By Azlan Mohammed
WEEKS after his final performance, legendary heavy metal frontman Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76, his family confirmed on Tuesday.
He is survived by his wife, Sharon, and six children, including The Osbournes co-stars Jack and Kelly.
A statement from the Osbourne family read: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family’s privacy at this time.”
No cause of death was given, although Osbourne had battled various health issues in recent years.
His death came just days after he and his Black Sabbath bandmates performed a farewell concert at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5—a performance Ozzy was determined to make, despite his ailing health.
Osbourne had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2003, though he did not publicly reveal it until 2020.
The sold-out concert, billed Back to the Beginning, featured some of the biggest names in heavy metal and hard rock—from Metallica to Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Pantera, Tool, Sammy Hagar, and Steven Tyler—all paying tribute to the band that helped create the genre.
Early years
Born John Michael Osbourne in Marston Green, Warwickshire, England, in 1948, he picked up the nickname “Ozzy” as a child. By his teens, he had become a devoted fan of The Beatles.
In 1967, Osbourne teamed up with bassist Geezer Butler to form a group called Rare Breed. Soon after, they joined guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward to form the Polka Tulk Blues Band in Aston, Birmingham. The band briefly changed its name to Earth, and finally to Black Sabbath in 1969—after writing a dark, gothic track inspired by a 1963 horror film of the same name.
With his powerful tenor voice and manic stage presence, Osbourne helped pioneer heavy metal in the early 1970s. Alongside Iommi, Butler, and Ward, he led Black Sabbath through a revolutionary eight-album run from 1970 to 1978, producing genre-defining anthems like Iron Man, Paranoid, War Pigs, N.I.B., Snowblind, Sweet Leaf, and Children of the Grave.
Osbourne’s distinctive vocal style and unhinged wails became the blueprint for future hard rock and metal singers.
A solo resurgence
Osbourne’s substance abuse spiralled during his final years with Sabbath. After a string of less successful albums, he was fired from the band in 1979 and replaced by Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio.
Yet his career was far from over.
Enter Sharon Levy—daughter of Sabbath’s manager Don Arden—who saw potential in Osbourne despite his struggles. She became his manager, then his partner, and eventually his wife. Under Sharon’s guidance, Osbourne released his 1980 solo debut Blizzard of Ozz, which went multi-platinum and spawned the iconic track Crazy Train.
He followed it with Diary of a Madman in 1981, supported by a talented lineup including guitar prodigy Randy Rhoads, bassist Bob Daisley, and drummer Lee Kerslake.
Tragedy struck during the album’s tour when Rhoads and two others died in a plane crash after the pilot attempted to “buzz” Osbourne’s tour bus.
Sharon later helped launch Ozzfest, a massively successful heavy metal festival that ran from 1996 to 2018, often headlined by Osbourne and featuring both legendary and emerging acts.
The madman persona
Despite his success, Osbourne remained infamous for his outrageous antics. In 1982, he horrified animal rights groups by biting the head off a live bat during a concert in Des Moines, Iowa. “I thought it was a rubber bat,” he said at the time. “I picked it up, put it in my mouth, crunched down, bit into it—being the clown that I am.”
That same year, Osbourne was arrested for urinating on the Alamo in San Antonio, an incident that sparked public outrage in Texas. He later issued an apology.
There’s also the legendary story—likely apocryphal—of him snorting a line of live ants in a bizarre contest with members of Mötley Crüe.
“We thought we could compete with that, but you can’t with Ozzy,” bassist Nikki Sixx told the New York Post. “He won.”
Reality star, cultural icon
In 2002, Osbourne became a pop culture icon all over again when The Osbournes premiered on MTV, offering an inside look at the chaos of his family life. Starring Ozzy, Sharon, Jack, and Kelly, the show became the network’s most-watched series at the time. It ran until 2005.
Tributes
Guitarist Tony Iommi wrote on social media: “I just can’t believe it! My dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park. It’s such heartbreaking news that I can’t really find the words. There won’t ever be another like him. Geezer, Bill, and I have lost our brother. My thoughts go out to Sharon and the entire Osbourne family. Rest in peace, Oz.”
Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler added: “Goodbye dear friend—thanks for all those years. We had some great fun. Four kids from Aston—who’d have thought, eh? So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you.”
Drummer Bill Ward wrote: “Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls—no, you’re forever in my heart. Deepest condolences to Sharon and all family members. RIP. Sincere regrets to all the fans. Never goodbye. Thank you forever.”
Local heavy metal DJ and promoter Bees M Bartoo of Bees Hi-Fi Music in Chaguanas also mourned the loss, telling AZP News: “Ozzy is the greatest frontman of all time. Black Sabbath are the inventors of heavy metal, who created that early, bone-crunching, bluesy doom sound, backed by Ozzy’s iconic, hysterical wails and screams, which influenced thousands of heavy metal and hard rock bands for over 50 years. The Prince of Darkness’ music and legacy will continue to shine brightly on his countless fans the world over.”
