor get away with calling themselves Queen? Deacon must hate it and Freddie would be turning over. Could you imagine Jimmy Page going out as Led Zeppelin with Adam Lambert as lead vocalist? The Law suits would fly thick and fast from the Plant camp. I hope they resolve the problem and give us one last tour as the greatest heavy rock band of all time.

Sabbath without Ozzie is like Zep without any of the members and I saw them with Bonzo jr…he’s got a good point…it’s not like ozzie is asking for half…he says it should be equal for all four…thats nobal…and a brotherhood…which music should be…it’s not about the money for this dude…it’s about hey it was the four of us and thats what people identify that name with…end of story

Yes they should definately split everything 4 ways, but Iommi can’t be that greedy; Ask anyone under 20 if they’ve ever heard of “Heaven & Hell”….nuf said.

And Ozzy? Please let Zakk write your next album…it could stand to have much bigger balls. The wrestling-sounding anthems (Black Rain)are weak.

Next thing will be a fight over the inflatable pig……

Ozzy is finally getting back at Toni for kicking him out of the band in the first place. Black Sabbath isn’t a pimple on Rock and Rolls ass without Ozzy Osbourne! Even Ronnie James saw that. Get with it Toni, quit being a selfish disloyal ass. Get your stubby fingers out of your but and see the light!

Im under 20 and i have herd of heaven and hell..and have all there albums. nuff said

what is Ozzy talking about? Tony is out with Ronnie James Dio and the name of the band is Heaven and Hell. Black Sabbath is dead. As dead as Ozzy’s brain.

Open Letter…..This isnt about other line-ups, this is about the original members of Black Sabbath simply receiving whats due them as a team should….They worked & fought in the Rock & Roll trenches together and together they are each due their equal piece of the pie. Greed on anyones part only serves to destroy their contribution to music history.

Havent we all seen enough of that?

Please resolve these issues so the fans & minions of upstart musicians like myself that brokeoff a page of your primer can continue to hold you all up where you belong.

Love to you all….

( Z )

Sabbath unplugged. the campfire sessions…

I view this as all Sharon’s fault. She’s been in charge of Ozzy’s affairs for years, so how could she let an issue as key as this slip back in 1997?

Maybe she is not as sharp as many think she is. She definitely dropped the ball on this one. Now that there is a serious cash flow from the franchise again, she wants her (Ozzy’s) cut.

Anytime Ozzy is involved in a lawsuit it’s really a money grab from Sharon. That’s all she does! Video games, reality shows, variety shows, shitty solo albums, taking Daisley and Kerslake off of Blizzard of Ozz, keeping the rest of the band from calling themselves Black Sabbath, all of it.

Judging from past history, the story is quite different from the way Ozzy outlines it in the above statement. Sharon deserves credit for keeping Ozzy from killing himself, and for creating his solo career, but she also gets the credit for turning him into a total fucking joke. The only thing Ozzy and Sharon care about is money.

watch the reunion dvd from 1997, Butler says himself that ozzy wrote the lyrics for the song “Black Sabbath”. Geezer wrote a lot, but not everything. Split it 4 ways!! and Black Sabbath isn’t Black Sabbath unless all 4 original bandmembers are in it..

Yeah Tony was playing clubs in the early 90’s cause Ozzy couldn’t be bothered with Black Sabbath, just doing A LOT of cocaine. Tony always worked his ass off to keep that band playing with whatever line-up because people wanted to hear the songs.

That man invested his life in the band Ozzy invested hour long set lists featuring the same songs for a few summers. What a money hungry bastard. Iommi IS Sabbath.

Stick your ego away, Iommi. Rock and roll needs and deserves über cool ambassadors. If you can’t be one, get out of the spotlight, please.

Although I love them all equally “they collectivly threw him out of the band for a reason in 79. So Ozzy has to face up to his own actions and somtimes that will cost you!

Just look at what Iommi has done since 79 and what OZZY has done. Besides Ozzy is only looking for his equal share, what is wrong with that?

Tony has more business savvy then the other 3 combined, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get their equal share.

How about this; Tony kept the Sabbath flag flying, kept the band alive when no one else could be bothered and it wasn’t fashionable so he DESERVES the name. Period.

If ozzy, I mean $haron, are truly interested in “fairness” for Geezer and Bill too, then why is he/$he suing for 50% of the trademark ownership? Greedy hypocrites! Good luck Tony!!

This is really pathetic. It’s like if I sued my boss for keeping me on the payroll after I quit my job. And this bullshit about Tony playing “clubs”; give me a break. When he had Tony Martin sining the only clubs they were playing was Roseland and L’Amours. Don’t make it sound like they were playing bowling alleys and bah mitvahs. They were playing civic centers and indoor smaller arenas yeah, but they weren’t playing county fairs. Tony Iommi has spent his entire career trying to uphold the name “Black Sabbath”. In 1986 he wanted to put the band name away for a time when they would be back with Ozzy or Ronnie. He then went and recorded a very underated solo album called “Seventh Star” with Glenn Hughes. When Warner’s heard how strong the album was they MADE him rename it “Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi”. Even now with he and Geezer with Ronnie and Vinny in the middle of a massive comeback on the wings of a super-heavy album; he still wont use the name. Sorry Oz, love ya but it’s not Tony’s fault you ditched him a third time to make “Black Rain” which sucked, along with a complete embarrassment of a television special. As for the other two who have not yet spoken up (hmm curious) they also left, never fired. Bill Ward has bailed on Iommi like five times because of some serious personal shit, and Iommi has respected that every time no matter how frustrating. Black Sabbath with the original line-up is a living unmatchable standard, but the keeper of the name has done a more than admirable job keeping it’s dignity and that man is Tony Iommi. It’s not about t-shirts, it’s about rock and fucking roll. It’s about artistic integrity and and the willingess to be artistically adventurous without (ironincally enough), selling your soul.

Dave Laffin Esopus NY

sharon must need more plastic surgery.

Who cares? Ozzy’s got nothing left, and the band is MUCH better with Dio.

Not to mention Iommi is one of THE riff-meisters of all-time.

Throw another Ham over yor fence at your neighbour Ozzy, you ass clown cocaine fried punch drunk stooge.

Sharon is far more scary than Black Sabbath could ever hope to be. Ozzy was kicked the F out of BS because he was screwing up. At that point he had no more claim to Black Sabbath other that the music they had created together.

Look at the success of the Heaven and Hell tours, obviously Ozzy is NOT Black Sabbath. Iommi is synonymous with Black Sabbath and no version of BS would be acceptable without him. Its been proven that it’s not the same case with Ozzy and his money grubbing wife.

Toni, Dio & Ozzy who will prevail?
answers are here on the Bay Area Black Sabbath tribute band electricfuneral.biz
check it out.

Where is Nathan Gale when we need him?

I have a right to own a % of the Black Sabbath name.

All you need to do is listen the the Dog the bounty hunter song to know that Ozzy is the man! Plus Ronnie James is really short. The main thing to remember is…never let your guitar player fly the plane.

i love the “literally in the toilet” comment? really? the brand was LITERALLY sitting in a toiket?

guys, it doesnt fucking MATTER whether or not sabbath would be succesful without ozzy or not. it just doesnt. i doubt very much that ozzy would be successful as a solo artist without randy rhoads or zakk wylde, but no one would be in support of randy’s family or zakk to sue ozzy over merchandise rights or control of the brand. would iron maiden be as successful without bruce dickinson? megadeth without marty friedman? probably not. but that doesnt MATTER. steve harris is maiden, mustaine is megadeth, iommi is black sabbath, end of story.

cant we all just get along…

Look man im gonna jsjdkajs alskdl; alkaslk jdksj dyou know? I just want wana,smd;asdklkisjdfmsd,m bleep bleep askdjasl bleep! Sharon told me laskdalsdk adkalskd man.

I think Ozzy should be quiet!

Just goes to show in the music and credibility department, Led Zepellin will always reign supreme…You never see Robert Plant plugging phones or hosting a reality tv show….Ozzy is a tool…..

ozzy is and always will be the best singer in rock and roll and is a legend.

I WAS IN BLACK SABBATH! I WANT AN EQUAL SHARE TOO!!!! god damn ozzy, shut up…

i once blew a member of BS in the bathroom. I want my share too!

Sharon Osbourne is the puppeteer. Ozzy does what Sharon says to do.
If you know anything about her father Don Arden , The English Godfather , you might know how buisness SHREWD and RUDE she as well is.
Ozzy’s brain is FRIED, he did’nt write that statement alone.
Look up Bob Daisley on Wiki and see how badly he was treated and then maybe you’ll know who’s really slipping a peice of her father’s brain into the Black Sabbath pie.
Geezer named the band (after a 1960’s horror movie) and wrote most of the lyrics, not Toni not Ozzy , not Sharon Arden Osbourne or her spoiled brat kids ,but Geezer.He and Toni should own the francise together.

Sharon=Yoko.

i hate to say this but am kinda’ sorda’ in agreement with ozzy. take a look at the total picture in perspective…axel rose owns all rights to guns’ n’ roses, for years john lord own all the rights to steppenwolf, lynyrd skynyrd went through years of legal turmoil before coming to some sort of agreement of who owned what, jimi hendrix’s family lost all rights to his songs for years, grand funk railroad doesn’t own the rights to several of their albums, the same goes to the stones and some of their earlier stuff with abklo records…as with the beatles…this stuff does get messy….regardless of who owns what…ozzy what just as big a part of that band as was tommy…would black sabbath been as big without ozzy…would they have been as good without tommy…am sure sharon has a big part in this…but thats what this is all about…dollars…money…and who is deserving of what…am sure there will be some sort of out of court settlement before its all done. again, if i had been in the band from its orgin i’d want what is mine as well….hope it turns out well for all parties concerned.

Ozzy gonna bite his head off. AMICABLY.

Poor Ozzy. First, he cut royalties well deserved by bassist Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake, who recorded with him his first 2 solo albums, and even paid other musicians to re-record their parts! And now, he’s stabbing Iommi’s back with this… what a deception. It’s heaven and hell!

ozzy IS sabbath…

Fuck you Ozzy! Take your crap commercials, lame television show, neurotic wife and piss off. When Dio and the band went to release their live lp. Ozzy couldn’t handle it and had to release his. Ozzy singers come and go but you can’t beat great guitarists. I’ve seen Heaven & Hell and they fucking smoke! Dio may be small but, Jesus Christ, the man has pipes!
Face it dude, you’re only trying to raise some cash because it’s over for you.
You had your day. I hope you get smoked in court because Ozzy, face it, if you weren’t doing Sabbath material, you’d have half a show.
Sabbath, ruled and their music was what legends are made of!

I’m a Huge Black Sabbath fan and am a fair critic but let’s be honest – Ozzy and Sharon are Greedy as hell! Yes the BS is with Ozzy but the DIO albums are just as Great. First they fuck up by re-recording the first two Ozzy Solo records, then they egg Iron Maiden and now they want to sue Tony Iommi for more money?! Ozzy didn’t care about BS in the 80’s when he was successful and Iommi wasn’t. Why didn’t he sue Iommi in the 80’s? I think the reason why he’s suing Iommi now is because Ozzy and Sharon are Greedy and because while he’s made himself look like a dumb shit with that stupid reality show and all those stupid commercials – he’s lost credability and fans while Iommi and Black Sabbath(with DIO) has finally gotten respect, are still considered Top Notch muscians and are making Great Metal while Ozzy’s past couple of Solo Records haven’t been that Great. I think he’s put us fans thru alot of shit while he’s gotten rich from us, I mean we’ve all have wanted a new Sabbath record with Ozzy but instead he’s of doing one, he keeps making his fucking solo records. I love Ozzy and his Music but he’s wrong on this one and needs to cut his shit and have some Balls and stand up to Sharon. By the way remember guys – Ozzy didn’t make Black Sabbath successful all by himself – they were all equal and besides Ozzy didn’t write the majority of the lyrics – it was Geezer and in his solo career he had Bob Daisley and other musicians to help him write lyrics. Now by saying that, Black Sabbath wouldn’t have been successful without Ozzy either. Either way ALL of them are rich enough already and don’t need anymore!!!

look ozzy is not going to want all of the name he just wants his fair share. And ozzys last album was awsome and zakk wylde kicks ass.

Terry Man I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if Toni cut the Ozzy Material out of his show he wouldnt even have half a show. Sure Ozzy has done some crappy things of late but get on youtube and watch some Black Sabbath videos from the 80’s and then say Fuck Ozzy. Nobody can say that Ozzy shouldn’t own 1/4 of Black Sabbath, not without sounding silly.

Sorry Ozzy, The last record SUCKED, and the Daisley-Kerslake fiasco showed his TRUE colors.

Credibility?! If Ozzy wants cred he should stop touring & singing. He’s a sad, pathetic man & CANNOT hold a tune to save his life. True, they should all be a part of the name & legacy but he SUCKS live & his records are full of studio fixes. Even in photograhs he looks ridiculous. Sharon works her magic yet again! “master of puppets i’m pulling your strings…”

You just have to admit that Ozzys personality and talent is such a big part of what is called Black Sabbath. It would be totally wrong if only Tony Iommi owned the rights to that name. I support Ozzy in this. I respect Toni Iommi as a musician though, no doubt about that.

Hate lawsuits, but this makes sense. (1)black Sabbath merchandise and the band logo etc. should be owned by the 4 principals unless one decides to give up their part. (2) If Toni owns the name, he could just change Heaven & Hell back to Black Sabbath

I saw Sabbath with Tony Martin in the early 90’s. They were still playing arenas. As a matter of fact, Martin-Powell-Murray-Iommi line-up was welcome widely in England and Japan. Iommi was the only carrier of the band wagon back then. I had been a fan of BS since the 70’s. But when Dio joined them in circa 1979, I became a much bigger fan. Even with Martin, I loved them.

Ozzy is just pathetic. He can’t rock any more and who cares.

“Now the Blizzard of Ozz himself has issued a statement” Does anyone really think Ozzy has any idea that a statement was released?

It’s now been reported that Ozzy wants a 50% cut. That doesn’t sound like the 1/4 cut that would ensure every band member equal power. It goes without saying this has Sharron’s finger prints all over it. Her squeezing every last dime out of anything Ozzy / Osbournes / Sabbath did even amazes Gene Simmons.

As much as Ozzy meant to Sabbath, if it wasn’t for Sabbath there would be no Blizzard, no Diary, No More Tears, No Bark at the Moon, No Rhodes, No Wylde, Ozzfest etc… Ozzy still plays Iron Man and Paranoid in his solo set list. I wonder if the other three members get a cut? Would Sharron been so quick to pick up Ozzy, clean him up and get him back in the game in the 80’s if it wasn’t for Sabbath?

I get that it should be the original 4 making up Black Sabbath (even if the fans want to recognize the Dio era), but Ozzy can’t stop Tony from playing Sabbath tunes with any other 3 blokes he wants to. Even if it’s in a suburban garage. What difference does it make if it’s called Heaven and Hell?

Ozzy Solo Artist sales = 30 million
Black Sabbath w/ozzy = 15 million
Heaven & Hell = Not even gold yet
Ozzfest & arena tours = High Grossing
Heaven & Hell tours = not on radar

Ozzy is crazy but he doesn’t need $.

Watching morons make fools of themselves = Priceless

Plus Sabbath was never anything without Ozzy. Ozzy has sold twice as many records without them as when he was with them, and Sabbath has sold crap without him.

Do The Math

I love Iommi too, so don’t say I don’t.

Sabbath, Ozzy, Dio, H&H are all great rock.

Both sides have their valid points: The rights to the name and profits need to be split, equally, four ways.

Instead of suing the pants off of each other, they should just instruct their lawyers to negotiate the terms of a fair and equal agreement between the parties.

Saw Heaven and Hell on Direct TV from Radio City. Incredible Metal Mayhem. Ozzy, leave them be!

What was that statement bring back
dignity to Black Sabbath ?

Ozzy must not have a clue that
it is he who has lost his dignity
and respect in the music world

All these lame T.V. shows and
Sub par albums he has made
have taking his dignity .

Hey Ozzy no more tours
you were threw after
your farewell tour in
1992 but you forgot to
retire.

I saw you on that tour because
it was your farewell and
have not seen you live since
because you retired supposedly.

And your reputation in music
has been destroyed by greed and
overexposure it’s a shame that
your rock legend has been tainted
by your greedy management .

Sabbath first recodrs are great,after that i dont realy like them(DIO)but i like most of records whit Martin…Ozzy is fucked up!why he want any more money?HnH are great…he dont gets that

as amused as i am by the antics of ozzy & company, i am even more amused by the illiterate rants posted by the idiots who take this stuff far too seriously.

This is all about merchandising income for the four members of the band. The courts will decide whether there was trademark infringement and who really owns the brand. I do agree that Ozzie’s promotion machine helped restore the Black Sabbath legacy in the late 90’s, exposing their music to a new generation of fans and culminating with the band’s induction into the Hall of Fame. However, Iommi never broke up the group and kept the name going with several incarnations of the band. The music may not be as strong as it was during the Ozzie years, but it is still quality music in the metal/hard rock Sabbath tradition. I think this matter will settle and Black Sabbath will reunite for one last tour.

Ozzy or Sharon more to the point should give it a rest, Tony is Black Sabbath Without Iommi Sabbath would be nothing, without the Power Riffs of tony there is no Sabbath sound , Ozzy was replaced but Tony could never be replaced simple !!
Where was Ozzy when Sabbath Played in those Arena’s With Dio in the 80’s on Vocals & Also with Ian Gillan on Vocals in the 80’s i think Ozzy must have been on another planet or something !!
And one thing Ozzy also forgets is that if it was not for being in Sabbath he would have had no solo carrier, do Ozzy solo Albums sound like Black Sabbath ? answer is NO !! And why is that ? answer there is no Tony Iommi !! Do Tony’s Albums sound like Sabbath Without Ozzy ? answer !! well ask all those fans watching them now & they say it’s Black Sabbath !! no matter what the band have named themselves !! I love Black Sabbath Albums with Ozzy or without but without Tony it just is not Sabbath the power would be gone !! SIMPLE ANSWER IS SHARON IS AFTER THE MONEY !! Ozzy is finished he is a JOKE now !! if Ozzy was Sabbath then how come his solo stuff is so CRAP !! yet Sabbath or Heaven & hell Turn out what is really a class SABBATH Album something Ozzy was too Scared to do for fear of it being Shit !!

COME ON OZZY WIN IT dude

This sounds like Sharon’s bitchy finger prints all over this lawsuit. Ozzy is just the puppet here. Isn’t the band now called “Heaven & Hell”? Ozzy & Sharon are a big disgrace in Rock since 2002. First the reality show, then screwing the original members of his solo band by erasing them out of the original recordings, the variety show, the commercials & now this. I think it will take a little while longer for Ozzy getting in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame than it did for Sabbath because of his(& Sharon’s) recent shannagins.

Just a couple of other things to note:- Is it possible that if Ozzy gets equal rights to anything Sabbath released even stuff without him actually doing vocals on that he could stop them actually performing the songs live including the complete Heaven & hell ,Mob Rules & Dehumanizer Albums which all carried the Sabbath name because I would expect that his permission would be required or is wife’s anyway which would severely cut back the set list Heaven & hell could perform if he could refuse them being performed and I for one would not put it past Ozzy & Sharon from doing so because Ozzy Hates Everything about the Dio fronted Sabbath, Is It possibly that they are better without Ozzy now than they would be with him and Ozzy realises this !! Sharon may also be realising that Ozzy’s Solo work is getting worse not better and feels the need to get an hold of a percentage of the Sabbath rights because otherwise the finances are going to start drying up , I think I am right to say that the rest of the guys wanted to make a new Album with Ozzy but Ozzy stated that he did’nt want to do anything new unless it was going to be able to stand up along side the albums they did before !! All well and good if you are actually capable of doing that but Ozzy himself knew that he could never do a new album with Sabbath because it would not have been anywhere near has good has the older albums because he is not capable of repeating that level of quality anymore and that would have killed his reputation with Sabbath !! Ozzy WAS good it’s that simple !! But not anymore he now needs to stick to what his wife thinks he’s good at !! Being a Clown !!

“I was following the band back in 1985 when Tony bought the rights from the remaining originals, and he has owned it since then.” This is from Black-sabbath.com (News)

You can perform ANY song you want to live. You just pay the ASCAP or BMI like any cover band does (actually the CLUB pays it in a yearly fee). You can also record just about any song you want if you clear it with the publishing company (who want the money)

This is about ownership of the merchandising, which is trickier. Ozzy did leave the group…twice, but he also helped create it, and did plenty to raise the value of the “trademark” of Black Sabbath with Ozzfest and even the Osbournes TV show.

I think he will win his case for at least a 1/4 share of the Merch, which will also solidify his stake in Black Sabbath and keep Toni from creating an Ozzy-less band with this name

Remember this is the same Sharon Osbourne who, when sued for back royalties by former Ozzy solo band members Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake, responded by having Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman RE-RECORDED with new bass and drum tracks courtesty of Mike Bordin and Rob Trujillo. Meaning anyone who bought new copies of these CDs within the last 7 years own FAKES.

After Ozzy was kicked out of Sabbath in the late 70’s for being completely out of his mind on drugs and alcohol, it was Tony who carried the Sabbath name for nearly the next two decades, when nobody else gave a crap.

As each day passes on this topic I can’t help but feel that Ozzy is right. I love Black Sabbath with Ozzy and Dio. But to me they are two totally different bands. Two totally different sounds. Black Sabbath was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame as Tony, Ozzy, Geezer and Bill. No Glenn Hughes, no Ian Gillan, no Ronnie James Dio, no Eric Singer, no random bass player that fills Geezer’s spot, no Vinny Appice. Just Tony, Ozzy, Geezer and Bill. Just because Tony Iommi carried on for years by himself really doesn’t entitle him to collect all the royalties. Every song is credited to all four members. Even in the reunion dvd they say they are the only true Black Sabbath. I love Heaven and Hell.. they kick ass and I am glad they call themselves Heaven and Hell and not Black Sabbath. Some idiots have said that Tony should re-record the first 8 albums with Dio on vocals. That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Dio likes his rainbows, witches, crystal balls and such. And I love Dio for that but honestly, it’s hard to stomach listening to him sing original Black Sabbath songs. Leave those to Ozzy. 25% share to all 4 members!!!!

Okay, a lot of people think Ozzy is an idiot. What they dont realise is that the show was a compellation of him doing stupid things. He has even stated that he let most of it in the show because it was funny. Ozzy wants steak in the sabbath name, not because of money or greed, but because Tony Iommi will drive it into the ground. There all sweet, but Ozzy really does have a point and the right. They should just settel at 1/4 of the name. At least then, there would be T-shirts, and people would be able to enjoy the music. Forget all of the people who think Ozzy is greedy, hes jsut trying to help you. You need to open your eyes and see this.

And by t-shirts i meant merchandise. Ozzy is just out there to make people happy.

and for the people who think its hypocracy because they redid the blizzard of ozz and diary of a madman bass and drum tracks, as well as completely did away with the ultimate sin, then think of this – Sabbath could do the same to ozzy. Then there sales would plummet even more because the music would be shit. Ozzy should get his cut and end this shit.

So Tony is the bad guy for soldiering on as Black Sabbath while Ozzy destroyed his legacy by playing a bumbling fool on TV? This “lawsuit” has Sharons greedy little hands all over it. I will blame her forever for destroying any chance of the original Sabbath ever recording again.

For them who think Ozzy has a point and that the name should be shared, why now? Why hasn’t this been a problem for over 20 years but now it suddenly is? Why should the name be shared equally when the work isn’t? Tony is the only member who stuck with the game.

Ozzy was a drunken sellout who let the band down. He was successful on his own thanks to the Sabbath legacy. Ozzy wants money Sabbath did without him, should the others then get money Ozzy did without them? He made his money singing old Sabbath songs.

Sabbath could have made it without Ozzy, it wouldn’t been the same and the success would have been different, but it could have worked. Ozzy is a different story.

Bottom line: Black Sabbath IS all four of the original members, regardless of who played under the moniker the longest.

Without Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and/or Bill, Black Sabbath would never have happened the way it did due to chemistry.

Regardless of what you think of the man personally (I don’t know him personally so I have no opinion – not that arrogant), he’s 100% correct in that ALL FOUR members should split the proceeds off the brand equally, end of story.

To be quite honest, I’m shocked that Tony has taken the tack he has, as I never would have thought him a selfish narcisist. Let’s hope he does indeed, do the right thing.

Actually, I forgot to mention one salient point in this debate; Black Sabbath wouldn’t exist without either Tony’s guitary work and sound, as well as Ozzy’s voice.

With the utmost respect for both Geez and Bill, they’re replaceable. But not Ozzy and not Tony, so if anyone wants to get “technical”, Ozzy and Tony should split the rights 50%/50%, so if we’re splitting hairs here, it’s more than obvious that Ozzy’s trying to be the magnanamous one as he could argue what I just did.

But he’s not. He’s asking for an equal, 25% share of the naming rights.

Sorry, but again I have to call it in Ozzy’s favor here. Tony is wrong and in my opinion, it’s really not up for debate.

Aha, now I see the real reason the band with Dio call themselves ‘Heaven and Hell’.

Can you say “Sharon”?

Ozzy had his chance to record with Sabbath again and did not (so how much did he really care then?). At least not a full album. Some reunion, eh? Compare that to Deep Purple. Also, Sabbath was pretty far down the ladder when Ozzy was fired in the late 70´s. A lot of people do not realise that Sabbath got way bigger again with Dio and Gillan. And all the albums were great. Tony Martins included. The “clubs” remark is utterly false as well (I have followed Sabbath since the mid 70´s, I´ve seen them many times). Heaven & Hell proves that people love Sabbath even without Ozzy. I hope Iommi wins this, he fought for Sabbath for many years and I think he deserves some credit. I think this is a ploy to disrupt and destroy. Exactly on what level, we might find out at our expense some day. If you love Sabbath, that is…

The music business has “legal rules” just like any other business. In 1979 Ozzy was “voted out” of Sabbath 3-1. Bill Ward then “quit” relinquishing his rights to Sabbath. Geezer then did the same. This left Tony with “clear title” to the name “Black Sabbath.” That is the law, and it will be upheld. However, Tony never “owned” the rights to use or sell the “likenesses” of the other band members, or the album covers, or the recording royalties. Just the name “Black Sabbath.” Ozzy’s argument that he elevated the value of that name because of the reunions is irrelevant. Why didn’t he demand that Tony restore his portion of rights to the name before he did those tours? Kiss is facing a similar situation concerning using the likenesses of Criss and Frehley. Criss and Frehley may have sold their interests in Kiss, but did they specifically agree to allow future members to use their make-up designs? Frehley says that they both own it, but that he hasn’t been paid yet.

Tony , I’m with you. Dear Ozzy , please concentrate on your solo album (i love you ) so that it doesn’t sound like our metallica friend’s St.Anger !! Scott “wino” weinrich , please see how Heavy metal is DOOMING day by day

HOW CAN ANYONE NOT SIDE WITH TONY IOMMI? HE IS THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE WHOLE BAND’S ENTIRE LEGACY THAT PLAYED ON ALL THE RECORDS!!! IF IT WASN’T FOR TONY, NO ONE WOULD KNOW WHO THE HELL BLACK SABBATH ARE!!!! YES, OZZY YOU CAN HAVE SOMETHING WITH B.S. AND IT IS BULLSHIT!!! FIRST YOU SCREW OVER YOUR FANS ON NOT HAVING A FULL OZZFEST 2008 AND NOT EVEN GOING TO DO OZZFEST 2009??? NOW YOU’RE JUST A WHINY OLD BUGGER THAT HAS OVERSTAYED HIS WELCOME!

All of you people siding with Tony on this are retarded…yes Tony’s guitar sound was a vital part of Black Sabbath’s success…but so was Ozzy’s voice and personna…Black Sabbath would not be anything without him…that was proven over and over as Tony went on to turn Black Sabbath into a joke…Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi…please…he should have gone on just on his own name if he’s the only thing that made Black Sabbath what they were…all the original memebers deserve ownership of what they all made great…and it’s certainly true that Black Sabbath’s reunion was what brought them back…I’ve always loved early Black Sabbath and wouldn’t have even considered seeing them in concert without Ozzy…if your not old enough to have been there when it all went down to begin with…then don’t act like you know what your talking about…as for those who were there…think about it…Black Sabbath was not the same without it’s founding members and Ozzy’s voice was just as important to their sound and success as Tony’s guitar was…they all deserve finacial gain for anything related to Black Sabbath…certainly if it has their face, voice and musical contributions…but only Tony deserves the stigma of what he did to Black Sabbath…he should be thanking his lucky stars that the band was willing to reunite…

Sorry , Tony Iomni’s side of people are NOT retarded. It is our Metal Grandpa (now under the Great Sharon shadow , with regret ) and his supporters seem to be retarded. If anyone has any ambiguity or misconception that post Ozzy Black-Sabbath Sucked then please get Headless Cross , Cross purposes turn off your room light and advise by listening when record is on. If now Tony was to bring out THE IOMNIS and attend Page 3 parties with his family all the time..then everyone would have said Tony is the real Black sabbath and all that crap..

Remember: Ozzy is the guy that was capable to re-release “Blizzard of Ozz” and “Diary of A Madman” ERASING Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake’s amazing and legendary bass and drums work, something that was NEVER done before, because he was in litigation with them. So, I’m suspicious of any claims coming from Sharon’s camp…

We can go backwards and forwards on who ‘owns the right’. There are valid reason on both sides, however reading all of the above posts – I think Tony should have the right to the name.

Leaving that aside, why now? Is Ozzy feeling the down turn in the economy? Does he need the money? What difference does it make to the music??? For me it has _always_ been about the music! If Ozzy doesn’t need the money, I think he should just let it go. After it more that 25 years that he left the band; isn’t it time to move on?

If Ozzy is so fair about it then why did he cut out Kerslake and Daisley out of there royalties. How many great albums has he released without them arent they entitled to something? After all they wrote the songs and most of the lyrics. Who else was at the Ozz fest when they egged Maiden who else heard the crowd boo Sharon and Ozzy and cheer for Maiden a real band who loves there audience. People paid good money and it was an utter joke the disdain Sharon has for metal fans. Get a clue people check out youtube much rather see Dio then the same boring Ozzy Sabbath set. Ozzy cant hit the notes cant remember the lyrics why is he even out there? Oh yeah Sharon spends all his money then rolls his old bones on stage to give me iron man for the millionth time. Sharon is an absolute joke which is fine except she took my beloved Ozzy and turned him into a national embarassment. I will never go to another Ozzfest buy his over produced albums or support Ozzys husband Sharon. Check out Iommis solo albums from the early 90s Iommi and Phil Anselmo the song the bastard. Zack Wylde could learn a few things about metal guitar if he could only change that ridiculous tone on his guitar hed be doing us all a favor.

The brand of ‘Black Sabbath’?

^^That’s a depressing line.

This is just a dick move by all involved.

The “statement” by Sharon – errh – Ozzy just amazes me on so many levels, but almost none of it is legally relevant. In fact, I would guess that if they had a legal leg to stand on, there would be no accompanying statement at all. It seems designed to embarrass and guilt Iommi into giving up something he’s worked 41 years for.

I will say that I find the Hall of Fame statements most laughable. They were nominated well before the Reunion and likely would have been inducted sooner had Ozzy not been quoted EVERY SINGLE YEAR saying, “Take our name off the ballot.” I always chalked it up to Sharon angling to get Ozzy into the HOF before Sabbath. But it was rumored that voters delayed Sabbath’s induction because they simply didn’t like Ozzy’s act. I would say Sabbath made it in IN SPITE OF the Osbournes.

While I believe Dio should have been accorded the honor of joining them in the Hall for those two singular achievements – “Heaven and Hell” and “Mob Rules” that brought Sabbath back – I also believe that the Black Sabbath name belongs to the original four. Tony must feel the same way, otherwise he wouldn’t be recording and touring under the Heaven and Hell moniker.

But people should also remember that once Dio left, the record company forced Iommi to release his music as Black Sabbath, presumably to boost sales. Saddled with that responsibility on his own, since the others had left, Iommi did the best he could – and released some great music in the process.

I think the whole ordeal is just sad. And I look forward to the day it is over, however it ends. But my greatest fear is that Ozzy winds up with a portion of the name and tours as Black Sabbath on his own. And for a guy who “only” contributed his voice – remarkable as it once was – that would be the greatest travesty.

Why do people always have to resorting to commenting about Dio’s height. He can’t help being short, what is he supposed to do about it? How is it his fault? Should somebody who is tall be praised for being so clever as to grow tall? Comment on his singing by all means but please leave the personal taunts out.

Ok folks, first off – please learn to spell, and the proper use of “your”,”you’re”,”their”, there”, and “they’re”! Second, I agree with “Sharon=Yoko”.Third, I’ve heard that the great song from “Headless Cross’, that is “Devil and Daughter”, is in fact about Sharon and her control-freak father.She has made Ozzy a discrace.Tony kept the Sabbath name alive, and it was he who started a new genre of music called “heavy metal”. Ozzy was good in the beginning. I like all of Sabbath’s music, and alot of Ozzy’s solo stuff. But Sharon has sickened me of him.

fc

What is so surprising. Ozzy wants money for songs he didn’t rite, a band he isn’t in and songs he didn’t sing. Sounds like the same old commercialized sellout Ozzy to me. And stop blaming Sharon for every thing. Ozzy is a sellout. Money is and always has been all he cares about. Thats just Ozzy

Phil, it’s OK, not Ok. Also, a lot
is two words, not alot! Please learn how to spell!

BLACK SABBATH IS TONI IOMMI anything recorded under the BLACK SABBATH name sounds better then ozzy ever released because IOMMI IS THE GUITAR the only man to stay with the band and keep it alive. Sabbath never where in the toilet when touring they only had to find a good vocalist after dio and it was tony martin so from 1987 to 1997 black sabbath rocked and played venues like HAMMERSMITH. and you guys can deny it all you want but TYR CROSS PURPOSES DEHUMINIZER are all 90s Black Sabbath albums which blow any 90s crap Ozzy Recorded AWAY.

SORRY FOR PUNCTUATION I DONT CARE

Sharon is destroying Ozzy reputation. This legal action is pathetic. Iommi is sabbath.

How low can Sharon go?

First was the disgusting incident against Iron Maiden (a band way better than sabbath). Now Sharon does it again. That greedy woman doesnt care about Ozzy and his name. He just want the money,the popularity, the beverly hills way of life.. THIS IS NOT HEAVY METAL.

She is turning the Prince of Darkness into a MTV pop star.

correction:

“SHE just want the money,the popularity, the beverly hills way of life.. THIS IS NOT HEAVY METAL.”

Guys this is a LEGAL, not EMOTIONAL issue. It is true that when Ozzy, Bill, and Geezer left the band, Tony as the sole survivor, gained full control of the name Black Sabbath for “future projects,” which he used. However, did that give him the licensing rights to “previous projects,” such as old album covers and old photos featuring the band. Where is Warner Bros. in all this? It was their art department that created those covers. Who owns the copright to those covers? Has the copyright expired? Are they indeed “public domain?” Did Tony obtain legal documents giving him control over those properties? Did Warner Bros. and the remaining Sabs sign over those rights to Tony? Osbourne’s argument that he restored and increased the value of the Sabbath name is completely irrelevant. It will come down to who legally holds the copyright rights for what.

This speculation of: Without Ozzy, Tony (or Sabbath) wouldn’t have had success is rubbish and aside from the point. I don’t find splitting between the four original members a bad thing per se…until Sharon does some garbage with the “Black Sabbath Brand”. I mean thanks for saving Ozzy’s life and career back in 1979, but let him erode in peace. Every time he does anything it lessens the impact of Black Sabbath. His music is embarassingly bad and their collective ideas of entertainment are about as far away from the magic and power of the original Sabbath as you can get. There were some good points made by various people above…However, aside from Tony Iommi’s guitar riffs, the Sabbath albums in the mid 80’s and beyond basically suck. Its almost not a matter of opinion how badly they suck. That was some awful rock/metal music. That said, Tony Iommi is a fucking warrior. All 3 of the others have bailed on Sabbath at some point for different reasons. That’s fine. But, Black Sabbath is Tony Iommi’s life and has been since day one. I know there was that quick step into Jethro Tull in 1968 or so, but he came to his senses quickly. My opinion is: Tony Iommi can do whatever the hell he pleases with or without the Black Sabbath name. He’s never really “left the band”…but, the band has always “left him”. You know what he does? Keeps writing awesome guitar parts. That’s what. Ozzy needs to shut it down, Sharon needs to shut her mouth, Geezer needs to keep playing bass and Bill Ward needs to get in better shape and keep playing drums. All 4 of them should just get together in a basement and pound out the material so they sound better live. Maybe they should play smaller venues without the cheesy ass Ozzfest and 80 other bands. I’m rambling, but I side mostly with Tony Iommi because I feel he is the “Lennon/McCartney” of guitar riffs all legalese aside.

Guys like Iommi, Eddie van halen,
Ynwie, Jimmy page, ritchie blackmore, etc…etc…

need to understand that it is all
about the singer period.

Why does sabbath suck so much after the dio era?? The music was
there but you don’t have a singer
to bring it to life.

IT IS ALL ABOUT THE SINGER.
Doesn’t matter who wrote the music!

Guitar players need to shut up and acknowledge the fact that the
singer makes or breaks the band period. Black sabbath without
Ozzy or Dio is pathetic.

Dio is the only man who can do justice for the sabbath sound besides ozzy.

What! All about the singer?! Dude you are nuts! The electric guitar IS what rock&roll is all about. Practically any guy off the street can get up there and ham it up and be a rock singer. It takes years of hard work and study to become a great guitarist. Okay, so a singer has to write and remember his words, and has to sometimes work hard at hitting the notes. But come on man, compare that to all the training and time it takes to be a great guitarist. Zack Wilde just left Ozzy because he had become a bigger star than Osbourne. It’s the same old story isn’t it? Singers get the GLORY, but guitarist get the RESPECT! When are you going to bow down and worship the POWER and GLORY of Tony Iommi?!!

Tony, Geezer, Bill, and Ozzy are Black Sabbath! All songs written in the 70’s are attributed to all four. Even though Ozzy was the last member to join Sabbath, and the first to leave, I believe that they should keep the integrity of the first and best heavy metal band. Iommi kept Sabbath alive for years, but who wants to see Black Sabbath proceeds go to Tony Martain, or Cozy Powell? The core four should get the money. Listen to Paranoid and then compare it to yhe stuff without Ozzy, IT DOESN’T COMPARE! Kudos to Ozzy!

Hey Jerry, just wanted to correct what you said – Zakk didn’t leave Ozzy of his own accord. And calling hima bigger star is very, very debatable. I mean I really love both of them, Zakk and Ozzy but I think the man who helped the invention of an entire genre of music, emulated by thousands of singers, may be bigger right now than Zakk Wylde. I know that Zakk has a bigger career ahead of him now than Ozzy but I still stand by what I said. And the original 4 are Sabbath, all together they are, not just Iommi.

Everyone involved in this lawsuit is likely a millionaire many times over. SO I have a hard time getting too hopped about it. It’s sad. Yes. I wish they’d do better than pull a Pink Floyd on each other.
I love Sabbath best with the original four members. But Dio was great and helped revive a sinking ship. Iommi kept the flame burning. It was amazing they even got back together in the first place in 1999. They’ve done all they need to. Let’s everybody SHUT UP AND PLAY YOUR GUITAR.

Having been a Sab fan since 1970 I have to say that as frontsmen go, Dio kicks ass over Ozzy any day. Dio understands the theatrics and stage presence needed for a band of this stature. Remember, Ozzy forgot lyrics on stage and couldn’t sing on key half the time. And what was his input in writing the material of Black Sabbath anyway. Tell Sharon to sit down and shut up. I will always give the original lineup their due. Still love Sabotage and Vol. 4 (Snowblind) to death but as far as professionalism goes the Dio/Martin et al years rule. And thanx out to Rob Zombie.

How does sharon thinks the world runs ? if you sell your shares when the stock price is falling (like she did when sabbath was in the early 80s) you cant suddenly come back 25 years later and bitch and cry that you arent getting any money from them.. it doesnt work like that.. you sold the shares in the brand cause you thought it was dead and thats it.. Theres no moral debate anywhere here.

in the 80s Iommi would have taken ozzy back into the band in a second but ozzys solo career was doing well so ozzy couldnt give a shit about sabbath.. when it was convenient for him to avoid sabbath, he did..

Tony kept the brand alive.. when nobody gave a shit he stuck to it and he deserves the rewards for it..

the only reason sharons trying to screw Tony now is cause sabbath is legendary and it will live on, ozzy solo career will fall short and she knows it..

Arguing that the whole band should be shareholders SOUNDS honourable but you gotta read between the lines.. Sharon deliberately left Bill out of reunion Sabbath shows, she couldnt give a shit about him or geezer, or anyone else thats gone through Ozzys career.. its just a manipulative way of trying to promote her argument, its a stronger case when its presented like that..

She knows she cant get 100% of sabbath but by arguing it should be a group owned company she at least gets a shot at 25% and thats better than nothing that the she currently has..Totally manipulative and i hope Tony wins out 100%..

If you really want to hear the BEST of Ozzy please listen to “She’s Gone” from Technical Ecstasy. Bill Ward once credited Oz to be the “Master Interpreter,” and he is. It is all our sincere hopes that this silly feud will pass, and that the four boys from Birmingham will be back again giving us the music that we all need.
But of graver concern is the Zeppelin situation. Jimmy Page is the most powerful person in the rock world. And while all the speculation of occult backlash concerning Robert’s near fatal recent car crash is rubbish, all rock fans have to show their concern for his immediate recovery. Including Sharon.

Without Iommi sabbath would never had made it big. Imagine what would’ve happened if Tony’s fingers didnt get sliced off in a sheet metal factory… There would be no Black Sabbath or Heavy metal. So Ozzy’s ‘Signature’ vocals wouldn’t have gotten Sabbath famous, Iommi’s down-tuned, hard rockin’, heavy guitar playing DID. Plus Iommi is the only member of Sabbath to stay in it from the start so he should have total property of the title ‘Black Sabbath’.

4 members equal shares meeans i get half