Ozzy Osbourne Sued by ‘Crazy Train’ Co-Writer
Ozzy Osbourne is being taken to court again by the co-writer of "Crazy Train" for unpaid royalties. This time, Bob Daisley – who shared credit on the 1980 track with Osbourne and late guitarist Randy Rhoads – says he's owed $2 million.
A regular early collaborator as bassist and songwriter, Daisley has tangled with Osbourne for some time over fees and credit. He earlier sued in 2002, claiming he'd been stiffed for performance royalties. Things got so tense that Sharon Osbourne actually had Daisley's performances digitally replaced on remastered versions of her husband's first two solo albums, though they were later replaced after a public outcry.
Daisley now contends an audit of Osbourne's finances proved he should have been paid more on the front end for commercial use of "Crazy Train," which appeared on Osbourne's debut LP, Blizzard of Ozz. "While Mr. Osbourne was benefiting from the songs co-authored by our client, the audit shows that he was systematically short-changing Mr. Daisley,” Daisley's lawyer, Alan Howard, told NME. “Mr. Daisley had no choice but to bring this action to secure his fair share of the proceeds those songs have generated.”
Daisley had a hand in writing every song, except for Rhoads' instrumental "Dee," on Blizzard of Ozz. He also contributed to 1981's Diary of a Madman, 1983's Bark at the Moon, 1986's The Ultimate Sin and 1988's No Rest for the Wicked.
His complaint, filed in a Nevada court, alleges that "although royalties have been paid to Daisley over the years, an audit conducted in 2014 showed that Osbourne and his company had been improperly deducting undisclosed fees before distributing royalties to Daisley and improperly withholding Daisley’s rightful share of royalties owed under the publishing agreements for the commercial exploitations of the songs."
UPDATE: Ozzy Osbourne issued a statement Tuesday afternoon. It reads in full:
For the past 36 years Mr. Daisley has been receiving bi-annual royalty statements and checks from Blizzard Music, totaling in the millions of dollars, which have been routinely cashed. Mr. Daisley has audited Blizzard Music accounts over the years using several different auditing firms who found no discrepancies. He has previously filed lawsuits in the UK and the US and has lost on each occasion.
We understand that Mr. Daisley is now in retirement and that these funds are his main source of income, so it is his right to be diligent with his money, but after 36 years, this is tantamount to harassment. We would have hoped that after 36 years that Mr. Daisley would have lost his unhealthy personal obsession and resentment towards Mr. Osbourne's success. Blizzard Music and Mr. Osbourne plan to vigorously defend these proceedings.
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