The Ozzy Osbourne Quote That Sparked Marcus King’s Sobriety Journey

December 11, 2025, 3:23pm

In 2022, Marcus King released his second solo album, Young Blood, to near-universal acclaim. But at that time, the South Carolina blues-rocker couldn’t escape the fear that it may also be his swan song. That’s what ultimately inspired the “Mood Swings” crooner, now 29, to tackle a nearly lifelong battle with substance use and commit to sobriety. In an interview with Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast that aired this week, Marcus King opened up about the role that the late heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne played in his decision.

Marcus King “Can’t Have More Than a Few”

Osbourne, who died July 22 at age 76, waged a very public war against his demons for much of his career. Following many attempts at sobriety with the support of his wife and manager, Sharon, the “Crazy Train” singer revealed in February 2021 that he had been sober for about seven years.

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“I was inspired recently by an Ozzy Osbourne clip where he’s like, when Sharon put him into rehab, she told him it was for him to learn how to drink like a gentleman,” King said. “And when I met my wife, I thought that I could do that. I thought that I could drink like a gentleman because I was happy now, you know?… I can have a few drinks and it won’t get out of hand.”

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Unfortunately, that wasn’t true in his particular case. “Whatever that evil thing is deep inside of you, it always seems to come back up once I’ve had a few too many,” said the Grammy nominee. “And I just can’t have more than a few.”

King opened up about his relationship with sobriety and mental health in an essay last year for Billboard, describing the process as “a journey, not a final destination.” He credited wife Briley, dog Duck, meditation, and his Peloton with helping him stay the course.

“Each day I just need to make progress and lend myself compassion when I don’t live up to it – when I fall off, I have to remind myself I am not a f— up, I just f—ed up,” King wrote.

Featured image by Paul Morigi/Getty Images