Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76.
“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,” Osbourne’s family said in a statement.
“He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
His death comes just weeks after he and his bandmates played a final concert at Villa Park in Birmingham.
Born December 3, 1948, the English singer, singwriter and media personality rose to fame during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath.
The band was formed in Birmingham, England, in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler with Osbourne as vocalist. Osbourne later left the band to embark on a solo career.
Osbourne was instrumental in pioneering heavy metal -- an offshoot of hard rock -- as Black Sabbath enjoyed huge commercial success in the 1970s.
Osbourne sold more than 100 million albums and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 as a member of Black Sabbath and again as a solo artist in 2024.
Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath performs on stage at Hammersmith Odeon, London, January 1976. (Photo by Erica Echenberg/Redferns)
Black Sabbath, 1970s: Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne (Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage)
The rocker’s career took an unexpected turn in the 2000s with the popular MTV reality show The Osbournes with his wife and manager Sharon and two of their children Kelly and Jack.
The fly-on-the-wall series documented their chaotic lifestyle in Los Angeles and became a worldwide hit.
The recent Black Sabbath performance at Villa Park marked Osbourne’s first live appearance since 2018 and follows a series of health setbacks, including his 2020 public disclosure of a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
The 76-year-old spoke on the “Ozzy Speaks” podcast on SiriusXM about the mental toll of preparing to return to the stage: “My head’s crazy. ADHD – I have that badly. I will have done the show and died a death before I even started my exercises. So I try and put it on the back burner.
Slipknot's Sid Wilson proposed to his long-term partner Kelly Osbourne backstage at her dad Ozzy's final Black Sabbath show in Birmingham, England. Photo / kellyosbourne
His wife Sharon, 71, has also spoken candidly about his condition.
Speaking to The Sun, she said: “He’s very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this. Parkinson’s is a progressive disease ... it’s affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.”
Despite his frailty, he performed five songs with his solo band and four with Black Sabbath at the concert, which was held at Villa Park and billed as a celebration of his career, the Telegraph reported.
His wife, Sharon, said when the concert was announced that he had been determined to say a proper goodbye to his fans. “This is his full stop,” she said.
It was an emotional gig, with Osbourne telling fans: “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” The event was said to have raised £140 million for charity.
Osbourne grew up in Birmingham and founded Black Sabbath in 1968. He left in 1979 to pursue a solo career.
His wild moments included biting the head of a bat during a 1982 show after mistaking it for a rubber toy.
New Zealand alt-metal band Devilskin, whose members include broadcaster Paul Martin, posted a simple tribute to Ozzy Osbourne as Kiwis wake up to the news of his death.
Sharing a black-and-white image of Osbourne performing with his guitarist, Randy Rhoads, the band wrote: “Ozzy Forever”.
They signed the message off with a black heart emoji.
The Osbournes, Ozzy (L), Sharon, Jack, and Kelly are shown in this undated photo. MTV officials said March 4, 2002 that Ozzy Osbourne, the heavy metal rock star and his family are the subject of a new MTV series, "The Osbournes," which premieres 10:30 p.m. EST Tuesday, March 5, 2002. MTV describes it as television's first "reality sitcom." (Photo by Michael Yarish/MTV/Getty Images)
Ozzy Osbourne speaks onstage during the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony streaming on Disney+ at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 19, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
- Agence France-Presse
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