Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne dead aged 76: family
The hell-raising singer, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, passed away just over two weeks after playing a farewell concert in his home city of Birmingham, England.
"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," read the family's statement.
"He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time."
Osbourne was instrumental in pioneering heavy metal -- an offshoot of hard rock -- as Black Sabbath enjoyed huge commercial success in the 1970s.
Nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness", he once bit off the head of a bat while on stage.
Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948 in Birmingham, he left school at 15 and did odd jobs including factory work before teaming up with school friend Geezer Butler in several bands.
He brought the curtain down on a wild career earlier this month when Black Sabbath rattled through their most iconic songs in front of an adoring crowd at Villa Park, home of Premier League football club Aston Villa.
"It's the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle... Thank you from the bottom of our hearts," Osbourne told the crowd after finishing the set with "Paranoid" -- the band's most famous song.
pdh/jhb
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
43 minutes ago
- ABC News
Her features are flawless. But this blonde, blue-eyed Vogue model isn't real
She has sleek blond hair, a delicate nose and flawless features. But she is not real. For the first time in history, Vogue has featured an AI model in its pages. The two-page spread, an ad for Guess's summer collection, is in the fashion bible's August print edition. But it has sparked significant online controversy, with some claiming it threatens diversity in fashion and reinforces already unattainable beauty standards. Others say it calls into question the future of real models. Here's what we know. The images were created by London-based AI marketing agency Seraphinne Vallora. Co-founded by former architects Valentina Gonzalez and Andreea Petrescu, the company builds fashion campaigns for major brands using artificial intelligence. "When we started, no one was doing this," the co-founders told the ABC in a statement. "But with the global attention we've received and the results we've shown, we're seeing a massive shift in awareness." They scored the Guess campaign after co-founder Paul Marciano "slid into their DMs" on Instagram. Once they'd worked with the brand to learn their creative vision, Seraphinne Vallora generated the imagery. It's a process they say can take several weeks and hundreds of iterations, as they work to perfect the texture, movement and details of the advertised product. The resulting Vogue spread featured summery images of a blonde model wearing a floral mini dress and a striped maxi dress. In one corner, there's a subtle disclaimer that the images are AI-generated. Vogue has faced online backlash for including the ad in its latest print edition. One reader says the magazine had "lost credibility". Others pointed out that with the rise of AI, even models would not be able to compete with unrealistic beauty standards. Vogue directed the ABC's inquiries to Guess, which did not respond by the deadline. RMIT fashion lecturer Rashmita Bardalai says Guess may have opted for an AI-generated model to cut the costs of traditional fashion shoots — both logistical and financial. "It also gives them control over styling environments, so they can place models in any type of digital world," she said. Seraphinne Vallora says while they can create any kind of model, they've noticed online engagement plummets as soon as they experiment with "more diversity". This includes different body types and facial features. "Our reach would drop from 10 million views per month to just 1 million. That's a 90 per cent decrease," they said in a statement. "We're simply reflecting what has been established culturally and what audiences still respond to today." Dr Bardalai says fashion has made "real progress" in diversity in recent years, platforming models with different body types, ages, ethnicities and abilities, as well as trans models. She says it's crucial AI is trained with unbiased datasets, to ensure it doesn't promote "outdated beauty norms". The Butterfly Foundation's Melissa Wilton says AI models may spark a surge in disordered eating, as people pursue increasingly "unrealistic and unattainable" beauty ideals. She said a 2024 Dove report showed almost 50 per cent of Australian women felt pressured to alter their appearance because of online content, even when they knew images were fake or AI-generated. "AI may also reinforce Eurocentric beauty ideals, such as light skin, straight hair and thinness, while also excluding racial minorities," she said. Seraphinne Vallora say they expect demand for their AI-generated models will explode in the coming years. However, they say they don't want to replace traditional methods, but offer a faster, lower-cost "creative alternative". Meanwhile, Dr Bardalai says while AI offers "really exciting potentials" in the fashion space — including supporting sustainable design and reducing purchase returns — it's crucial it's properly regulated. She says AI images must also be clearly labelled — currently not a legal obligation in Australia. But while AI models could "disrupt workflows" in certain fashion productions such as pre-launch teasers and lookbooks, Dr Bardalai says there's little risk they'll replace real-life models entirely. "How do we use this as a tool and not as a substitute?" she says. "But the human touch, the emotional intelligence — of course, that remains irreplaceable."
Daily Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Prince William, Kate Middleton eyeing new royal home
Prince William and Kate Middleton are looking at moving on from Adelaide Cottage to a larger home. It's understood the Prince and Princess of Wales, who are looking to upsize to a grander royal residence, may consider relocating to Fort Belvedere, the Daily Mail reports. The property was the favourite home of Edward VIII, who lived there before he became king and after he abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson. Known as The Fort, the sprawling estate features an outdoor swimming pool and tennis court. It also boasts a rose garden, walled garden, kitchen garden, large greenhouse, stables, two lakes, paddocks and three cottages for staff. RELATED: Meghan's next move after Netflix disaster 'Toxic': King's staff stage mass exodus George must abide by sad rule 'They feel they have outgrown Adelaide Cottage and need somewhere more substantial,' a source told the Daily Mail. 'This is the perfect new home for them. It has a swimming pool and tennis court, and Charlotte loves playing tennis.' William and Kate were previously reported to be offered the keys to Royal Lodge, the large Windsor home where Prince Andrew lives. The Duke of York, who moved into the 30-room mansion in 2004, has refused to move, after taking on a 'cast-iron lease' that lasts until 2078. Another plan to move the family into a wing of Windsor Castle also seems to be off the table. William and Kate moved their family into Adelaide Cottage in 2022. Before living in the four-bedroom home, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, and their parents lived in a lavish 20-room Kensington Palace apartment, which has been dubbed a 'prison for kids'. The family lived in Apartment 1A from 2017 to 2022, and Kate and William still use it as their official office, The Sun reports. Although it is called an 'apartment', royal experts have said the royal dwelling is anything but small. The 'enormous' Apartment 1A is spread over four floors and takes up half the Clock Tower wing designed by Sir Christopher Wren for King William and Queen Mary. It has five reception rooms, three main bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, as well as his-and-hers dressing rooms. There are nine bedrooms for staff on the top floor, which can be reached by a lift. In the basement, there is a gym, laundry room and space for luggage. Despite the impressive amenities, William and Kate uprooted their kids in 2022 for a more rural and private life out of the 'goldfish bowl' of central London. Sources said the couple dreamt of having a 'modest' home with a garden so the children could play outside together. Parts of this story first appeared in The Sun and was republished with permission. RELATED: 'Desperate': Harry's fear when Wills is King Harry and Meg slash staff in brutal move Wild reason Charles can't kick Andrew out
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Danika Mason cops heartbreaking blow as rugby league boyfriend Liam Knight makes move
Channel 9 presenter Danika Mason has copped a brutal blow with her rugby league boyfriend, Liam Knight, set to spend the next year on the other side of the world. Knight, who signed a deal to join Super League club Hull FC back in March, has set the league alight since making the move from Australia. As a result of his excellent start to the 2025 season, the 30-year-old has been rewarded with a new 12-month contract. While it shows Knight is thriving in his career, it means he will continue to be more than 17,000km away from the Wide World of Sports host, who recently replaced Alex Cullen on Nine's Today Show. Knight, who hails from Alice Springs, was released by the Canterbury Bulldogs last year, after playing just two matches for the club in 2024. He was quickly snapped up by Hull ahead of the 2025 season. Knight was originally set to spend seven months in the UK playing for Hull. But after becoming a fan favourite and one of the club's most consistent players, he penned a new 12-month deal. 'I'm stoked to be staying here – I really love this club and I'm really excited to see what we can keep building over the next 12 months,' Knight told the club's website announcing the news of his re-signing. 'I've really fallen in love with the fans and the atmosphere, both home and away – they're so dedicated. I love the playing group we have here and the coaching staff too – it's a fun place to come to work and that's being reflected in our performances.' While his career is thriving, it is a tough blow to his budding relationship with Mason. The couple's relationship became the talk of the rugby league world last year after Mason split with fiancee Todd Liubinskas in 2023 and called off their wedding, just weeks before they were set to get married. The exact reason for the couple's split remains unclear and became a topic of much speculation among footy and media insiders, with the party line being that it was due to a breakdown in trust. Mason was first pictured on a date with Knight at The Butler restaurant in Sydney's Potts Point in February 2024 before the pair confirmed they were together on Instagram in July. Knight posted a loved-up snap of the pair embracing with the caption: 'My life's good.' Despite the distance that now separates them, the pair have remained together. And while it is undoubtedly hard to be away from his partner, Knight revealed his move to Hull has helped him rediscover his love for rugby league. 'It's been a real ride so far – I got off the plane in March and jumped straight into it,' Knight said. 'I didn't have much of a pre-season, so the first few weeks were about building some fitness, and I feel like I've been building week to week and contributing to the team. 'I had a couple of tough years back home in regards to injury, so coming over to England was a bit of a clean slate for me. I've really found my love for the sport again, so this move has been a massive blessing for me.'
