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Mr. Big : Ozzy, Sharon and My Life As the Godfather of Rock
In a career that spanned 60 years, Don Arden managed some of the biggest names in music, including Little Richard, the Animals, the Small Faces, ELO and Black Sabbath. This title tells his story, including his Mafia links and 20-year rift with daughter Sharon after her marriage to Ozzy Osbourne.
- GenresMusic
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 27, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 26, 2017
Arden was an important figure in Anglo-American pop culture, and a good example of how difficult (I would say impossible) it is to separate the two.
The book is his memory of his career as a rock 'n' roll impresario, and he deserves to be remembered as a major figure in bringing Classic Rock 'n' Roll to Britain in the early 1960s, which was part of a long process that paved the way for the British Invasion in the mid 1960s and the strong presence of British pop acts on MTV in the early 1980s.
It is an entertaining enough read, but by the time we get to his years with the Electric Light Orchestra the constant flow of anecdotes of how Arden is a tough, no-nonsense bloke wears a bit thin. His conflict with his daughter Sharon Osborne (nee Arden) gets far too few pages considering the presence of her name in the subtitle.
Being a 'man of action', he doesn't really think hard about his place in history, comfortable in resting on his laurels and a McDuck-style MoneyBin of dough. However, I suspect his comments about his relationship to the Republican party in the US -- Arden is part of that Mid-Atlantic Thatcherite generation of business leaders that literally capitalised on the Special Relationship -- give away a few too many secrets about the reality of the American political system. That vaunted meritocracy is clearly monetised in ways that would delight all MBAs.
Curiously, this book seems listed at surprisingly high prices on Abebooks.com by US-based sellers. I have no idea why.
The book is his memory of his career as a rock 'n' roll impresario, and he deserves to be remembered as a major figure in bringing Classic Rock 'n' Roll to Britain in the early 1960s, which was part of a long process that paved the way for the British Invasion in the mid 1960s and the strong presence of British pop acts on MTV in the early 1980s.
It is an entertaining enough read, but by the time we get to his years with the Electric Light Orchestra the constant flow of anecdotes of how Arden is a tough, no-nonsense bloke wears a bit thin. His conflict with his daughter Sharon Osborne (nee Arden) gets far too few pages considering the presence of her name in the subtitle.
Being a 'man of action', he doesn't really think hard about his place in history, comfortable in resting on his laurels and a McDuck-style MoneyBin of dough. However, I suspect his comments about his relationship to the Republican party in the US -- Arden is part of that Mid-Atlantic Thatcherite generation of business leaders that literally capitalised on the Special Relationship -- give away a few too many secrets about the reality of the American political system. That vaunted meritocracy is clearly monetised in ways that would delight all MBAs.
Curiously, this book seems listed at surprisingly high prices on Abebooks.com by US-based sellers. I have no idea why.
March 29, 2016
This book is brilliant. A truly fascinating look at the music business 1960-85. So many anecdotes and insights into the various musicians, managers etc Don Arden met. One of the best books on the music biz I've ever read - highly recommended.
Sure, Don was virtually a gangster. Why wouldn't you be in something as rotten as the music business? He did what he had to do and came out on top.
Sure, Don was virtually a gangster. Why wouldn't you be in something as rotten as the music business? He did what he had to do and came out on top.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews