Originally Posted by BBC

Sharon Osbourne's music mogul father Don Arden has died at the age of 81.

Dubbed the Al Capone of Pop for his uncompromising business practices, he steered acts like ELO, The Small Faces and Black Sabbath to stardom.

Osbourne became estranged from her father after fighting him for control of husband Ozzy Osbourne's career.

The pair were reconciled in 2002 after Arden developed Alzheimer's disease. Osbourne's spokesman said her father had died in a Los Angeles nursing home.

Born Harry Levy in Manchester in 1926, the future music manager set his sights on a showbusiness career at an early age.

In the years following World War II, he established himself as a singer in the West End and on radio.

After marrying Hope Shaw in 1950, he pursued a more stable income by arranging tours for US acts like Gene Vincent and Little Richard.

This eventually led him into artist management, and he developed a reputation for having a fierce temper.

He became notorious for a 1966 incident where he reportedly hung rival manager Robert Stigwood from a fourth-floor balcony for trying to lure away one of his acts, The Small Faces.

"To try to steal my discovery - that was unforgivable," said Arden in his 2002 autobiography, Mr Big.

"Yes, I threatened to throw Robert Stigwood off the balcony of his office. But no, I didn't personally hang him by his boots.

"I wouldn't have dirtied my hands on them."

Sharon Osbourne was estranged from her father for 20 years
As news of the incident spread, Arden says he relished his new-found "reputation as a hard man".

Arden's success in the music industry continued throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and he even set up his own record label - Jet - releasing albums by Electric Light Orchestra, Roy Wood and Ozzy Osbourne.

But he fell out with several of his acts, including The Small Faces and singer-songwriter Lynsey De Paul, both of whom claimed they did not receive money owing to them.

But his hopes of building a showbusiness dynasty were dashed in 1979 when Sharon wrested away control of Ozzy Osbourne's solo career.

Their estrangement worsened when Arden began an affair with a younger woman in 1981.

Following their reconciliation in 2002, Arden could often be seen in the hit MTV reality show The Osbournes.

Osbourne recently revealed in a TV interview that the psychological scars from her father's behaviour remained with her.

She said: "I was surrounded by violent people, violent talk, violent behaviour, so there was nothing unusual seeing my dad threatening someone, or brandishing a firearm.

"My father really had a temper. He had a voice which would echo through the entire house.

"A couple of times he would whack me and he used to yank my hair. I wouldn't say I was abused and beaten. In those days it was a normal thing."

Arden died on Saturday in Los Angeles. He is survived by his daughter, Sharon, and son, David. His wife, Hope, died in 1998.

Originally Posted by Manchester Evening News

26/ 7/2007

X FACTOR judge Sharon Osbourne stayed away from the funeral of her music manager father Don Arden in Manchester.

More than 100 mourners arrived at Agecroft cemetery, Lower Kersal, to pay their respects during a ceremony in the Shomrei Hadass Synagogue.

Mr Arden died aged 81 in Los Angeles on Saturday and his body was returned to his birthplace.

A funeral party spokesman said Sharon was not attending the service because she would have found it 'too traumatic'.

Mr Arden became estranged from Sharon after fighting over who would manage the career of her husband, Ozzy.

The pair were reconciled in 2002 after Mr Arden developed Alzheimer's disease.

Mr Arden was a choirboy at the Higher Crumpsall Synagogue in Cheetham Hill Road.