Ex-Black Sabbath Manager Fires Back at Sharon Osbourne Claims

Jim Simpson, the first manager of Black Sabbath, has fired off a response after Sharon Osbourne called him out in a recent episode of The Osbournes podcast for attempting to release demos from Black Sabbath’s early days.

In the aftermath of Ozzy’s death, the Osbourne family gathered to share their reflections on Ozzy and what they’ve dealt with since his passing. Within the discussion, Sharon revealed an ongoing clash with Simpson over his attempt to release demos the band reportedly recorded in their early days (when they were still known as Earth) without the supposed involvement of the group or the Osbourne family.

What Jim Simpson Said About Sharon Osbourne’s Claims

In a press release, Simpson addressed what he stated were “inaccurate and unfair criticisms” shared by Sharon about his intent to release the demos.

“It’s such a shame Sharon has decided to go all out on the attack without sitting down to talk about this,” says Simpson. “It’s also very unfair of her to make such inaccurate and potentially defamatory comments.”

Among Osbourne’s comments about the conflict was a moment in which she seemed to question Simpson’s ownership of the demos in question. “He claims ownership because he says he paid the bill for the studio which he says was 500 pounds. Now if 30,000 pounds today is worth five or six thousand, what’s 500 pounds? He would have never had that money to pay for a studio in those days,” shared Osbourne on the podcast.

Simpson says in response, “At the time, Earth were just the newest of the bands I managed. During those years, I regularly recorded and paid for recording sessions with bands I managed or played in.”

“I’d already had a hit single with Locomotive and record deals with major labels like EMI Harvest and Parlophone. How can Sharon possibly know what I could afford back then? The fact is that I did pay for the Earth recordings and they belong to me.”

What Else Jim Simpson Questioned About Sharon Osbourne’s Claims

Another talking point of Sharon’s discussion of the conflict alleged that Simpson had kept quiet about his ownership of the demos over the years and waited until the copyright had lapsed to pursue his attempt to release the music without including the band or the Osbourne family.

“That’s not the case,” says Simpson. “The truth is that when Black Sabbath walked out of my management contract, I turned my hand to re-discovering a total of 35 neglected black American blues men, touring them through U.K. and Europe, and recording them.

“In the early 1980s I got more deeply involved in jazz, launching the Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival and publishing The Jazz Rag – both still ongoing. I produced more than 80 albums for Big Bear Records, ran 23 festivals across Britain, and managed various other U.K. bands, including The Quads, who had a hit single. All in all, I’ve been pretty busy, although I always intended to release the Earth records.”

“I approached members of the band about this on 24 Sept. 2024. The message I got back was that they didn’t want it released and wanted nothing to do with it. This included two very threatening emails from Sharon. But the band had every chance to be involved.”

READ MORE: 10 Things We Learned From Ozzy’s ‘Last Rites’ Memoir

He also called out Sharon for claiming on the podcast that his intent was to keep all the profits for himself. “Sharon is very mistaken. I wanted all band members to receive royalties from the album in the usual way, and I’m still more than happy for that to happen,” he adds.

He also claims that Osbourne was wrong in saying that he didn’t plan to donate proceeds from the release to charity. “This is so unfair and potentially defamatory. I have correspondence with St Basils, a charity for homeless young people in Birmingham, dated 21 Jan. 2025, which clearly states that if Black Sabbath refuse to accept royalties, then we will pay them to this charity,” says Simpson.

And he also questioned Osbourne’s characterization of his record company as “little,” sharing, “This is another misrepresentation of the truth. The label for Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes is actually on Big Bear Records, the U.K.’s longest-established independent recording company that I have owned and operated since 1968.”

“We are in the process of relaunching Big Bear Records in a new distribution partnership with Trapeze Music & Entertainment Ltd, a well-established company with a huge catalogue including the likes of Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, Marlene Dietrich, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Digby Fairweather and hundreds of other artists. They might not be what Sharon calls a ‘major,’ but they are certainly not ‘little.’ They are our new partner for the relaunch of all Big Bear Records, not just the Earth album.”

Jim Simpson Addresses His Role in Black Sabbath’s Finances

While Sharon Osbourne pointed out the band’s financial woes from early in their career in the podcast and claimed, “They made millions and never got a penny,” Simpson disputes the cause of that coming from what happened under his management.

He recalls, “Under my management, we renamed Earth as Black Sabbath and they became one of the biggest names in heavy rock music, touring extensively and appearing on radio and TV. I was manager when we released their seminal debut eponymous album Black Sabbath in February 1970 and followed it up with the equally adored Paranoid in September 1970. Both charted worldwide and sold millions, with hit single ‘Paranoid’ reaching No. 4 in the charts.”

He adds, “While under my management, which ended in September 1970, they received proper payments. It was when they broke their contract that it all went wrong for them.”

Will There Be a Resolution Over the Demos?

Within Osbourne’s comments, she issued a public plea for Simpson not to release the demos in the manner that he was planning and also claimed that he could have “made a lot of money and Sabbath would have done well” had he chosen to work with them.

Simpson says despite the rift over the demos, he’s still more than willing to discuss a resolution.

“In my email to Sharon on 4 July 2025, when she was in Birmingham, I suggested it might be fruitful for her and I to meet for coffee to discuss this issue. If they want to strike a deal with me to launch this album, I would therefore be delighted to discuss that with them,” says the ex-Sabbath manager.

He adds, “My reason for launching this album now is because it will become a crucial segment of music history. It contains recordings that clearly demonstrate what fine music Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill were producing right from the very beginning in their pre-Sabbath days. It shows how these four young men from Birmingham, barely out of their teens, were already remarkable musicians when they existed as Earth, and that they fully deserved all the success that was to come their way as Black Sabbath.”

What’s on ‘Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes’?

According to Simpson, Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes features previously unheard studio recordings, including three blues covers: “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Evenin’” and “Wee Wee Baby.”

He shares that there are two version of a track called “Song for Jim” that directly refer to him. Tony Iommi plays guitar on one version while the other is a rare performance featuring a flute. There’s an untitled song that can be pointed to as the beginnings of heavy metal, while three additional tracks are titled “Free Man,” “Wicked World” and “Warning.”

Simpson concluded: “If we can finally release this album, it will be a great gift to the music world and to millions of Sabbath fans.”