Alice Cooper says Ozzy Osbourne was ‘unmatched showman and cultural icon'
Posting on Instagram, following a performance in Cardiff dedicated to the late singer, Cooper said: 'The whole world is mourning Ozzy tonight.
A post shared by Alice Cooper (@alicecooper)
'Over his long career, he earned immense respect among his peers and from fans around the world as an unmatched showman and cultural icon.
'I always saw Ozzy as a cross between the prince of darkness, which is the persona his fans saw, and the court jester. That was the side that his family and friends saw.
'He was and will continue to be a rock and roll legend. Rock and Roll is a family and a fraternity. When we lose one of our own, it bleeds. I wish I would have gotten to know my brother Ozzy better.
'A titanic boulder has crashed, but rock will roll on.'
Sir Elton John remembered Osbourne as a 'huge trailblazer' who 'secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods'.
Writing on Instagram, Sir Elton said: 'He was also one of the funniest people I've ever met. I will miss him dearly. To Sharon and the family, I send my condolences and love. Elton xx.'
I am so very sad to hear of the death of Ozzy Osbourne 💔🙏 What a lovely goodbye concert he had at Back To The Beginning in Birmingham🙏☀️❤️🎤 pic.twitter.com/Z6V2CNXWNG
— Ronnie Wood (@ronniewood) July 22, 2025
The Rolling Stones' Wood also paid tribute after joining Osbourne at Black Sabbath's last gig at Villa Park, Birmingham, earlier this month.
He posted on X: 'I am so very sad to hear of the death of Ozzy Osbourne.
'What a lovely goodbye concert he had at Back To The Beginning in Birmingham.'
Singer Yungblud, who sang Black Sabbath's Changes at the Back To The Beginning farewell concert on July 5, said he was 'heartbroken' by the news and called Osbourne 'the greatest of all time'.
'I didn't think you would leave so soon, the last time we met you were so full of life and your laugh filled up the room,' he wrote in a social media post.
Rock band Motorhead said they had lost a 'dear friend' in a post that recalled the band's late vocalist Lemmy's friendship with Osbourne.
The message read: 'We lost our dear friend today. Ozzy was a pioneer, a guiding force for all in hard rock and metal, and a great guy too.
'Lemmy and Ozzy were brothers in arms who enjoyed many adventures together, and his loss is seismic. RIP Ozzy, we will always love and celebrate you… '
AC/DC posted that Osbourne's death was a 'great loss to all that loved him', with Metallica members calling him an 'icon' and 'mentor' while sharing images from photographers Ross Halfin and Noah Abrams.
'He taught us how to play in the big leagues while at the same time being warm, welcoming, engaging, and all around brilliant,' they wrote on Instagram.
Among the other stars paying tribute were former footballer Sir David Beckham, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, Van Halen's Sammy Hagar, Jon Bon Jovi, singer Donny Osmond, Queen guitarist Sir Brian May and US movie star Adam Sandler, who said he felt 'so happy' that he was able to meet Osbourne.
Foo Fighters said in a social media post: 'Rock and Roll would not be as loud or as fun' without Osbourne, while Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant wrote he had 'truly changed the planet of rock'.
Kiss bassist Gene Simmons told NBC News that behind the outgoing stage persona was a 'loving father' and 'dedicated husband'.
'There was never an Ozzy before Ozzy,' he said.
Sir Brian said Osbourne's final concert earlier in the month 'was a glorious way to say goodbye' to the heavy metal vocalist who died on July 22 at the age of 76.
Actor Jason Momoa shared a photo of himself alongside Osbourne and his wife Sharon to Instagram, writing: 'Love you @ozzyosbourne All my aloha @sharonosbourne and ohana. So grateful.'
Aston Villa, Osbourne's home-town football club, said it was 'saddened' to learn of the star's passing.
'Growing up in Aston, not far from Villa Park, Ozzy always held a special connection to the club and the community he came from,' the club said.
An honour to have celebrated the extraordinary life and legacy of Ozzy Osbourne just weeks ago.
Devastated to hear the news of his death today. One of the greatest gifts my city gave the world.
My thoughts are with his family.
In Ozzy's own words: Birmingham forever. pic.twitter.com/SWfgYiJdty
— Shabana Mahmood MP (@ShabanaMahmood) July 22, 2025
'The thoughts of everyone at Aston Villa are with his wife Sharon, his family, friends, and countless fans at this extremely difficult time.'
Justice Secretary and Birmingham Ladywood MP Shabana Mahmood said she was among those who celebrated Osbourne's life and legacy just over two weeks ago.
She wrote on X: 'Devastated to hear the news of his death today. One of the greatest gifts my city gave the world.
'My thoughts are with his family. In Ozzy's own words: Birmingham forever.'
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Sharon Osbourne breaks silence after husband Ozzy's tragic death
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IT was the craziest start to a love affair that survived against the odds for more than 40 years. Superstar rocker Ozzy Osbourne had been given an envelope stuffed with cash to hand over to Sharon Arden, daughter of his band Black Sabbath's manager. 6 Drugs, fights, affairs - Ozzy Osbourne and wife Sharon Osbourne's marriage survived against all odds Credit: Getty 6 Ozzy and Sharon pictured in Brazil in 1985 Instead, Ozzy blew the money on cocaine — which he was working his way through when Sharon arrived at his hotel. Despite being completely off his head, Ozzy, who died on Tuesday age 76, never forgot that first meeting when Sharon asked, 'Do you have anything for me?'. He recalled: ''No, I don't think so', I said, all innocent. 'But it didn't take Einstein to work out what had happened. 'There was a massive bag of coke on the table next to a ripped-up envelope with 'Sharon' written on it in felt-tip pen. 'Sharon gave me a monumental bollocking when she saw it, shouting and cursing and telling me I was a f***ing disaster. 'Drunkest and loudest' 'I guess I won't be shagging her any time soon, then, I thought. 'But she came back the next day, to find me lying in a puddle of my own p**s, smoking a joint. 'She said, 'Look, if you want to get your s**t together, we want to manage you'.' That ill-fated meeting led to an incredible marriage that lasted 33 years — despite Ozzy's drug and sex addiction and even his attempt to strangle Sharon. Inside Ozzy Osbourne's final days after historic last show 'took huge toll' on his health He admitted: 'I fell for Sharon so badly, man . . . she saved my life every day.' In one of his last interviews, Ozzy described the reality TV star and X Factor judge as his 'soulmate'. 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Some nights Sharon would go out of one door and [first wife] Thelma would come in the other Sharon When Sharon was relaunching Ozzy as a solo star with a new album, Blizzard Of Ozz, and a tour following his firing from Black Sabbath in 1979, the star's private life was falling apart. He was married to Thelma Riley, had adopted her son Elliot from an earlier marriage and they had two kids of their own, Jessica and Louis. After months of trying, Ozzy finally bedded Sharon after leaping into her bath at a hotel near Shepperton Studios. He recalled: 'Me and Sharon were bonking all over the place. 'We couldn't stop. 'Some nights, Sharon would go out of one door and Thelma would come in the other. 'I was knackered all the time, having two women on the go. 'I don't know how those French blokes do it. 'When I was with Sharon, I'd end up calling her 'Tharon', which earned me more than a few black eyes. 'I'd never known what it was like to fall in love before I met Sharon. 'We were inseparable. 'I realised that when you're in love, it's not just about the messing around in the sack, it's about how empty you feel when they're gone. And I couldn't stand it when Sharon was gone.' But when he split up with Thelma in 1981, Sharon bore the brunt of Ozzy's anger. He said: 'I was a wreck. 'I was in love with Sharon, but at the same time I was cut to pieces by losing my family. 'I'd get drunk and try to hit her, and she'd throw things at me. 'Wine bottles, gold discs, TVs — you name it, it would all come flying across the room. 'I ain't proud to admit that a few of my punches reached their target.' 6 Ozzy on tour in Las Vegas in 2002 with his beloved Sharon by his side Credit: Shutterstock Editorial But the following year, Ozzy and Sharon married in Hawaii on the way to a gig. The rocker didn't make it back to their hotel room after the ceremony. Sharon recalled: 'The manager called and said, 'Your husband is lying in the hall, will you come and get him' and I said, 'No I won't'.' While Sharon managed Ozzy's soaring solo career, the couple welcomed their three children Aimee, 41, Kelly, 40, and Jack, 39. But she could not curb her husband's appetite for booze, illegal drugs and prescription pills. 'Slumped in corridor' When he got violent, Sharon would take her revenge like the time she took a hammer to all his gold records. But seven years after their wedding, Ozzy tried to strangle Sharon while high on drugs and Russian vodka, at their 17th Century home in Little Chalfont, Bucks. The family had gone to their bedrooms after returning from a local Chinese restaurant to celebrate Aimee's sixth birthday. Before lunging at Sharon, Ozzy stripped naked and told her: 'We've had a little talk and it's clear that you have to die.' She pressed the panic button, alerting the police. Ozzy woke up in a cell the next morning with no recollection of the attack, to find he had been charged with attempted murder. Three months later, ahead of his court case, Sharon visited the rehab centre where Ozzy had been sent to dry out. In his autobiography, Ozzy recalled how she told him: 'I'm going to drop the charges. 'I don't believe you're capable of attempted murder, Ozzy. People keep asking, 'How come you and Sharon have stayed together all this time?' Ozzy 'You're a sweet, gentle man. 'But when you get drunk, Ozzy Osbourne disappears and someone else takes over. 'I want that other person to go away. 'I don't want to see him again.' But Ozzy instead developed a prescription pill addiction. Sharon almost died from colon cancer during the making of their Noughties fly-on-the-wall MTV show, The Osbournes. While she was still undergoing chemo, the couple retook their vows on New Year's Eve 2002. Ozzy revealed: 'People keep asking, 'How come you and Sharon have stayed together all this time?'. 'My answer was the same then as it is now. 'I've never stopped telling my wife that I love her; I've never stopped taking her out for dinner; I've never stopped surprising her with little gifts'. 6 Animal-lovers Ozzy and his wife campaigning against trophy hunting last year Credit: Ban Trophy Hunting /Animal News Agency 'Unfortunately, I'd never stopped drinking and taking drugs, so the ceremony ended much the same as our original wedding — with me slumped in a corridor, p*ssed out of my brains.' A year later, Ozzy had a near-fatal quad bike accident on their estate that required multiple surgeries and affected his long-term mobility. In the aftermath of the crash, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, only going public with the condition in 2020. Meanwhile, Sharon — who described their life together as 'a Shakespeare play' — slipped Ozzy extra sleeping pills in 2016 to extract a confession that he had been having an affair with his hairdresser. It was also revealed that there were more mistresses. Devastated, Sharon tried to kill herself but was found by a cleaner. Jessie Breakwell, who worked as their nanny, said: 'Ozzy was obsessed with her. 'They'd giggle and make jokes. 'It was genuine love.' After Ozzy went to rehab for sex addiction, the couple reconciled and renewed their vows in Las Vegas in 2017. Sharon admitted: 'I love him. 'I can leave if I want, take half of everything and go. I don't want to.' 6 Ozzy was obsessed with his wife Credit: Getty 6 Sharon and Ozzy as youngsters Credit: Getty - Contributor Wild and hilarious Ozzy stories 1. Ozzy once told Sharon: 'Don't cremate me, whatever you do. 'I want to be put in the ground, in a nice garden somewhere, with a tree over my head. 'A crabapple tree, preferably, so the kids can make wine out of me and get pissed out of their heads. 'As for what they'll put on my headstone, I ain't under any illusions. 'If I close my eyes, I can already see it: 'Ozzy Osbourne, born 1948 'Died, whenever. 'He bit the head off a bat.' 2. Ozzy decided to stop using acid while recording Black Sabbath album Vol 4. He said: 'I took ten tabs of acid then went for a walk in a field. 'I ended up standing there talking to this horse for about an hour. 'In the end, the horse turned around and told me to f**k off. 'That was it for me.' 3. The rocker began tattooing himself as a teenager while growing up in Birmingham. He said: 'I even put a smiley face on each of my knees to cheer myself up when I was sitting on the bog in the morning.' Decades later he had 'thanks' tattooed on his right palm. He said: 'It seemed like a brilliant idea at the time. 'How many times do you say 'thanks' to people during your lifetime? 'Tens of thousands, probably. 'Now all I had to do was raise my right hand.' 4. The Osbournes had a donkey called Sally, who used to sit in the living room with Ozzy and watch Match Of The Day. 5. Former slaughterhouse worker Ozzy claimed to have killed his family's cats while high. He recalled: 'I was taking drugs so much I was a f***ed. 'The final straw came when I shot all our cats. 'We had about 17, and I went crazy and shot them all. 'My wife found me under the piano in a white suit – a shotgun in one hand and a knife in the other.' 6. The Prince of Darkness was interested in the Bible. He said: 'I've tried to read it several times. 'But I've only ever got as far as the bit about Moses being 720 years old, and I'm like, 'What were these people smoking back then?'' 7. Ozzy met the late Queen at the Royal Variety Performance. He recalled: 'I was standing next to Cliff Richard. 'She took one look at the two of us, and said, 'Oh, so this is what they call variety, is it?' then cracked up laughing. 'I honestly thought Sharon must have slipped some acid into my cornflakes that morning.' 8. Ozzy loved putting hidden messages in songs. He said: 'On No Rest For The Wicked, if you play Bloodbath In Paradise backwards, you can clearly hear me saying, 'Your mother sells whelks in Hull'.'
