Ozzy Osbourne Dead at 76

Miami Herald

5 days ago

Ozzy Osbourne, known as the lead singer of Black Sabbath as well as his own illustrious-and often controversial-solo career, has died. He was 76.
His death was confirmed in a statement to The Sun on Tuesday, July 22.
"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," the statement read. "He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis."
Osbourne was first diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2003, though it wasn't until more recent years he began to open up about it. He also required multiple spinal surgeries as a result of a fall in 2019 that affected metal rods he had inserted following a quad bike crash in 2003, and battled on and off for years with alcohol and drug abuse.
In late 2023, Osbourne spoke about his prognosis with Rolling Stone UK, suggesting that he only had ten years left to live, "at best." He wasn't letting the prospect of death get him down, though, noting, "I don't fear dying, but I don't want to have a long, painful and miserable existence. I like the idea that if you have a terminal illness, you can go to a place in Switzerland and get it done quickly."
Back in 2007, wife Sharon Osbourne shared that the couple had initiated a death pact with one another following the death of her father after a difficult battle with Alzheimer's. She and her husband agreed to die by euthanasia if either one of them were ever diagnosed with the same disease, and later updated the pact to include any illness or other issue that prevented them from living life normally. In late 2023, the couple doubled down on the plans, much to their children's shock.
His health caused a number of postponements and cancellations in the later years of his career, with his last full concert occurring in 2018. In early 2023, he took to social media to share "one of the hardest things [he 's] ever had to share with [his] loyal fans," announcing that he was canceling his planned international tour as his body was too "physically weak" to "deal with the travel required."
"Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way," he wrote, thanking fans for holding out hope and having "patiently held onto your tickets for all this time."
"I was really pissed off with myself, the doctors, and the world," he told Rolling Stone when looking back at the start of his touring troubles. "But as time has gone on, I've just gone, 'Well, maybe I've just got to accept that fact.'"
Still, he adamantly denied retirement rumors that followed, and hoped to find a way to do one final farewell show. "I just want to be well enough to do one show where I can say, 'Hi guys, thanks so much for my life.' That's what I'm working towards, and if I drop down dead at the end of it, I'll die a happy man."
His passing comes just a few short weeks after that final farewell show came to fruition in the form of Back to the Beginning, a festival celebration honoring his illustrious career with countless tributes from other legendary musicians, which also served as his final live performance.
He leaves behind his wife, Sharon, with whom he shares daughters Aimee and Kelly and son Jack, as well as kids Jessica and Louis, whom he shares with his first wife, Thelma, his stepson, Elliot, from the same relationship, and nine grandchildren.
Related: Ozzy Osbourne Still 'Sounds So Damn Great' in Final Performance Video That Has Fans 'Crying From Their Sofa'
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