Sharon Osbourne as Birmingham’s mayor? Don’t rule it out
From Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath to Birmingham politics – it’s not the most obvious career move, but Sharon Osbourne has revealed she is “seriously thinking” about running to become the city’s next mayor.
The music manager, TV personality and widow of heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne made the comments during a red-carpet appearance at this year’s Grammy Awards, where a brief exchange unexpectedly drifted from music into local UK politics.
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Speaking with Billboard, Sharon was told by host Leila Cobo that she was receiving praise for how well she had spoken at one of the Grammy-related events ahead of Sunday night’s ceremony (1 February). Sharon thanked her – then casually dropped the bombshell that those speaking chops might soon be needed elsewhere, adding that she was “seriously thinking about running for mayor of Birmingham”.
With the interview moving at red-carpet speed, Sharon didn’t go into detail about how serious those plans are or whether any formal steps have been taken. But the comment wasn’t entirely out of the blue.
In the days leading up to the Grammys, Osbourne had already hinted at political involvement in Birmingham after learning that someone with a terrorism conviction was allegedly seeking a seat on the city’s council. In comments reported by GB News, Sharon said, “This has nothing to do with racism. I think I’m gonna move to Birmingham and put my name down for the ballot to be on the council. I’m serious.”
The individual referenced is Shahid Butt, who was reportedly sentenced to five years in prison in 1999. According to GB News, Butt has claimed the charge against him was “fabricated” and that he was “falsely convicted”, and he continues to deny the allegations.
For now though, Sharon Osbourne’s political ambitions remain just that – ambitions. Should she decide to pursue the role and win, she would be required to serve as mayor for at least a year, taking over from Birmingham’s current Lord Mayor, Zafar Iqbal.
Elsewhere, the music manager also revealed she’s in early talks with Live Nation about bringing back Ozzfest, the legendary metal festival she co-founded three decades ago with her late husband.
“It was something Ozzy was very passionate about: giving young talent a stage in front of a lot of people,” she told Billboard.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
