Sharon Osbourne is still no fan of Bruce Dickinson. Roughly 17 years after a feud between team Osbourne and the Iron Maiden singer manifested itself in an infamous incident at Ozzfest, Sharon calls the metal singer a “fucking asshole” in a new interview with Consequence, as part of our latest cover story featuring Ozzy Osbourne.
For those who need a quick recap, at Maiden’s final stop on Ozzfest 2005 in Devore, California, the band’s power was cut off and they were pelted by eggs by a certain faction of the audience. It turned out that Sharon had spearheaded the revolt against the legendary metal act. She took the stage herself to say that Dickinson had disrespected Ozzy Osbourne and the festival throughout the tour.
An official statement from Sharon later read, “From day one, Bruce Dickinson started berating Ozzy and belittling the Ozzfest audience. He stated he ‘didn’t need a reality show to give him credibility;’ ‘We’re not just some f—ing reunion band;’ and continuously complained about the sound system, saying that when he comes back to America, he’ll have a better one.
She added, “Might I say, the rest of the band are gentlemen and have a great professional attitude. The crew [is] absolutely great. But how sad it was, after 10 years [of Ozzfest], that this little man tried to ruin it for everyone.”
When Consequence recently interviewed Ozzy, we asked the metal icon if he felt he was underrated as a singer, compared to other legendary vocalists like Rob Halford, Bruce Dickinson, and the late Ronnie James Dio.
“Bruce Dickinson is a great singer, but as a person, I’ve worked with him, and he’s not very nice,” responded Ozzy. “Ronnie James Dio is no longer alive. He was a great singer. I didn’t really know him so well. I’m not one of these guys who says many things about people. The truth is the truth. I met Ronnie James Dio a couple of times. He took my [Black Sabbath] gig. But at the same time, I can’t complain because I did great on my own.”
