SHARON OSBOURNE: Success Of "THE OSBOURNES" Will Not Affect OZZFEST 2002

Sharon Osbourne, wife/manager of Ozzy Osbourne, does not believe that the success of The Osbournes will add to the success of this year's Ozzfest. "No, because it's sold out for the last seven years, and it's selling out this year. So as far as Ozzy's musical career it's as big as it ever has been. So, this hasn't added to it because Ozzy always sells out. And I think a lot of people, especially in the press that cover TV, don't realize how big Ozzy's musical career has been for the last 34 years."

Sharon added, "When you read reviews on the show it's like 'aging rock star,' it never starts with 'Grammy Award winner.' People always like to put that twist on it."

Ozzfest 2002 dates run through September 8th in Dallas, with the make-up dates for the first two postponed dates possibly being tacked on to the end of the tour.

In other Osbourne-related news, the following article (written by gossip columnist Liz Smith) appeared in today's edition of the New York Post:

"Thank goodness Sharon Osbourne is 'in good spirits and doing well' after surgery last week for colon cancer. Her publicist yesterday revealed that the 49-year-old Osbourne's cancer was caught in the 'very early stages.' More details of this very trying time for the very hot MTV star can be found in the July 22 issue of US magazine. In that mag's Hot Stuff column, a source claims that the cancer is 'treatable, but it's more serious than it's been presented. She literally found out a few days before undergoing surgery on July 3 . . . She just wasn't feeling well and took some tests, but no one expected it to be colon cancer.' And while everyone around her is scared, 'her first concern was about Ozzy, not her health.' She supposedly wept, asking, 'How's Ozzy going to handle this?'

"Sharon, an extremely charming woman to many, is not only credited with keeping Ozzy 'together' for the past 20 years, but they say it is she who is the brains and power behind the wildly successful MTV reality series that has turned Ozzy, Sharon and their kids into stars so major, the president of the United States was moved to joke about Ozzy at a recent Washington, D.C., event.

"The US and Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner is hosting a cocktail party for Ozzy and Sharon at his Manhattan apartment on July 18 to celebrate Ozzy on the current R.S. cover. Jann is on top of the world with his cover coup in landing the MTV reality star and also his joy in the hot new splashy editing of US by the go-getting editor Bonnie Fuller."