Ozzy: Blame me for son's drug addiction.

OZZY Osbourne has revealed how he and wife Sharon feel to blame for their son's addiction to a killer drug.

The Brummie rock legend confessed he believed they had given troubled teenager Jack too much freedom while growing up.

Jack, a household name thanks to the success of The Osbournes MTV show, checked into a rehab clinic earlier this year for his addiction to the powerful painkiller OxyContin.

The drug, similar to morphine, can be fatal when crushed and snorted or chewed.

Speaking for the first time about Jack's problems, Ozzy said he regretted not curbing his behaviour.

'The mistake that Sharon and I both made, and we both agree on this, is we never set any boundaries,' he admitted.

'We never said 'You must be in the house by a certain time'. We just let them have their freedom. Sharon and I are still learning. We're not the parents who say 'We're always right' because we're not.'

Ozzy said the news of Jack's involvement with such a dangerous substance came as a shock.

'One thing I noticed is that henever cried,' said the Aston-born rocker. 'He never showed. He just locked it in, you know.

'I think what families should do more often is have family meetings and talk -get around the table and say 'What's up? How are you doing?' 'Every day I say to my family 'I love you' you know. And I do love my family. People forget to say 'I love you. I care for you. Are you OK? Is there anything you need?' Jack admitted while he was a loving son to his parents, they had little idea of his wild behaviour away from home.

'There was the Jack Osbourne my parents knew, theJack Osbourne my friends knew and the Jack Osbourne that the public knew,' he said.

'The one my parents knew was the funny, facetious, nice, a loving son who was truly caring.

'To my friends I was a crazy, insane, drinking, using party animal who knew how to have a good time. And the public one was, well, the one they wanted to vote out of the house.'

Due to phenomenal demand for his forthcoming UK tour Ozzy Osbourne has added a second show at Birmingham's NEC Arena. The dates will be his first solo shows in Britain for eight years and his first in Birmingham in almost two decades.

The concerts will feature Ozzy's daughter Kelly as the opening act - the first time the pair have ever performed onstage together.

'I couldn't be happier about doing my own dates in the UK and having Kelly on the bill with me,' said Ozzy.

'Unfortunately this means we won't be bringing Ozzfest to the UK this year.'

Ozzy Osbourne will play Birmingham NEC on September 6 and 7.

CAPTION(S):

CONFESSION... Ozzy and Jack