Black Sabbath Star Ozzy Osbourne Passes Aged 76

Music

Jul 24

Ozzy Osbournce — Image Source: The Australian

Ozzy Osbourne, the frontman of Black Sabbath and the godfather of heavy metal, passed away on July 22 at the age of 76. The singer died surrounded by family just two weeks after he performed his and Black Sabbath's final concert. Osbourne's family released this statement following his passing:

“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 to CNN. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

Born John Osbourne on December 3rd, 1948, in Birmingham, England, to John “Jack” and Lillian Osbourne, he gained the nickname “Ozzy” as a child and struggled with dyslexia. When he was 11, he suffered sexual abuse at the hands of bullies. Osbourne displayed an aptitude for the performing arts, participating in school plays such as Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado and HMS Pinafore. However, his life changed when he was 14. Ozzy heard the first hit single from The Beatles, and he instantly became a huge fan of the group. In fact, he credits their song, “She Loves You,” with inspiring him to become a musician. Osbourne dropped out of school at 15 and took on a variety of odd jobs. However, when he was 17, he was arrested for robbing a clothing store. Ozzy was unable to pay the fine, and his father refused to pay it to teach him a lesson, so he spent six weeks in Winston Green Prison.

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His music career began in 1967 with Geezer Butler's band Rare Breed. However, they played two shows and broke up. Geezer Butler and Osbourne reunited in another band called Polka Tulk Blues, recruiting guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. They changed their name to Earth, but when they were accidentally booked on a show that was meant for another group with the same name, they decided to change their name to Black Sabbath in August of 1969. Black Sabbath were inspired to play a heavy blues style of music with gloomy lyrics after noticing people enjoyed being scared during their appearances. The band was a huge success with their self-titled album and Paranoid (though initially not with women).

Around this time, he met his future wife, Sharon Arden, when Black Sabbath looked into hiring her father, Don Arden, as their manager. Ozzy instantly fell in love but assumed that "she probably thought I was a lunatic” and didn't pursue it initially. They hired Don Arden as their manager, allowing Ozzy to see Sharon.

Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne were seen as pioneers of heavy metal, with Osbourne even receiving the title as the godfather of the genre. However, he preferred his other title, “Prince of Darkness,” as he didn't really associate himself with “heavy metal.”

“I have never, ever, ever been able to attach myself to the word ‘heavy metal’ – it has no musical connotations,” Osbourne stated in a 2013 interview, “If it was heavy rock I could get that but the 70s was kind of like a bluesy thing, the 80s was kind of bubblegum-frosted hair, multi-colored clothes, and the 90s was kind of grungy.”

However, Ozzy would initially only be with the band for about a decade, as he was fired due to his excessive drug use, causing tension between him and guitarist Tony Iommi, though Osbourne denies his substance use was any more than the other members of the group.

Ozzy initially didn't think he would last much longer in the music industry, recalling, "I'd got £96,000 for my share of the name, so I'd just locked myself away and spent three months doing coke and booze. My thinking was, 'This is my last party, because after this I'm going back to Birmingham and the dole." However, he was signed to Jet Records by Don Arden, beginning his solo career. Ozzy released 11 solo albums throughout his career. He also enjoyed a successful performing career, often known for his various stage antics.

One such incident was on January 20th, 1982, when he bit off the head of a bat on stage. This was an allusion to a similar incident in 1981 at a meeting with CBS Records, when he bit the head off of a dove. He had intended to release it as a sign of peace, but due to his intoxication, he bit its head off instead. Due to the event’s controversial nature, it became a common joke when discussing the singer and is partly what made him famous. When Ozzy initially grabbed the bat to reenact the moment on stage, he thought it was a rubber bat. However, the bat was very much real, and it was still alive, as the bat managed to bite Ozzy, leading him to have to be vaccinated for rabies.

Ozzy reunited with Black Sabbath briefly for 1985’s Live Aid event. He fully rejoined the group in 1997 to record the album Reunion. The singer also toured with the band between 1997 and 1999. The band’s original lineup reunited for a tour and a new album in 2011. Black Sabbath had a farewell tour from 2016 to 2017.

After this tour, Ozzy’s health declined drastically, causing him to cancel his own tour in 2019. He had already been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2003, and he lost the ability to walk due to the disease in 2020. That same year, he revealed that he had emphysema. Osbourne’s health has been a rollercoaster throughout his career due to his drug use. He managed to stay clean throughout the 2000s, but he often commented on his over 40 years of drug use at the time in interviews, thinking it a miracle that he was still alive.

The singer was also constantly the subject of controversy. One that persisted was accusations that he was a Satanist due to the imagery and themes of his work. He denied this throughout his life (though he tempted it with 1980’s “Mr. Crowley”), and Ozzy claimed that he was a member of the Church of England, stating that he prayed before every concert. His music was also tentatively linked to several crimes and even a suicide. Several of these were taken to court, though they were often dismissed.

The Osbournes — Image Source: Louder Sound

Ozzy often took advantage of his bizarre persona. From 2002 to 2005, Ozzy, Sharon, and his family starred in a reality series on MTV called The Osbournes. The show focused on the daily antics of The Osbourne family. It was a huge success and gave the singer and his family a new level of stardom. He was also featured in a commercial for the MMO World of Warcraft, which also took advantage of his odd persona. He also appeared in several films and television series as himself or a character that is heavily influenced by him.

Ozzy had his final performance on July 5th, 2025, appearing with Black Sabbath on what was billed as their final show, titled “Back to the Beginning.” The show took place in Birmingham, England, where it all began. It was a charity concert, and proceeds went to The Cure Parkinson's Trust, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Acorn Children's Hospice. It raised $190 million overall.

Several artists paid tribute to the late performer, including several of his former bandmates. Bill Ward, the drummer for the group, stated, “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.”

Geezer Butler, the band’s bassist and lyricist, released this statement:
“Goodbye dear friend- thanks for all those years- we had some great fun. 4 kids from Aston- who’d have thought, eh?..So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston.”

Guitarist Tony Iommi also paid tribute to Osbourne, saying, “I just can’t believe it! My dear dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park. It’s just such heartbreaking news that I can’t really find the words, there won’t ever be another like him. Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother. My thoughts go out to Sharon and all the Osbourne family. Rest in peace Oz.”

Ozzy Osbourne is survived by his wife, Sharon, his children from his first marriage to Thelma Riley (Elliot, Jessica, and Louis), and his children with Sharon (Aime, Kelly, and Jack). Rest in peace, Oz. “Mama, I’m Coming Home” has taken on a new meaning as you ride the “Crazy Train” in the sky.

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