Last Rites

Review Quotes:
"A self-effacing and unexpectedly affecting portrait of the Prince of Darkness in twilight... Last Rites mixes ancient stories of Ozzy's rock star rapscallionism (entertaining, always) with meditations on the inevitability of death that grow thicker as the book lurches toward the only conclusion it can."-- The Washington Post

Review Quotes:
" Last Rites is the redemption narrative that 'The Osbournes' couldn't be -- genuinely big-hearted rather than contrivedly quirky, refusing to overwrite past ugliness but still brimming with gratitude...a fitting final encore for a life lived at extremes."-- Salon

Review Quotes:
"345 pages of Osbourne's plainspoken, expletive-peppered wit...rivet with conversational detail."-- USA Today

Brief Description:
"Shocking and bitterly hilarious, the final, brutally-honest memoir from rock'n'roll hellraiser Ozzy Osbourne. People say to me, if you could do it all again, knowing what you know now, would you change anything? I'm like, f*** no. If I'd been clean and sober, I wouldn't be Ozzy. If I'd done normal, sensible things, I wouldn't be Ozzy. Look, if it ends tomorrow, I can't complain. I've been all around the world. Seen a lot of things. I've done good... and I've done bad. But right now, I'm not ready to go anywhere. At the age of sixty-nine, Ozzy Osbourne was on a triumphant farewell tour, playing to sold-out arenas and rave reviews all around the world. Then, disaster. In a matter of just a few weeks, he went from being hospitalized with a finger infection to having to abandon his tour-and all public life-as he faced near-total paralysis from the neck down. Last Rites is the shocking, bitterly hilarious, never-before-told story of Osbourne's descent into hell. Along the way, he reflects on his extraordinary life and career-including his turbulent marriage to his wife Sharon, his regrets over Black Sabbath's reunion, his friendships with Slash and Zakk Wylde, and the harrowing final moments he spent with Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister. Unflinching and surprisingly life-affirming, Last Rites demonstrates once again why Ozzy has transcended his status as 'The Godfather of Metal' and 'The Prince of Darkness' to become a modern-day folk hero and national treasure"--

Biographical Note:

Ozzy Osbourne was born in Aston, Birmingham, in 1948, and was one of rock music's most enduring figures as the lead singer of Black Sabbath. He achieved even greater heights as a solo artist. Ozzy is survived by his wife, Sharon, and his five children.

"A charming and often poignant valediction from rock 'n' roll's Prince of Darkness."

Review Citations:

• Kirkus Reviews 11/01/2025 (EAN 9781538775417, Hardcover)