Kelly Osbourne has fired back after taking offense to comments made by Dee Snider while the Twisted Sister frontman was fielding questions and comments from fans on X.
While Snider was hitting on a number of topics, the discussion came around to Osbourne and his working relationship a few times. At one point, one person spoke of Lemmy’s contributions to music on the No More Tears album as detailed in Ozzy’s Last Rites book, with Snider responding back, “I know too much about the truth behind the scenes. Let’s just say that Sharon [Osbourne] doesn’t like to share.”
A few hours later, one person brought up bassist Bob Daisley writing “a load” for Ozzy and his eventual firing. Snider responded, “A load?’ How about ALL the lyrics? Ozzy always had bass players write his lyrics. @geezerbutler wrote ALL of @BlackSabbath lyrics. Daisley wrote lyrics for the first two solo albums (I’m pretty sure he was paid to write on other records but not credited) & Lemmy wrote lyrics.”
A day later, another fan shared their appreciation for Ozzy’s ability to help connect a song he didn’t write with the audience to which, Snider replied, “Many singers don’t write their own songs but make them their own.”
Snider’s claims may be rooted in some truths, but “all” is not fully accurate. While Osbourne was best known as a master of coming up with vocal melodies, he did pen some lyrics throughout his career, including Black Sabbath’s “Fairies Wear Boots.”
What Kelly Osbourne Said in Response to Dee Snider
Kelly Osbourne responded with two Instagram Story posts, calling Snider out for trying to “diminish” Ozzy’s legacy in order to shine a bigger spotlight on himself.
The first posting did not name Snider, but seemed to be a direct response to those questioning Ozzy’s legacy. She wrote:
My father’s legacy as a musician, songwriter, singer and bandleader speaks for itself. His friends, those who worked with him, those who loved him and millions of fans around the world that still continue to buy his records know exactly what he meant, what he contributed and what he leaves behind. His legacy will live on eternally.
READ MORE: Kelly Osbourne Deletes 3 Posts After Seemingly Going Off on Sid Wilson
The second post was more lengthy in nature, with Kelly directly addressing Snider while calling him out and questioning his own legacy when placed up against Ozzy’s.
@deesnider your last hit … not to age myself was the year I was born over 40 years ago.
There’s something spectacularly classless about Dee Snider trying to diminish my father Ozzy Osbourne and his extraordinary abilities and achievements when he’s no longer here to challenge his allegations, particularly when Snider cannot claim to know the private reality of my father’s life simply by looking in from the outside or from hearsay from a delusional man with a vendetta against my father, when to the best of my knowledge they were maybe in the same room once if even at all.
And if Snider wants to invite comparisons between their careers, that comparison is devastating enough on its own.
Snider had a brief period of mainstream success 40 years ago. My father’s career spanned nearly six decades – from helping define heavy metal with Black Sabbath to building an extraordinary solo career. His music will continue to influence generations long after all of us are gone.
It’s difficult not to wonder whether Snider’s attempt to belittle my father is simply a way of getting people talking about him again. Because musically, the music industry moved on from Snider’s commercial peak decades ago, while my father’s name, catalogue and influence still remains globally relevant.
My father doesn’t need Dee Snider’s approval to establish his place in music history.
And trying to make my father smaller won’t make Dee Snider bigger. It only reminds everyone of the enormous difference between their legacies and further proves just how irrelevant Snider is to the music industry and society as a whole. However, I would like to thank Dee Snider for allowing the world to see how truly desperate he really is!
How Did Dee Snider Respond?
As outlets began to pick up on Osbourne’s response, Snider replied expressing his affection for Ozzy and explaining where his point of view came from.
“And again. To be clear, I HAVE NOTHING BUT LOVE FOR OZZY. He was always lovely to me. @BlackSabbath changed my life! As a songwriter I can be a little touchy about credit and royalties,” shared Snider.
Below, see how we ranked the solo works of Ozzy Osbourne.
Ozzy Osbourne Albums Ranked From Worst to Best
See how Ozzy’s albums stack up!
Gallery Credit: Joe DiVita
