SHARON OSBOURNE's Father Honored With London Plaque

BBC News reports that late music mogul Don Arden, manager of BLACK SABBATH and the SMALL FACES and father of Sharon Osbourne, has been honored with a central London plaque.

SMALL FACES drummer Kenney Jones unveiled the plaque on Saturday (September 8),at the site of the Carnaby Street office where Arden signed the Mod band in 1965.

Fans raised £400 to pay for the plaque after approval from Westminster City Council.

Arden died at his Los Angeles home on July 21. His daughter accompanied his body when it was flown back to his place of birth.

The funeral service was held at the Shromei Hadass Synagogue followed by burial at Agecroft's Jewish Cemetery.

Born Harry Levy in Manchester, England, Arden became known as the "Al Capone of pop" and the "English Godfather" for his tough-guy business practices while overseeing the careers of acts ranging from ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA to BLACK SABBATH. Arden and his daughter became estranged in 1982 after she took over the management of SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne's solo career, also marrying the singer. Father and daughter were not on good terms for nearly 20 years until reconciling in 2002.

Sharon Osbourne had to pay her father $1 million in a court settlement after she gained control of Ozzy's affairs.

Arden began his career as a singer in London. He later began to book tours for acts like Gene Vincent and Little Richard.

Arden had a fierce temper and allegedly hung competing manager Robert Stigwood off a fourth floor balcony in 1966 when he learned that Stigwood was trying to woo away one of his acts, the SMALL FACES.

Arden published an autobiography in 2004 called "Mr. Big", after another one of his industry nicknames.