The documentary God Bless Ozzy Osbourne will arrive on DVD and Blu-ray on November 15th. The movie, executive produced by Ozzy’s son Jack, chronicles the singer’s early life, his troubled youth, his career with Black Sabbath and his rebirth as a solo artist, along with his longtime addictions to drugs and alcohol. The film features interviews with family members, friends and fellow musicians, plus rare concert, backstage and personal footage of Ozzy.

An article published by the U.K.’s Birmingham Mail on Tuesday (August 16th) revealed that the original lineup of Black Sabbath had reunited and was planning a world tour and new studio album. But Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi threw the accuracy of that report into question — even if he didn’t actually deny that the heavy metal legends were getting back together.

The Mail reported that the original four members of Sabbath — Iommi, singer Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — have already begun rehearsing and writing music, quoting Iommi as saying, “We’re really looking forward to it and I think the stuff we’ve been writing is really good. It’s more back to the old original stuff.”

The report added that the band has been trying to keep the reunion a secret, with Iommi quoted as saying, “It’s all been very hush-hush. Ozzy’s been the worst at trying to hold it back.”

Ozzy Osbourne has told VH1 that the chances of another reunion of the original Black Sabbath seem more remote with each passing day. Ozzy explained, “To be honest, I don’t think we all can physically do it. I’m up for it, I keep fit every day. I can’t speak for the others. I mean, I’ve spoken to (guitarist) Tony Iommi, I speak to Bill (Ward, drummer) from time to time, I haven’t spoken to Geezer (Butler, bassist) for a while, but if it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen.”

Butler recently released a statement via his official web site in which he made it clear that “there will be definitely NO reunion of all four original members of Black Sabbath, whether to record an album or to tour.”

The new documentary on Ozzy Osbourne, titled God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, premiered on Sunday (April 24th) at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City and received a positive review from Entertainment Weekly, which said, “What could have been a glossy, fawning tribute to the most visible face in heavy metal music history — especially considering it was co-produced by his son, Jack — actually turned out to be a remarkably evenhanded look at Ozzy’s monumental musical influence as well as his less exemplary life as an addict and often-absent father.”

Critic Joseph Brannigan Lynch added, “God Bless Ozzy Osbourne may not answer the question ‘What makes Ozzy act so… Ozzy-like?’, but it’s hardly a fluffy tribute. This documentary succeeds in offering a balanced portrait of a man who made many mistakes over the course of his addiction-riddled life and also happens to be one of the most influential hard rock singers ever.”

Ozzy Osbourne’s first two classic solo albums, 1980’s Blizzard Of Ozz and 1981’s Diary Of A Madman, are at last being released on May 31st in definitive editions that restore and remaster the original recordings. Both will be available separately or as part of a deluxe box set that will feature both albums on CD and vinyl, a 100-page coffee table book, a documentary on DVD and a “full-size detailed replica of Ozzy’s iconic cross,” according to Ozzy’s publicist.

Both albums will come with previously unreleased bonus tracks and have been restored and remastered from the original analog recordings.

Kelly Osbourne has defended her dad Ozzy in her weekly column for British magazine Closer after Ozzy was slammed by Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon, a.k.a. Johnny Rotten, in an interview. Kelly wrote, “Last week, John Lydon accused my dad of ‘acting like a senile delinquent’ and ‘promoting drug abuse.’ People only say things like this when they want attention, and guess what? He has a book to promote! The truth is, I don’t think he’s ever met my father so clearly he doesn’t know that he hasn’t done drugs in years. I feel that from one artist to another, there should be some form of mutual respect, and I also think it’s sad when you resort to talking s*** about someone else in order to get yourself press.”

Kelly added, “Stop being such a bitter old queen, John! You’re better than that.”

Lydon made his remarks to Ozzy’s hometown newspaper, Birmingham, England’s Sunday Mercury, earlier this month.
After praising Black Sabbath’s 1970 song “Paranoid” as “one of the world’s greatest ever singles,” Lydon then blurted, “But since then, the rumors of biting pigeon heads really, really haven’t impressed me. Ozzy now acting like a senile delinquent is equally unimpressive. The sly innuendo of promoting drug abuse and catatonic stupidity offends me.”

Lydon continued, “Ozzy is clearly a victim, and selling that loser lifestyle s*** to other people equally victimizes them . . . By acting like he does all the time, he implies that we’re all stupid, the working classes.”

An official public memorial for former Alice In Chains bassist Mike Starr will be held on Sunday, March 20th between 4:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. at “The Fountain” at the Seattle Center in Seattle, Washington. Starr was found dead last Tuesday (March 8th) at the age of 44 in a house in Salt Lake City. A cause of death has yet to be determined, but the Celebrity Rehab participant was allegedly taking both methadone and anti-anxiety medication right before his death.

God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, a feature-length documentary about the life of the Black Sabbath singer and solo metal legend, will premiere at the 10th annual Tribeca Film Festival, which runs from April 20th to May 1st in New York City. The film, which was co-produced by Ozzy’s son Jack, is described as a “definitive portrait of a troubled star — told in part through the eyes of his family — (that) relives Ozzy’s artistic triumphs while chronicling his arduous journey to sobriety and peace.” The movie features never-before-seen archival footage of the Oz as well as interviews with family members, friends and fellow musicians.

Chickenfoot has come up with a name for the supergroup’s second album. Frontman Sammy Hagar said during Canadian Music Week, “We’re calling it Chickenfoot IV (Four). That’s how silly we are. It’s the working title but I guarantee it’ll stick.” He added, “We were all like, ‘What are we going to call the second record? Well, Chickenfoot II (Two). And we’re going, ‘We can’t call it Chickenfoot II, that’s too obvious.’ And pretty soon (drummer) Chad Smith, I’m sure was the guy, he’s going, ‘Let’s call it Chickenfoot IV.’ And we all cracked up and said, ‘Right on, that’s it.’ And we haven’t talked about it since.” The record is due out later this year.

The Beastie Boys have posted on their website that May 3rd will be the release date of the band’s new album, Hot Sauce Committee Part 2. The group has also posted the cover art on the site, along with a statement from Adam “MCA” Yauch which reads, “Since the dawn of time, and perhaps even before, there was a silent order who were tasked with a mission. They held their secret tightly. On May 3rd the HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE PART TWO will be unleashed on the general public. Hold fast ye heathens.” The release of the band’s first non-instrumental album in seven years was delayed from 2009 by Yauch’s battle with salivary gland cancer.