Ozzy Osbourne shares his most precious childhood music memory for charity campaign
Ex-Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne has spoken about his most precious childhood musical memory to promote a charity campaign called End The Silence.
The campaign is the brainchild of Hope and Homes for Children and it aims to transform the lives of the 8 million children confined to orphanages around the world who are suffering without a voice.
To raise awareness of the drive, the charity has enlisted the help of various musicians and poses them one simple question: “What is the song that holds the most precious memory of your childhood?’
A very vocal Beatles fan, Ozzy cherry picks ‘She Loves You’ and credits the song as being the reason he went on to become a musician and ultimately pioneer heavy metal music.
“That song changed my life. She Loves You had such an impact on me,” Ozzy says in the YouTube clip. “Sometimes I hear a song and I remember ‘Ah, that’s when I met Suzie’ or when you fell in love, or you broke up.
“I remember exactly where I was (when I first heard it) walking down Whitton Road in Aston and I had a blue transistor radio and when that song came on I knew from then on what I wanted to do in my life.”
He continues: “I come from a working class background and we had people like Lonnie Donegan who was a skiffle guy – he was ok – but (‘She Loves You’) was so brand new and such a great feeling it gave me and then I became an avid Beatles fan.
“Imagine going to bed tonight and waking up to a completely exciting brand new world. When I was a kid my bedroom wall was full of anything with the word ‘Beatles’ on. I owe my career to them; they gave me the desire to be in the music game.”
You can watch the full clip below where Ozzy also talks about how traumatic experiences in childhood affect people growing up.
As well as musicians submitting their music memories, Hope and Homes for Children are looking for the public to share theirs’ too via their official website.
They write: “When a baby in an orphanage cries nobody comes to comfort them.
“As a result, they learn not to cry; internalising their pain, causing lifelong mental and physical damage. Deprived of love, deprived of life. Left to grow up without laughter, without music, without hope. Left there, children will never experience the love and protection only a family can offer.
“By adding your voice, you are becoming part of a global movement that says orphanages are an unacceptable way to bring up children.
“Every pound donated to the End the Silence campaign before the 27th December will be doubled by the UK Government. Together we can look forward to a day when every child grows up surrounded by love, family and music.
“Hope and Homes for Children will use the money your donations unlock from the UK Government to pioneer the first orphanage closures for children with disabilities in both Rwanda and Uganda, a key milestone in the journey towards both countries becoming orphanage-free.”