RIP Lee Kerslake

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Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
Former longstanding Uriah Heep drummer, very badly treated by Mr and Mrs Ozzy Osbourne... I believe he'd been ill for some time, but sorry to hear he's died at 73.  RIP.
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Comments

  • MikeBMikeB Frets: 176
    The situation with Ozzy was all a bit sad really. Got some credit with the album sales shortly before he passed but really shouldn't have had to go to court over royalties and the album re-recordings were just a joke.

    His legacy for me will always be those first two albums with Ozzy & Randy.
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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
    MikeB said:
    His legacy for me will always be those first two albums with Ozzy & Randy.
    I've always had a soft spot for Uriah Heep.  I was never a really big fan, but they were one of the first bands I ever saw (although not with Kerslake, as it happens) and I had a good friend at school who used to lend me all his Heep albums to listen to.  A couple were on cassette, which meant I had to sit in my dad's car to listen to them, as that was our only cassette player.
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    Opening drum part here shows off his skills and he shone on those Ozzy albums



    RIP

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  • HerrMetalHerrMetal Frets: 533
    edited September 2020
    A sad one for me. I contributed to the funding effort for the documentary that he was making. Not sure it will ever see the light of day as it didn't get close to the stated target. He was one of the many victims of Sharon Osbourne. Hopefully he can give her the damn good haunting that her absolute greed and cruelty fully deserves. 'Easy Livin' will always be one of my favourite tracks. RIP Lee.

    Edited to add link to trailer ..


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  • steven70steven70 Frets: 1262
    RIP.
    Listening to 'Uriah Heep Live' now.
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  • Devil#20Devil#20 Frets: 1910
    Uriah Heep were great. What's the story behind the Osbornes and Kerslake then?   

    Ian

    Lowering my expectations has succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.

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  • HerrMetalHerrMetal Frets: 533
    edited September 2020
    Devil#20 said:
    Uriah Heep were great. What's the story behind the Osbornes and Kerslake then?   
    Black Sabbath were managed by Don Arden, Sharon's father.  Ozzy left and started a new band with Randy Rhoads and Bob Daisley. Lee Kerslake then joined and the band were called Blizzard of Ozz. At this point they were managed by David Levy who was Sharon's brother.  Most of the writing for the first album was by the three band members as Ozzy was off his head most of the time although he did have some creative input.
    Long story short Sharon got her claws into her meal ticket (aka Ozzy) and took over the management. She changed it from being a band of equals to just a bunch of backing musicians, completely redefining the relationship. Daisley and Kerslake being the more experienced were having none of it and so got the sack. Rhoads was a bit younger and on the way up so stayed. When the second album 'Diary of a Madman' was released Daisley and Kerslake where not credited, instead Aldridge and Sarzo were named but hadn't played on it.  There was a later re-release where the drums and bass were re-recorded as Sharon was a spiteful **** and wanted to withhold royalties even further.  A subsequent re-release did restore Daisley and Kerslake's playing. There were a number of court cases which eventually Sharon won as she got basically got Don Arden to lie or not testify under threat of not seeing his grandchildren.
    This all cost Lee Kerslake and Bob Daisley a lot of money. Bob Daisley wrote a book documenting the whole thing. They were robbed basically because of Sharon's greed. She just wanted to make it appear to be all down to Ozzy and completely diminished the input from the others. She will rot in hell as far as I am concerned.

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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
    HerrMetal said:
    This all cost Lee Kerslake and Bob Daisley a lot of money. Bob Daisley wrote a book documenting the whole thing. There were robbed basically because of Sharon's greed. She just wanted to make it appear to be all down to Ozzy and completely diminished the input from the others. She will rot in hell as far as I am concerned.

    When you look at Bob Daisley's career he's spent a lot a time working with people - especially Ozzy and Black Sabbath - and not getting credit for it!  His role seems to be a lot like Geezer Butler's in the early days - main lyricist as well as bass player.  I'm not sure Ozzy does anything except perhaps act as a kind of catalyst.
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  • I nicked his towel at a gig in Preston 1974. They all came to the front of the stage and shook our hands. Gary Thain died a year later. RIP Lee.
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