He was one of the most controversial and outrageous rock performers of all time. From his legendary substance use to the time he bit off a bat’s head (he didn’t know it was a real bat), he garnered both international condemnation and international acclaim thanks to his writing and singing talents.
Thanks to the success of Black Sabbath, Ozzy was able to start a solo career marked with hits like “Crazy Train” and “Mr. Crowley,” but his career has always been marked with a few too many trips to rehab.
Eddie Van Halen
Go to any list of greatest guitarists of all time, and you're going to see Eddie Van Halen. There's a pretty good chance he'll be up near the top if not in the number one spot. His big, bright smile, undeniable chops, and fun guitar design elements have made him an icon in the guitar world specifically, but also in the music world as a whole.
He was one of the co-founders of the wonderful band Van Halen, which was born in 1972, and they've released more than ten albums, each one featuring Eddie Van Halen and his brother Alex. The debate still rages: David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar?
Eddie Van Halen Today
There's no understating how big Eddie Van Halen's influence was in the rock and roll world. In 2012 he was voted as number one in a “Guitar World” magazine reader's poll for “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” That very same year, Eddie underwent surgery that forced him to delay a tour by six whole months as he recovered.
During his lifetime, Eddie donated more than seventy-five guitars to The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, which provides guitars to young musicians who can't afford them. Sadly, Eddie died in 2020 due to complications from a stroke, and his son Wolfgang, a member of the band once he was old enough, announced there was no Van Halen with Eddie.
Ozzy Osbourne Today
While he's had plenty of medical issues due to his dependencies on classic rock and roll favorites, he's still around and kicking. He's in a well-known relationship with his wife Sharon, and their three children (Aimee, Kelly, and Jack) are glad to still have their dad around and are always there to give him the stability he needs.
The family (minus Aimee) had a reality TV show titled “The Osbournes,” which let people see into their wild personal lives. Ozzy is still putting out music every once in a while, and he also appears in a few movies, though mostly as himself.
Ted Nugent
Once the guitarist of the Amboy Dukes, Ted Nugent practiced his skills from 1965 until 1975, but in 1975 he dropped the band name and started putting out music under his own name with the same musicians. He was signed to Epic Records with Derek St. Holmes, Rob Grange, and Clifford Davies, and the foursome released albums “Ted Nugent,” “Free-for-All,” and “Cat Scratch Fever.”
Long before it was a video game, he was a real guitar hero. He joined a few bands in the eighties but went solo again for good in 1995. His lightspeed solos are still melting faces off.