Ozzy Osbourne, the pioneering frontman of Black Sabbath and one of heavy metal’s defining voices, has died at age 76 following a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease, his family confirmed in a statement released Tuesday.
“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time,” the statement read.
The Prince of Darkness had performed just two weeks prior at what was billed as Black Sabbath’s final concert, a massive festival titled ‘Back to the Beginning’ in Birmingham, England. The hometown tribute featured performances from metal royalty including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, and Alice in Chains, all bands who had followed the dark musical path that Osbourne helped forge.
Osbourne had publicly revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis in January 2020, following two years of escalating health issues. In February 2023, he reluctantly announced his retirement from touring, citing spinal injuries sustained in a 2018 accident that left him physically unable to handle the rigours of road life.
“Believe me when I say that the thought of disappointing my fans really FUCKS ME UP, more than you will ever know,” Osbourne stated at the time.
Born James Michael Osbourne on 3rd December 1948, in working-class Birmingham, Osbourne rose from humble beginnings to become one of rock’s most influential and enduring figures. As Black Sabbath’s original vocalist from 1969-79, he helped define heavy metal’s sound and aesthetic, delivering apocalyptic lyrics with his distinctive wail over the band’s thunderous, doom-laden instrumentation.
After being fired from Sabbath in 1979 amid battles with substance abuse, Osbourne launched a remarkably successful solo career that arguably eclipsed his work with the band. His debut album Blizzard of Ozz (1980) introduced guitar virtuoso Randy Rhoads and went quadruple-platinum in the US, featuring the enduring metal anthem “Crazy Train”.
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Throughout his career, Osbourne’s musical achievements were often matched by his notorious offstage antics. The infamous bat-biting incident at a 1982 Des Moines concert and the dove-decapitation during a 1981 CBS Records meeting cemented his reputation as metal’s most unpredictable and outrageous figure.
In the 2000s, Osbourne found new fame through the MTV reality series The Osbournes, which offered an often hilarious glimpse into his family life with wife and manager Sharon and their children. The Emmy-winning show became MTV’s highest-rated reality programme.
Despite his frequent “retirements”, Osbourne remained musically active until the end. His final solo albums, Ordinary Man (2020) and Patient Number 9 (2022), reached #3 and #2 on the US charts respectively, demonstrating his enduring relevance in a genre he helped create over five decades earlier.
The heavy metal icon leaves behind his wife Sharon and five children, including Jessica, Louis, and reality TV stars Kelly, Jack, and Aimee.
