Ozzy Osbourne was more of "an extra delinquent child" for his wife Sharon than a father to his kids when they were growing up.
Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne
The Black Sabbath star has revealed his eldest son Jack, 31, gave him a reality check when he told him all he'd ever wanted in life was to have a "father".
From that moment on, Ozzy realised it was time to start being a responsible parent rather than going out and getting drunk all the time and letting his "ego" get the better of him.
The 68-year-old rocker confessed: "Well, I wasn't so much of a dad as I was an extra delinquent child for my wife. I had a row with my son [Jack] one day and I asked him, 'What the f**k have you ever wanted in your life?' He says, 'A father.' That hit me between the eyes like a f**king rock. I turned to him on the spot: 'Jack, I'm so f***ing sorry.' My ego was running the show."
The 'Iron Man' hitmaker is ashamed of how he acted when he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and is thankful to his 64-year-old spouse for being like a father and mother to Jack, Kelly, 32, and Aimee, 34, most of the time.
Ozzy now stays away from booze and insists his bond with his kids is the best it's ever been.
He added: "I thought I had the right to be whatever I wanted to be.
"That's not the case, because when you bring someone into the world you've got a responsibility. "Sharon is one of these mothers who'd fly around the world, come back to England and take the kids to a zoo or a movie or whatever.
"I was in a f**king bar on the floor all the time, which I'm not proud of. But being sober gives them hope I'm here to stay. My relationship with my kids now is great."
The 'Paranoid' singer has no intention of hitting the bottle, but admits if his behaviour didn't change when he's had booze, he'd rather be drinking.
He told Rolling Stone magazine: "When you don't like yourself for getting stoned, that's when you've got a real problem. I'm not one of those guys who gets sober and says, 'No, you shouldn't drink.' If I could have a drink of booze right now and have a great time, I wouldn't be on the phone with you - I'd be in the f**king bar. But it bit me in the a*s big-time."
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