Ozzy Osbourne dies at age 76: Family says legendary Black Sabbath singer was 'surrounded by love'

Yahoo

2 days ago

Osbourne, who lived with Parkinson's disease, had recently performed a farewell show in the U.K.
Rock star Ozzy Osbourne has died, according to multiple reports.
'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,' his family said in a statement to the press, signed by wife Sharon Osbourne and their children Kelly, Jack, Aimee, as well as his son Louis from his prior marriage to Thelma Riley. 'He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.'
The Black Sabbath rocker lived with Parkinson's disease. Earlier this month Osbourne played what was dubbed his 'final bow' from a throne at Villa Park in the U.K.
Born John Michael Osbourne, the English musician rose to fame as the so-called Prince of Darkness with his heavy metal band, Black Sabbath, which he co-founded in 1968. The band released popular hits like 'Paranoid,' 'Iron Man' and 'War Pigs.'
After his 1979 departure from the band due to substance abuse issues, Osbourne launched a successful solo career beginning with 1980's Blizzard of Ozz, which featured his hit track 'Crazy Train.' Osbourne became widely known for his wild onstage persona, including infamously biting the head off a bat during a 1982 concert. (He later got a rabies shot.) He went on to release 13 studio albums and was inducted twice into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in 2006, with Black Sabbath, and again in 2024 as a solo artist.
Outside of music, Osbourne also had an influence on pop culture: He became a part of the first reality TV show family thanks to his hit MTV show, The Osbournes, which documented the chaotic, often hilarious home life he shared with wife Sharon and their children, Kelly and Jack. The show also illuminated darker sides of his personal life, however, as it revealed his struggles with substance abuse and health issues. The show ran for four seasons, from 2002 to 2005.
Osbourne announced he had been previously diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a progressive nervous system disorder, in January 2020, a condition he later told the Los Angeles Times he had lived with since 2003.
'I'm not dying from Parkinson's. I've been working with it most of my life,' the singer told the newspaper. 'I've cheated death so many times. If tomorrow you read 'Ozzy Osbourne never woke up this morning,' you wouldn't go, 'Oh, my God!' You'd go, 'Well, it finally caught up with him.''
In addition to Parkinson's, the musician also suffered other health issues, such as a severe staph infection in 2018 and multiple spinal surgeries following a fall that aggravated an old injury.
In May, Osbourne told the Guardian about his condition: 'You wake up the next morning and find that something else has gone wrong. You begin to think this is never going to end.'
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, who was among the special guests at Osbourne and Black Sabbath's star-studded final show on July 5, posted a photo, presumably taken backstage, of himself with Osbourne and fellow guitarists Slash and Jeff Beck.
Sharon Osbourne, who's been married to Ozzy Osbourne for over 40 years, told Billboard the idea for "Back to the Beginning," the all-day benefit concert held in Birmingham, England, on July 5, was hers.
The event was billed as Osbourne and Black Sabbath's final show ever.
'It was my idea,' she said, 'because [Ozzy's] one regret was he didn't get the chance to say thank you to his fans before he finished his world tour. We were in the middle of his [2018 No More Tours 2] world tour, his retirement tour; we'd only done about nine months of the tour and he got sick.'
The benefit marked the first time in 20 years that the original bandmates had come together to perform. An accompanying concert film, Back to the Beginning: Ozzy's Final Bow, containing footage from the show, is also reportedly scheduled for release in early 2026.
Osbourne felt compelled to perform on stage a final time, in spite of his declining health.
Sharon told Billboard, 'He kept saying, 'It's my one regret' and 'I want a chance to really say thank you.' And this is what we thought would be the best way to do it. It's a celebration of Ozzy and Sabbath and the music. '
Public Enemy rapper and fellow reality TV star Flavor Flav said he was heartbroken over Osbourne's death.
Ozzy Osbourne has been the frontman for Black Sabbath, one of the most commercially successful heavy metal bands, since its formation in 1968.
Osbourne was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice — first with Black Sabbath in 2006, and again as a solo artist in 2024. Here's a look back photos from his storied music career.
In an Instagram post, Elton John remembered Osbourne as a "trailblazer," a "true legend," a "rock god" and "one of the funniest people I've ever met."
Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready thanked Osbourne for his music, which he described as "terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time."
Following the news of Osbourne's passing, his band, Black Sabbath, posted on the group's official Instagram account.
Alongside the caption "Ozzy Forever," the band shared a photo of Osbourne from his farewell show on July 5.
On X, the heavy metal band Pantera thanked Osbourne for his influence.
The music channel, which carried the reality TV show The Osbournes, posted a tribute on X.
The family released the following statement announcing the singer's death.
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
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