The passing of John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne on 22 July 2025 shook both the world of heavy metal and my academic world. As a first-generation high school graduate from a relatively low-income household, I took to Ozzy’s music as more than just background noise; it has been a soundtrack and fallout shelter on my unconventional path through academia. There’s an Ozzy song that pumps me up and sees me through any event. Article rejection or low mark on a seminar essay? My choice songs to blast are Gets Me Through, Dreamer and Iron Man. Administrative disagreements? I crank War Pigs. An occasional success? No More Tears is one of my favourites.
As a graduate student, I cared for my grandmother, who was a big fan of Ozzy’s band Black Sabbath herself. Any time we went anywhere, we put on our playlist and sang along. When, during the Covid-19 pandemic, I cut off part of my fingertip and lost access to my campus library, I had Ozzy in my ear for much-needed heavy metal pep talks as I took my PhD qualifying exams.
And when I lost both my grandmother and my California home the following year, I still had Ozzy. His music was the score as I finished my dissertation from my parents’ basement and landed my dream job at Iowa Wesleyan University. Through the submission of my dissertation and driving nearly 1,200 miles across the country to start my new job, I listened to the Blizzard of Ozz album.
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Academia is one hell of a ride, as Ozzy might have said. At Iowa Wesleyan, marvellous though that experience was, I experienced first-hand the challenges of under-resourced small colleges. The hall where my classrooms and office were located lacked running water and pest control.
Ozzy taught me to meet challenge with resilience, and humour. When Iowa Wesleyan closed, I turned to his biography, I Am Ozzy (and the Patient Number 9 album). It re-energised me and I secured my current position, at Westminster College in Missouri, as an assistant professor of English and writing coordinator, where I am developing the writing centre and first-year writing programme.
It might be a stretch to equate a university career with rock ’n’ roll but, as a survivor of the academic Crazy Train, I can offer five essential lessons that Ozzy taught me:
1. Let them hear you scream
Take a cue from Ozzy’s lead single from his 2010 album, Scream. Find your academic teaching, research and campus citizen voices as soon as you can. The best approach is to experiment. Try new things that catch your interest – no matter how wild they may seem – and tailor them for your purposes. I recently adapted an activity from T. Sundara Row’s Geometric Exercises in Paper Folding into an airplane-folding activity for my first-year writing students. Once you develop and know your voices, do not fear them; continue to develop them. Do not let impostor syndrome, your background, your title or anything else silence them. Scream them (or at least express them clearly). Be yourself without apology.
2. Polish does not equal resilience
Throughout his nearly six-decade music career, Ozzy said what needed to be said – even if his expression was rough and contained explicit language. Do not expect your academic voice to be polished as you find and develop it. Every stage of academia has its challenges. The best way to navigate them is to embrace your ride as a process that is messy and incoherent. Failure is not acceptance; it is an opportunity to continue developing and getting to know your academic voices. Do not worry about appearing polished. Real polish comes with experience and is far more enduring.
3. Find your Sharon(s)
Sharon was Ozzy’s wife and manager – always his go-to person. You want to find your own champion(s) to help guide you through the difficult moments. Perhaps you are struggling to refine ideas into an abstract for a conference paper, writing a syllabus for a class you have never taught before, or serving your campus community in a new capacity. You will want to find people who can offer practical advice. Ask experienced, senior members of your department or campus community for guidance on overcoming your sticking points, join organisations in your field and attend workshops or professional development sessions. Trusted support will help you through. I, like Ozzy, would not be where I am without my Sharon(s).
4. Don’t be afraid to dream big
In Ozzy’s words: “If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will. You’ve got to be your own biggest fan, even when you’re your own worst enemy.” Dream big, but break those dreams into manageable tasks. Outline your steps, and give yourself attainable timelines. The bigger your dream, the more likely you are to face critics. Ignore them when the feedback is not actionable or constructive. And don’t apologise for your background. Ozzy always embraced his beginnings in working-class Birmingham, even when his musical style was not yet widely celebrated. Like Ozzy, I have also faced challenges from my eclectic background. I study Victorian literature, the history and culture of mathematics and ephemera while working at a small college in the rural Midwest. If you can think of a critique regarding my background, believe me, I have heard it and have learned how to filter feedback. Some days are tougher than others. Keep folders of your wins, the cards, notes or emails from students, and other things that are meaningful to you. Remind yourself why you chose this path, and review your evidence of success as often as needed.
5. Take a break and find your external support systems
Ozzy wasn’t all work and no play. Whether indulging in 900 Chipotle burritos (as overstated by Sharon in reality television show The Osbournes), drawing, managing his pack of dogs or engaging in hijinks with his family and neighbours, he knew that part of the creative process was having a life outside of it. In academia, this is critical; you must have a life outside to avoid burnout. Make sure to plan “you” time; get that coffee, avocado toast or burrito. Go to the park with your friends, family and/or dogs. Away from academia, I cuddle my rescue cat, see my family on holidays, cook, and yes, listen to heavy metal.
You are probably reading this piece because you are on an intense academic journey of your own. Don’t let yourself forget why.
Although my ride has been wild – I had my own run-in with a bat while wearing sparkly heels – Ozzy’s witty lessons continue to fuel it. I will borrow his words that best sum up my journey: “All my life I’ve been over the top, I don’t [always] know what I’m doing, All I know is I don’t wanna stop.”
Brittany Anne Carlson is assistant professor of English and writing coordinator at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri.
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