Connect with us

Entertainment

BREAKING: Ozzy Osbourne Dies At 76

Published

5 days ago

on

Legendary rockstar Ozzy Osbourne has passed away at the age of 76, his family confirmed in a statement 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,” a statement from the rock icon’s family reads.

Osbourne — who rose to international fame as the frontman of the metal band Black Sabbath before a highly successful solo career — had just performed a star-studded farewell show at Villa Park on July 5.

Osbourne appears at Disco Scream in 2010

John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne was born on December 3, 1948, in Birmingham, England. He began his music career in the late 1960s, forming early bands like The Polka Tulk Blues Band, which eventually evolved into Black Sabbath in 1968.

The influential metal band has been cited as a primary influence for many of the genre’s most well-known acts, as well as additional bands across the wider rock and roll scene. Black Sabbath’s raw, heavy sound helped to pioneer the genre, while their self-titled debut album in 1970 achieved widespread critical and commercial acclaim.

Osbourne served as the frontman for Black Sabbath from 1968 through 1979, a run that included iconic album releases such as Paranoid (1970), Master of Reality (1971), and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973). In terms of individual singles, the bands greatest hits included War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man.

He was fired from the band in 1979 due to substance abuse issues, but briefly rejoined in 1985. He was also a part of the band’s final reunion tour in 2017.

Osbourne’s career suffered no setbacks from his initial departure from Black Sabbath, as in 1980, he launched his solo career with Blizzard of Ozz. The record was a commercial success and produced what was arguably Osbourne’s most successful solo single with Crazy Train.

His solo discography includes 13 studio albums, with standout releases like Diary of a Madman (1981) and No More Tears (1991). He collaborated with guitarists like Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee, and Zakk Wylde, maintaining a prolific career despite personal struggles.

Black Sabbath’s Paranoid reached number one  in the UK and number 12 in the US, with multiple albums achieving platinum status. As a solo artist, Osbourne’s Blizzard of Ozz and No More Tears are multi-platinum, with over 25 million albums sold worldwide.

Throughout his career, Osbourne was known for having one of the most commanding stage presences in music history. He was known for hyping up crowds with chants, frenetic movement on stage and encouraging mosh pits. Ozzy’s most well-known on-stage incident came in 1982, when he bit the head off a bat during a show in Des Moines, Iowa.

While the crowd initially thought the bat was a prop, it was indeed real, leading Osbourne to get rabies shots.

Outside the music industry, Osbourne introduced himself to new generations of fans when he and his family participated in The Osbournes reality TV show, a groundbreaking project that aired on MTV from 2002 through 2005. The show chronicled the life of Osbourne, his wife, Sharon, daughter, Kelly, and is credited with being a pioneer show in the reality TV genre that took the United States by storm in the early 2000’s.

Osbourne battled substance abuse issues throughout his life and developed Parkinson’s disease in his later years. On July 5, 2025, Ozzy took the stage one more time after Sharon Osbourne organized a star-studded farewell show in his hometown of Birmingham, England.

The show featured a solo set from Osbourne along with some of his longtime collaborators, and featured a guest list that spoke to Ozzy’s impact on the rock genre. Guest acts included the surviving members of Black Sabbath, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Alice In Chains, Pantera, Anthrax and more.

“Without Sabbath, there would be no Metallica,” band frontman James Hetfield said at the event. “Thank you for giving us a purpose in life.”

“Black Sabbath really kind of started all this, the metal era. Everyone looks at them like the kings, and if the kings are going to go out then we’re going to go honour them. This is going to go down in history as the greatest metal event of all time,” said former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar.

Elton John also phoned in with a video statement, calling Osbourne “one of the most remarkable singers of all time.”

Osbourne is survived by his wife, Sharon and six children, Kelly, Jessica, Louis, Jack, Aimee and Elliot.

Related Topics: