Michael 'Ozzie' Osbourne is greeted at the Pagliacci's door by owner Solomon Siegel. (Still from film Victoria's Original Joint)
The smell of garlic bread filled the air, and over the sound of clinking plates, chatter from tables all close together, and jazzy sounds from a live band, Michael "Ozzie" Osbourne felt like he was in New York. Except, he was at a little (and famous) Victoria joint named Pagliacci's and it was about to change the trajectory of his career.
His wife and creative partner Skyla had planted the seed. Osbourne was inspired, and after a few drinks with owner Howie Siegel, the next thing Osbourne knew, he was pitching a film. "He goes, why don't you? It was just one of those casual things." But, where most people dream, Osbourne made happen.
Telus happened to be taking submissions for Storyhive grants, and soon, Osbourne had $20K and a team of almost 10.
"The universe kind of just lined it up," he said.
At age 56, Osbourne has the confidence and self-trust to pursue projects. He now owns film company SJO Productions (which he runs with Skyla), has dropped vocals on stage, and teaches fashion to young minds at Pacific Design Academy after 15-years self-taught experience. But that wasn't always the case.
First, Osbourne's story goes way back.
Osbourne was born in a small Jamaica farming town into a family of seven siblings. At a young age, his mother left him behind for Canada in hopes of gifting their family a better life. Osbourne and his twin brother were one of the last in the family to join her, meaning he didn't see her for five years.
Moving to Toronto was a culture shock for a self-described country boy: "the projects and tough ghettos," as he described it.
After high school, he went to school and got a "good job" in a pharmacy to make his family proud. But, a nagging itch told him it wasn't where he was supposed to be. "It wasn't really me, and I had to find my own self," he said.
Osbourne felt like he was living two lives; his day job, that drained him, and his other life at night, where he would go party and experience the city's culture.
When he decided to quit his job, he says his coworkers weren't surprised. "They supported me," he said. He found himself in his mid-20s, changing his dress code, growing dreads and having four piercings in his nose.
But, while he knew he wanted to be an artist, he still felt stuck.
"I had to really leave, to be honest, because I was getting to the point where I was just searching too much. I was definitely in the art scene, but what am I? What was I? I didn't really know. When I came to Victoria, I had to find something to do because now, I'm on my own."
Osbourne was 26 when he moved to Victoria, and within a few weeks, he found himself overcoming stage fright in a hip-hop band. When asked where his bravery came from to quit the pharmacy cold turkey, move alone to a new city, and break into the arts scene, Osbourne thought of his mother.
"Seeing my mother strive and work really hard to bring the family up, I think I get it from her," he said. "She sacrificed a lot for our family ... She was really one of my big idols."
Today, Osbourne continues to explore the artist's path. He's working on his first feature film, The Maze of Life, which tells the story of his becoming. It may eventually become a series that follows other artists. Also in the works is Groove Castle, a children's TV series. Developed with costume designer Ken Shapkin, Skyla and co-creator Sarah Michelle, it teaches music to kids.
While he's hustling to promote himself, travelling to film festivals across the globe and making connections, he stays grounded in his vision.
"Being a minority in a small town, I want to tell stories about community and help people, uplift people, because life is very difficult and I want to tell these stories to help people out."
That brings us back to the Pagliacci's documentary, which was selected by the Victoria Film Festival. The 30-minute doc captures a piece of Victoria's heart for perpetuity, but it also captures a piece of Osbourne: it is a place that shaped him and tons of other artists.
"People and musicians around the world like to come to these small places, and play and feel loved. I really want people to understand that it's helped a lot of people."
Watch Victoria's Original Joint, which aired Dec. 2, at ttps://youtu.be/rlvrds3P6VE.
Looking back on his journey that brought him from Jamaica, to Toronto to finding himself in Victoria, Osbourne can perhaps best sum it up in one sentence.
"I learned sometimes you have to fly the coop to find your own journey."