When Black Sabbath sprung from the dark imaginations of four British 20-somethings more than 42 years ago, the band changed the rock ‘n’ roll game almost immediately.
They knew the music that had come before. They recognized the subversive genius of Cream and Jimi Hendrix.
And they weren’t comfortable regurgitating their heroes’ noise — though they were all about paying homage to them.
And to this day, the band and its charismatic, controversial frontman — Ozzy Osbourne — remain among rock’s most influential acts.
Osbourne’s story is a strange and meandering trip, from grotesque acts of bloody spectacle to endearing displays of compassionate understanding.
The man who’s been metal’s “Prince of Darkness” for more than four decades plays the Pepsi Center on Tuesday, and he’s one of only a handful of hard rockers who can headline basketball arenas across the world. He brings with his show equal doses of horror and glee.
Osbourne’s constant obsession with setting himself apart has paid off, and now, as he tours his 10th solo album — last year’s surprisingly great “Scream” — it’s clear that Osbourne is metal’s honest- to-goodness (or badness?) prince.
These are our favorite moments from his life and career — the music, the legend, the family and the uncanny knack for controversy.
1948:
John Michael Osbourne was born in Birmingham, England — with long, ominous, coal-black locks of hair. (OK, not really on the last part.)
1969:
With bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, Osbourne creates Black Sabbath. They smartly settled on the name after considering a few real stinkers, including the Polka Tulk Blues Band.
1970:
Black Sabbath releases “Paranoid.” On the strength of singles “Iron Man” and “War Pigs,” the record is a smash hit in Britain and later in the U.S.
1978:
Osbourne is fired from Sabbath for the first of multiple times.
1979:
Osbourne’s wife, Sharon, takes over as his manager — a grand entrance for the woman who would later help shape her husband’s public life.
1981:
The metal god bites the head off a bat during a show. He thought it was a fake, but it was real — dead when it was tossed on the stage, but still, real. Osbourne got a rabies shot. The legend and its many offshoot philosophies — “Ozzy as demon!” — spread like wildfire.
1982:
Osbourne shows up late to a label meeting, bites the head off a dove (yes, a real one) and signs a big deal to Epic Records.
1985:
He reunites with Black Sabbath for Live Aid — the first time the original lineup has appeared together since 1978.
1986:
Osbourne is accused of encouraging suicide via the “Blizzard of Ozz” song “Suicide Solution.” Arguments ensue about the meanings in heavy-metal music — and they still haven’t stopped.
1995:
Sabbath’s “Paranoid,” released 24 years earlier, reaches quadruple platinum status, with sales exceeding 4 million copies in the United States.
1996:
Osbourne launches the first Ozzfest, which would become one of the biggest-grossing tours in the history of the industry.
1998:
Sabbath’s live album “Reunion” is released, featuring all four original members together. Again. (It kept happening, and it became less newsworthy with each announcement.)
2002:
A reality show about Osbourne’s family life, “The Osbournes,” debuts to massive numbers and potent pop-culture sway. The series was born out of a “Cribs” episode with the family, and it remains one of the most popular shows in MTV’s history. The show won an Emmy that year.
2002:
Osbourne’s daughter, Kelly Osbourne, releases her debut CD, “Shut Up.” People take notice because of her affiliation with the show, but the effort is critically panned (she later was dropped by the label, Epic).
2003:
A syndicated talk show, “The Sharon Osbourne Show,” debuts and is canceled after one season.
2004:
Sharon Osbourne is hired as a judge and mentor on U.K. singing show “The X Factor” through 2007.
2005:
After four seasons and 52 episodes, “The Osbournes” airs its final show. It was representative of a time and a place, and it will be remembered as a snapshot of an aging, often confused rocker, set against the record industry’s decline and the reality-TV genre’s boom.
2010:
“Scream,” Osbourne’s latest and 10th full-length CD, is released to positive reviews. Some dates on his coinciding tour sell out in anticipation of seeing Osbourne — age 62 — rock like he’s half that age.
Ricardo Baca: 303-954-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com; @RVRB on Twitter
