Releasing posthumous music from an artist can feel especially gross. It’s an extremely delicate situation; obviously, the artist isn’t alive to personally select which songs they wish to share with their audience. Maybe there were records they didn’t wish to release. Perhaps it was for their ears only. Ultimately, it’s an extremely thin line where whoever is in charge of the estate is in control of an artist’s legacy. Besides Mac Miller, there aren’t many examples. Usually, it leads to this unsettling exploitation where a group of people exploits an artist’s catalog. Thankfully, Sharon Osbourne won’t let that happen with her late husband Ozzy.
Still, it won’t stop Black Sabbath’s ex-manager Jim Simpson from trying. In a desperate, disgusting attempt to cash in on Ozzy’s tragic passing, he plans on releasing a collection of 1969 demos from Black Sabbath. This is all before they adopted the name formally. Although Simpson has yet to share these recordings, he insists that he has the right to share them accordingly. Sharon Osbourne obviously begs to differ.
Recently, she posted on Instagram, responding to Jim Simpson’s claims, speaking on behalf of her late husband and the band. Osbourne stresses that, because Black Sabbath doesn’t want the music released, they’ll be fighting tooth and nail to ensure it doesn’t happen.
Sharon Osbourne Says No Unreleased Black Sabbath Music Won’t Come Out Unless The Band Wants It
“As you know, the Band do not want these tapes released, not least as they haven’t heard them despite you saying you would provide copies long ago,” Osbourne writes. “You know that, as a band, Black Sabbath don’t take things lying down and you can be assured that if you go ahead with this against the Band’s wishes we will take any action where their rights are infringed, both here and in America.”
Sharon Osbourne doubles down by advising fans to respect the band’s wishes and not support the demos coming out. If the band wanted it to come out, they would’ve arranged something by now. Additionally, the timing of the potential release strikes her as particularly exploitative. Ultimately, she wants people to see it for what it really is: a cash grab. “I am sure the fans, people in the industry, and people of Birmingham will see this for what it is. I hope you see sense,” Sharon Osbourne writes. “Otherwise, it seems we are likely to end up in court.”
The post Sharon Osbourne Puts Black Sabbath’s Ex-Manager on Notice for Trying To Drop Unreleased Music: ‘Black Sabbath Don’t Take Things Lying Down’ appeared first on VICE.
