Black Sabbath Warming Up for Tour 12.12.98
                            Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean they don't work hard at
                            it. Ever the diligent metallurgists, Black Sabbath are congregating
                              at a comfortable house-cum-studio in Wales later this week to
                         begin two weeks of rehearsals in advance of their upcoming U.S. tour.

                         According to Michael Guarracino, a spokesman at Ozzy Osbourne's
                   management company, some of the band members are already in Wales
                        warming up -- including drummer Bill Ward, who suffered a
                     heart attack earlier this year after rehearsing for Black Sabbath's
                    summer "Reunion" dates in Europe. Veteran metal skinsman Vinnie
                      Appice filled in for the ailing drummer at the time, but according
                      to Guarracino, Ward is "feeling fine" and will accompany Ozzy,
                      guitarist Tommy Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler on their first
                       tour with the entire line-up on board in two decades. The tour
                        kicks off at Phoenix, Arizona's Bank One Ballpark on New
                    Year's Eve with opening acts Pantera, Megadeth, Slayer and Soulfly
                             (the Deftones join the mini-Ozzfest on Jan. 25).

                     The Wales workshop won't be Sabbath's only dry run. In fact, right
                       after Christmas, the entire production team will set up shop in
                    Phoenix to rehearse all the staging procedures and numerous special
                       effects. Tickets to these reunion shows are selling so strongly
                     that three shows have been added, including a second show at the
                    Los Angeles' Forum (Jan. 6), as well as new dates at Grand Rapids,
                     Michigan's Van Andel Arena (Feb. 11) and Dayton, Ohio's Nutter
                       Center (Feb. 12).
No New Ozzy album in the works 12.12.98
                           Contrary to published reports, Ozzy has not
                     yet begun recording his solo album, rumored to be titled "I Did It
                      All Because Of You." In fact, Epic Records has not even slated
                      anything by the musician for 1999. Nor has the notorious singer
                    commenced work on his long-rumored autobiography. The musician
                         told reporters last month that ferreting out all the better
                     anecdotes from his life would be an arduous process. "When have
                        I got the time? If I do write my book, I don't want to write it
                     about when I was born and from there onward. My memory is not
                        that great, so I've got to take it in stages," he said. "If you
                         would have asked me five years ago if I would be touring
                     with Black Sabbath now, I would have said you're f*****g crazy."
                    So what changed his mind? "I don't know really. My wife said, 'Why
                      don't you get back together with Black Sabbath,' and it was as
                                          simple as that."
Ozzy's Birthaday 12.12.98
                       Osbourne celebrated his fiftieth birthday in style at the Beverly Hills
                               Hotel on Friday, Dec. 3. His wife and
                     manager, Sharon Osbourne, threw the soiree and invited only the
                     Ozzmeister's most intimate friends. So intimate were these friends,
                     in fact, that those the Rolling Stone Network contacted refused to
                     comment about the festivities, except to say that the party "was a
                             lot of fun, and there were a lot of people there."
The people Speak Out! 11.29.98

In this month's issue of Hit Parader is the top 5's of the year.
And I must say Ozzy /Sabbath did quite well. here's the run down.


Top 5 Tattoed Rockers:
Top 5 loudest Bands: 
2. Ozzy Osbourne
1. Black Sabbath
Top 5 Personalities:
Top 5 Live Acts:
2. Ozzy Osbourne
1. Ozzy Osbourne/Sabbath
Ozzy figure/comic update 11.25.98
                      McFarlane Toys confirmed recently that there would indeed be
                        an eight-inch Ozzy action figure on shelves next year, with
                     the other three members of BLACK SABBATH to possibly follow.
                        As well, watch for a fantasy-based Ozzy comic in the same
                       vein as the Kiss comic. As well, Ozzy's management company
                        confirmed recently that the madman will go into the studio
                        in February, following Sabbath's North American tour, with
                          a release date expected late in 1999. There will also be
                                    another Ozzfest next summer.
Ozzy's Next album's artwork completed! 11.14.98
                The December 98 issue of Wizard has reported that Todd McFarlane
                        has completed the album art for Ozzy's next studio album.
                       McFarlane has also been working on a comic book series and
                      action figures for the madman. McFarlane will be the focus of a
                     January one-shot magazine featuring a comic story by writer Paul
                     Jenkins (Inhumans) and artist Dean Ormston (Predator: Captive).
                        The mag will incluse Ozzy articles and photos, but Jenkins
                      maintained the comic is the main attraction. "You dont need to
                      create a character for Ozzy," Jenkins said. "He already is one.
                    We set him us as a raving nutter, a complete loon who loves pushing
                      other people's buttons. He's a madman who enjoys getting other
                       people riled up." Smith said if sales are strong enough on the
                      one-shot, and ongoing Ozzy mag - with comic content - will result.
                              Sabbath Out Of Hall Voting 11.14.98
                  Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, and Billy Joel are among the
                      artists who will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
                       next year as Rock Hall officials once again overlooked Black
                          Sabbath and a host of artists who, well...actually rock.

                         Springsteen, McCartney, and Joel will be joined by soul
                      kingpin Curtis Mayfield, singer Dusty Springfield, gospel's the
                      Staples Singers, and "Runaway" hitmaker Del Shannon as the
                       latest class of Hall inductees at a ceremony set for March 15
                                 at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

                      George Martin, the noted Beatles producer who recently foisted
                        a collection of Beatles' classics being covered by folks like
                           Jim Carrey on the world, will also be inducted in as a
                                         "non-performer."

                        The event will mark a return for McCartney in theory if not
                       in actuality. He was inducted with his fellow Beatles in 1988,
                                   but did not attend the ceremony.

                       Sabbath was nominated for induction this time out, but didn't
                       make the cut. The development more than likely came as little
                        surprise to Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, who recently
                        told MTV News, ""It would be nice, but if we don't, I'm not
                     building my hopes up with this. They got people like McCartney,
                       Bruce Springsteen, all the rest of them are like huge, so if we
                                 get in we get in, if we don't we don't."
                              Sabbath Tour Info 11.8.98
                       To get all the info on the Sabbath World tour click here
             Ozzy On Rick Wakemans New Album 11.8.98
                    Rock legend Rick Wakeman is set to embark on his most ambitious
                      project ever with a £2,000,000 sequel to his multi-million selling
                      album "Journey to the Centre of the Earth". The new symphonic
                    opus "Return to the Centre of the Earth" will be released worldwide
                     by EMI Classics on Monday, January 18th 1999 - the twenty fifth
                        anniversary of the first live performance of its predecessor.

                   The album, which will be recorded in London during November with the
                   London Symphony Orchestra and the English Chamber Choir, will also
                    feature a host of special guests including Star Trek's Patrick Stewart
                     (narrator), Ozzy Osbourne, Justin Hayward (Moody Blues), Trevor
                   Rabin (YES) and Bonnie Tyler. Further guest artists will be announced
                                             shortly.

                    The announcement comes just weeks after Wakeman was rushed into
                  intensive care suffering from a life threatening combination of pneumonia
                  and pleurisy following an exhaustive trip to Los Angeles to record Patrick
                     Stewart's narration. Now fully recovered, the timing of Wakeman's
                  illness ironically mirrors the original work when he suffered a major heart
                               attack shortly after completing the album.

                     The release will coincide with a series of major live performances
                    of the album in capital cities across all five continents with the world's
                  leading symphony orchestras and choirs. The work is expected to receive
                        its live debut in London during January directly followed by
                         two American premieres in Los Angeles and New York.
                  All three stage shows will feature a unique "Return to the Centre of the
                Earth" stage set conceived by renowned artist Roger Dean who has also been
                commissioned to create the original artwork and sleeve design for the album.
                             Full details will be announced later this month.

                    "Return to the Centre of the Earth" has taken Wakeman some three
                   years to plan. The original album sold in excess of twelve million units
                   worldwide, hit the top ten in twenty territories and saw some of the most
                    extravagant live shows ever staged. It was an integral part of classic
                   Seventies excess - along with other renowned Wakeman extravaganzas
                  including "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" and "The Myths and Legends
                    of King Arthur..." - and critics at the time claimed that the likes of it
                                     would never be seen again.

                Rick Wakeman is one of rock's most charismatic figures. In a career spanning
                  thirty five years and with record sales in excess of 100 million units both
                 as a solo artist and as a member of superstar group YES, Wakeman has led
                   a chequered lifestyle. A classically trained musician, Wakeman was the
                    ultimate "wild man of rock" during the Seventies until he was given
                   less than three months to live unless he stopped drinking. He now lives
                         on the Isle of Man with his wife, former page three model
                     Nina Carter. In recent years, his highly diversified career has also
                     encompassed Christian recordings, numerous game and chat show
                appearances and host of the contemporary comedy series "Live at Jongleurs".

                   "Return to the Centre of the Earth" will be recorded at London's CTS
                    Studios with the orchestra and choir between November 19th - 28th.
                    EMI Classics are planning a massive marketing campaign to coincide
                     with the release which will mark the label's first involvement with a
                     contemporary composer since Paul McCartney's "Standing Stone"
                                          project in 1997.
                             Ozzy & Busta Rhymes? 10/18/98
                  This should be interesting: The always eccentric Busta
                       Rhymes has tapped Ozzy Osbourne, among others, to make
                           a guest appearance on his upcoming album E.L.E..

                         Ozzy Osbourne will tentatively enter a studio sometime
                         next week to record a vocal on Busta Rhymes' cover of
                          Black Sabbath's "Iron Man," according to a source in
                       Osbourne's camp. Other notable guests on the album include
                        Janet Jackson, Jay-Z, and Mystikal. E.L.E., which stands
                      for Extinction Level Event, is due Dec. 8 on Elektra Records.
 
                                Sabbath tour info 10/17/98
                           It's official! Black Sabbath, Pantera, Slayer, Megadeth,
                            and Soulfly kick off the reunion tour in Phoniex,
                         Arizona, on December 31st, 1998. This will be the only
                            date to feature all of these bands. For the rest of
                          the tour it will be just Sabbath & Pantera. For more dates later,
                                 check the tour info section.