Sharon Osbourne Extreme
by Sharon Osbourne
Published by Hachette Book Group
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Reviewed By Michele E. Davis
Sharon Osbourne's autobiography is not for the faint of heart. She's been to hell and back in her life. Her audio book is exceptionally well read with fantastic inflection, enormous wit, great humor and the three swear words that Brits always string together like an introduction.
If you think Sharon Osbourne is just Ozzy Osbourne's wife, you're wrong, she's an interesting, accomplished person in her own right. She grew up as the daughter of Don Arden, who did variety, or as it's called in the States, vaudeville.
Her father turned to band promotion in the 1970s. When Sharon was of age she started rock group management, beginning with ELO. After Arden signed Ozzy, Sharon was sent on tour with him. Ozzy was married with three children and almost ten years her senior. Their romance blossomed and Sharon was taken off the Ozzy account per Ozzy and his then wife, Thelma's, request. Months later, Ozzy called Sharon and told her that his marriage was over and asked her to come back on tour with him.
She's been the brain behind Ozzy's career, OzFest, Lita Ford's career and the shining star on the British "The X Factor" television show. As she states, she's been polar extremes, raised by a Jewish father and an Irish Catholic mother, yoyo-dieting sometimes weighing 160 stone, now weighing 70 stone, a woman in a man's business, because as she said, "The music business is a big boy's club filled with coke and sex."
After years of hard work, the Osbourne's were invited to the White House and
subsequently thereafter Ozzy played at the Queen's Golden Jubilee at Buckingham Palace. Sharon was surprised, because she said that everyone always said about her and Ozzy, "She's from that gangster father and he's in that heavy metal band." But Sharon Osbourne shows how one can overcome obesity, cancer, abuse, victimization and other issues while raising three children.
This autobiography is a must read as an interesting, dynamic, funny, crass, albeit sometimes tragically sad, story.
Armchair Interviews says: The audio book is enjoyable, punctuated with satire, wit and honesty.