| Fun While It Lasted |
12 May 2003
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Kelly and Ozzy Osbourne Leave Sony, Jack Stays
There is an old insult about throwing away the wrong part after a circumcision. That is the feeling one gets on hearing the latest from Osbourne land. Ozzy and Kelly will be leaving Sony while Jack gets to keep his A&R position. Jack may be a perfectly good music industry wizard, but the musicians are going to become more and more important as record sales drop thanks to MP3s, etc. What Sony doesn't need is an extra A&R man.
While the truth of the break up is not entirely clear, the fact that Kelly's record sold only about 150,000 copies is probably much of it. The fact that she isn't an over night success probably disappointed. Though truthfully, that isn't such a bad score for a new act -- what really killed it was the free publicity earned on the TV show.
Ozzy himself is leaving because Sony Chairman Tony Mottola is out, and it may be true. Then again, it doesn't make much difference. Ozzy, God love him, is now known as a doddering fool of a burnout rather than the voice of Black Sabbath. Who really cares if he ever records again?
Meanwhile, Jack will be doing to other musicians what Mottola and his ilk have done to Jack's dad all these years. It will be interesting to see if he can get a platinum act in the next five years.
The more one looks at the situation, the more one respects Aimmee Osbourne. She had the good sense and taste to decline appearing on the TV show despite wanting a singing career of her own.