Ozzy Osbourne dies at the age of 76, family announces
"He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.'
He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019.
BREAKING: Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76.https://t.co/m26i5ZEj8H
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As frontman of Black Sabbath, he was at the forefront of the heavy metal scene – a deeper, darker offshoot of hard rock.
His theatrical stage presence, including once biting off the head of a bat, and styling himself as the Prince of Darkness, marked him out as a controversial figure.
Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3 1948, in Aston, Birmingham, he left school at 15 and did odd jobs, including factory work, before teaming up with school friend Geezer Butler in several bands.
Just weeks ago, the legendary rocker told thousands of heavy metal enthusiasts at Villa Park – a stone's throw from where Black Sabbath was formed in 1968 – that it was 'so good to be on this stage' as he performed his last set from a large black throne.
Osbourne and his fellow original Black Sabbath members – Tony Iommi, Terence 'Geezer' Butler and Bill Ward – were the last to appear on stage as part of a star-studded line-up for the Back to the Beginning concert.
His final concert raised over £150 million for charity, just two weeks after he gave adoring fans one final incredible performance at his hometown in Birmingham.
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The Guardian
34 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Ozzy Osbourne's final performance revealed fragility was the metal god's true power
Moshers gathered in their masses. Spilling out of the crazy train from Birmingham to Villa Park earlier this month, the thousands of black band shirts contained a universe: spandexed glam rock nestled next to indecipherable black metal logos, accessorised with wild hair, tough belts and tougher boots. Denim and leather jackets almost sagged under the weight of stitched-on patches. Metal's tribalism is a marvel, a commitment to a sound and lifestyle on the margins of the mainstream. That Saturday, the genre's fans were out in force, giving thanks to the man who started it all. The daylong metal celebration Back to the Beginning was billed as the farewell concert by Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. But Ozzy's delayed retirement, due to the effects of debilitating surgeries and Parkinson's disease, barely masked a different motive: this was surely it, and not just creatively. We wondered: would Ozzy be well enough to perform. If so, what would that performance look like? It gave the day the air of a wake happening in real time. Black Sabbath had never been stymied by illness or adversity. Tony Iommi lost the tips of two fingers as a teenager but persisted in learning the guitar by making his own prosthetic fingertips and adopting light-gauge strings, which created Black Sabbath's signature tone. In recent years, he's lived with cancer. Bassist Geezer Butler has been open about his long experience with depression and drummer Bill Ward is a heart-attack survivor. A degenerative disease, Parkinson's is marked by its cruelty, robbing a person of their agency and ability to express themselves. For a performer, Parkinson's may feel like a premature death, of the persona they've created and the power it exerts. Hours before Ozzy appeared onstage at Villa Park, that power and the reverence his lovable, cartoonish, hellraising persona inspires was obvious in the legions of bands – and acolytes – who played before him. Acts forewent their usual fees to raise record-shattering profits for charities supporting children's hospitals, hospices and Parkinson's research; there was a drum-off between members of Blink-182, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tool for Sabbath's Symptom of the Universe; Yungblud cranked Ozzy's Changes up to 11. The format soaked up the boyish camaraderie, the big kids in Ozzy's shadow who live for metal. As the skies darkened, chants of 'Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!' rose and the stage illuminated a figure seated on a throne of bats. It could be easy for some to forget – through the haze of reality TV, Brummie mumbles and cartoonish antics – that Osbourne's vocals gave rise to an entire genre. To lose that would be to lose it all, so there was mass relief that he was in surprisingly good form. He was visibly fighting against his physical limitations and getting into character with wide-eyed growls, his tone and conviction punching through on Mama, I'm Coming Home and Paranoid. His fragility generated a sense of urgency; hearing him sing in person, I recognised that Ozzy's power had always been in his fragility. His voice was a soul's wail, not a grunt or growl. In life, his honesty drew people closer to him. The mythology around his performances and wilderness years propelled his fame, but this night flashed him way back to a moment when his ad in the paper searching for bandmates might have been passed over, consigning him to a life as John Michael rather than Ozzy, another working-class lad from Aston in search of immortal truths. Back to the Beginning began as an impressively curated tribute. Now it takes on greater resonance as a swansong. We didn't know it, trudging out of Villa Park with the smell of fireworks and lager in the air, but it now seems like the most well-executed exit in entertainment since David Bowie's. Closing the circle ignited something in Osbourne that night, and in turn, the audience. He clung on for one last moment under the spotlight, one final connection. And then he went home.
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Ozzy Osbourne lived a life that feels impossible to put in rear view
He was a core part of the nucleus of something far greater than himself, while continuing to guide and mentor the monster that he had helped create. It's a testament to how much of a cultural force he was, how many people out there implicitly understood him. Osbourne was never locked into the timeframe of his successes nor reliant on the easy blessings of nostalgia like most figures in our cultural iconography – there was always a generation of teenagers in wait, ready to take the mantle and carry on all that he represented within themselves. The sheer influence, not just on music, but on people as a whole, is indescribable. Read more: I wonder if Brian Wilson ever truly knew how much his music meant to people There has been endless discussion over who or what originated heavy metal. Was it one of the early, harder-edged bands like Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin, or something less obvious like Blue Cheer's gritty 1968 single Summertime Blues? However, the whole discussion seems like a blatant distraction from the one true culprit: the debut album of Black Sabbath. Everything that could possibly be considered heavy metal is on that 1970 release. It's all there, served up helpfully in one neat package. The haunting eeriness of the cover art, the thunderous rain and bells of its opening track, the devil tones and tritones of Tony Iommi's guitar, and, of course, the nasal shrill of Osbourne projecting dark tales of wizards and nightmarish figures in black. He understood the true dramatics of rock music before any of his peers did. He knew that for a group like Black Sabbath to succeed, he had to buy in and cultivate the mythos himself. Ozzy Osbourne's contributions to Black Sabbath were part of the nucleus of the entire heavy metal genre (Image: Getty) Osbourne was never much of a singer. He was, by his own admission, not much of a musician at all. His initial opening into Black Sabbath was predicated on the simple basis of being the owner of a PA system. It made him useful for getting gigs. But he could perform, and he could forcefully bend his limited range to the will of a song. And it certainly helped that he had a knack for playing into the attention, an instinct for the theatrical, of turning a life of raucous intrigue into headlines and a long-enduring artistic persona. He was someone who could always manage to turn limitations into weapons. After being fired from Black Sabbath in 1979, Osbourne expected to burn through his remaining money holed up in a hotel room with cocaine and then return to his parents in Birmingham, ready to rejoin the dole queue as if none of his rockstar success ever happened. His manager and future wife, Sharon, pulled him from the mire and guided his career forward on a personal level, but musically, it was a young guitarist named Randy Rhoads who became his muse, providing the many iconic musical moments that drove reaction to his early solo career. Rhoads was the ingredient that gave the character of Ozzy a fresh air, a new musical dimension for him to dive in and explore. As much as Osbourne benefited from the surrounding musicians, they too saw benefit. His band was often seen as a stepping stone, a boot camp experience for future aspirations. Many now-famous heavy musicians were well-trained in the Ozzy camp. Read more: This extreme metal album blew up over a weekend – now it's accused of being AI Osbourne never lived as an island unto himself; much of the success and the drive relied on who he was surrounded by, and the relationship between himself and his guitarist was always paramount. His long solo career, which could fluctuate between tremendous highs and some garish lows, depended much on the collaborative space. His legacy well and truly stands on its own, yet it's an essential part of his story to remember the contributions of those without their names emblazoned on the marquee. Everyone already knows the mythical Prince of Darkness who bit heads off bats and inspired Satanic worship in the youth. The stories are out there, and they are endless. It was a media creation that he kept well and truly fed. It was so pervasive that he could parlay that into quite the media success of his own. His later years saw him become a big-time festival promoter, reality television star, and a general reference point in culture for everything dark and heavy. Osbourne was more than happy to play into the fantasy and mystique of his persona and all the chaos it created. After all, it was not quite the life that a factory worker from a post-industrial city could have imagined for himself. Or for anyone else.
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Ozzy Osbourne's last text message to former bandmate before his tragic death
Jake E. Lee, who played guitar for Ozzy Osbourne in the 1980s, has shared the last text message he received from the legendary Black Sabbath star before his death Jake E. Lee, who played guitar for Ozzy Osbourne in the 1980s, has shared the emotional final message he received from the legendary Black Sabbath frontman before his passing on Tuesday. Ozzy's death at 76 was confirmed by his grieving family, who released a statement to inform fans: "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. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis." Jake served as a crucial member of Ozzy's group from 1982 to 1987, contributing his skills to records including Bark At The Moon and The Ultimate Sin, and touring widely with the Birmingham legend. The pair lost contact around 1987 following Lee's exit from the band. However, their bond was reignited last year when Jake survived being shot three times outside his Las Vegas residence whilst walking his dog, the Mirror reports. At the time Ozzy said: "It's been 37 years since I've seen Jake E. Lee, but that still doesn't take away from the shock of hearing what happened to him." Later in the year, Jake was extended an invitation from Tom Morello, the musical director for Ozzy's massive farewell performance with Black Sabbath in Birmingham, to participate in the show on July 5. Despite not having worked together since 1987, Lee accepted the proposal and made the journey to the UK. Their reunion at the event near where Black Sabbath launched their career marked the first time they had seen each other in nearly four decades. Now, following Ozzy's passing this week (July 22), Lee has shared details about the touching text Ozzy sent him after the performance, which has now become the final message he received from Ozzy. Taking to Facebook, Jake told his followers that "the finality of it hits me in waves," before sharing a text message he had received from Ozzy a fortnight earlier whilst waiting at an airport. In the message, Ozzy stated: "Hi jake i'm so sorry i couldn't spend more time with you on the weekend but it was really chaotic, i would really like to see you when i eventually get back TO LA just to shoot the shit." "Its been so long since we saw each other, where have are you living these days, because the last thing i heard was you were living in Las Vegas. How did the gig for you on Saturday i really hope you had fun anyway i will text you when i eventually get back to LA and we must hook up much love and respect OZZY." Tragically, Ozzy never returned to LA and passed away at his Buckinghamshire home in England on Tuesday, despite the best efforts of air paramedics who battled for two hours trying to save him. Supporters have formed lengthy queues to sign a tribute book for the legendary rock star in the Midlands following his passing. The book has been opened at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, which is currently holding an exhibition titled Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero to celebrate the late singers life. Grieving admirers were also given the opportunity to record a voice message in whatever language they preferred by speaking into a red telephone. Birmingham's lord mayor, Zafar Iqbal, has described Ozzy Osbourne as a "proud Brummie" who contributed to placing the city "on the world map". Mr Iqbal met the founding members of the heavy metal band - formed in the city in 1968 - when they received the freedom of Birmingham in June. Speaking to PA news agency, he said: "He (Osbourne) was very important and he was a proud Brummie. He loved the city. He will be much missed, I think, and he was loved by so many people in the city. "I think he put Birmingham, and especially Aston, on the world map. He's done so much for the city and we honoured him with the freedom of the city as well, which we were grateful that he came (to) and received about six weeks ago.' The lord mayor additionally revealed he had been speaking with supporters queuing to sign a tribute book, which was established by a Birmingham museum presenting an exhibition devoted to Ozzy.
