Latest news with #JohnMichael"Ozzy"Osbourne
DW
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- DW
Ozzy Osbourne dies at 76 – DW – 07/23/2025
Heavy metal pioneer Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76 after fighting Parkinson's disease. His records as a member of Black Sabbath and as a solo artist sold over 100 million copies. John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne, the frontman of English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 76. Nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness" and the "Godfather of Heavy Metal," Osbourne is largely credited with founding the heavy metal genre. Though he parted ways with Black Sabbath in 1979 over his drug and alcohol addictions, he rejoined the band several times, including for a farewell live performance last month.
DW
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- DW
Ozzy Osbourne: The 'Prince of Darkness' pioneered hard rock – DW – 07/23/2025
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne once admitted that his destructive lifestyle may have killed him years ago. But the "Prince of Darkness" overcame addiction to continue his work and pioneer the heavy metal genre. British musician Ozzy Osbourne, who rose to fame in the early 1970s with pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath before becoming a solo artist and a TV celebrity via the hit reality show, "The Osbournes," has died at the age of 76, just weeks after a farewell show. The heavy metal rocker, who took on the moniker "The Prince of Darkness" during the height on his Black Sabbath fame, was aware that the destructive lifestyle of his past could have led him to die years ago. "Do you feel immortal?" Osbourne was asked in a BBC interview before one of Black Sabbath's final gigs in 2017. "No, I feel lucky to be alive," he replied, "because I've done some pretty damn crazy stuff in my life." John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne was born December 3, 1948 near Birmingham in the West Midlands, and was raised in the city that he credits with nurturing a unique musical movement — among countless Bimingham bands were Black Sabbath's heavy metal rivals Led Zeppelin. Leaving school at 15 to pursue various failed apprenticeships as a plumber and toolmaker, and also working in a slaughterhouse and a mortuary, Osbourne — who already took on the nickname "Ozzy" at school — soon found himself in prison for six weeks for theft. In 1968, Osbourne, a budding vocalist who had played in several local blues bands, formed a group called Polka Tulk Blues with bassist Geezer Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. They soon changed their name to Earth, and then to Black Sabbath. Like the Beatles, which were a major early influence on Osbourne, Black Sabbath were able to work on their new heavy rock sound while playing a series of three-hour gigs at The Star Club in Hamburg. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Having secured a record contract, the band's early heavy metal rock riffs and dark, occult-inspired lyrics sung by their eccentric long-haired frontman were showcased on two 1970 albums, the self-titledBlack Sabbath" and "Paranoid," which each sold over a million copies. By 1973, with the release of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," the band, and especially Osbourne, were global superstars. But amid the constant touring, Osbourne developed his infamous drugs and alcohol addiction. He recalled winding down after performances by drinking a bottle of hard spirits and taking a handful of sleeping pills. The rest of the band were also doing drugs, but by the late '70s, Osbourne was often too drunk to rehearse and write songs, and the band's output suffered. In 1979, Osbourne was kicked out of Black Sabbath for his unreliability and excessive substance abuse. However, unlike fellow English rock legends like John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, who died at 32 in 1980 from alcohol abuse, Osbourne was determined to survive his addiction. "The day I got fired from Sabbath was at the time the worst day of my life," he said in an interview in the 1980s. "But then looking back now, it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me." Upon leaving the band, Osbourne went into a hotel room for three months and, in his words, "got smashed out of my brain everyday." But soon after, he kicked drugs and embarked on a highly successful solo career that included 13 studio albums. Up until his death, he sold upward of 40 million records. Osbourne's debut solo album, the 1981 "Blizzard Of Ozz," included the US top 10 single "Crazy Train," and was certified five times platinum. A year later, the heavily tattooed, eyeline-wearing singer, whose style veered between glam and gothic, gained further infamy for biting the head off a live bat on stage during a US tour. Osbourne claimed he thought it was a toy — though he had allegedly bitten the head off two doves in front of a CBS Records PR executive the year before. In 1997, Osbourne rejoined the band upon which his wildman persona was built. That same year, Black Sabbath played at the Ozzfest metal music festival that Osbourne founded the previous year with his wife and manager Sharon. He was a regular with the old band until they recorded a final studio album in 2013 titled "13." The band's final gig, billed "Back to the Beginning," was performed in their hometown of Birmingham in July 2025. The sometimes incoherent singer became a kind of ageing rock caricature in the early 2000s when he agreed to make his family, then living in LA, the subject of a reality TV show, "The Osbournes," also starring two of the Osbournes' three children, Kelly and Jack. Appearing on the Jay Leno Show with wife Sharon during the peak of his reality TV fame in 2005, Osbourne explained: "I don't smoke anymore, I don't drink alcohol anymore, I don't take drugs anymore, in fact I'm quite boring these days." Despite Osbourne claiming he was "dying" in 2019 after suffering a fall in his Los Angeles home early that year and spending months in and out of the hospital following spinal surgery (which was complicated by pneumonia), Osbourne released a much-anticipated new single at the start of 2020, "Straight to Hell." The song, which quickly garnered millions of YouTube hits, was from Osbourne's 12th solo album, his first for a decade, titled "Ordinary Man"the title track features a vocal duet with Elton John. His final album, "Patient Number 9," was released in September 2022. In an interview in January 2020, Osbourne and his wife also acknowledged that Ozzy had been diagnosed with a form of Parkinson's, a neurodegenerative disease. Talking on the Good Morning America program, he was asked if he was on his deathbed. "Far from it," he said. "I hope they hang in there for me," he said of his fans following the cancellation of his world tour. "Because I need them." Having often admitted that his drugs and drinking should have killed him decades before, Osbourne might have finally succumbed to his extreme lifestyle. But he never was an ordinary man.
DW
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- DW
Ozzy Osbourne dies aged 76 – DW – 07/23/2025
Heavy metal pioneer Ozzy Osbourne has passed away at the age of 76 after fighting Parkinson's disease. His records as a member of Black Sabbath and as a solo artist sold over 100 million copies. John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne, the frontman of English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 76. Nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness" and the "Godfather of Heavy Metal," Osbourne is largely credited with founding the heavy metal genre. Though he parted ways with Black Sabbath in 1979 over his drug and alcohol addictions, he rejoined the band several times, including for a farewell live performance last month.
Roya News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Roya News
Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath frontman, dies at 76
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne, the vocalist of Black Sabbath, died on Tuesday, July 22, at the age of 76. His family confirmed his passing in a statement, noting he was "with his family and surrounded by love." Osbourne, born in Aston, Birmingham, in 1948, co-founded Black Sabbath in 1967. The band's initial releases, including their 1969 debut album Black Sabbath and the subsequent album Paranoid, are widely recognized as foundational works in the heavy metal genre. His death occurred weeks after he performed at what was billed as his final live show, the "Back To The Beginning" concert, held on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham. The event featured appearances by other acts, including Metallica and Guns N' Roses. Osbourne performed from a throne on stage, addressing fans. In 2020, Osbourne publicly disclosed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2003. He had experienced various health issues in recent years, including complications from a fall in 2019 that necessitated spinal surgeries. Beyond his career with Black Sabbath, Osbourne also pursued a solo career. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice, once as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006 and again as a solo artist in 2024.
The Advertiser
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne dies at age of 76
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne, the lead singer of heavy metal band BlackSabbath, has died at the age of 76, his family says. Osbourne was "surrounded by love" during his last moments, a statement from his family said. "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 said. "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. 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. Children in school nicknamed him Ozzy, short for his surname. As a boy, he loved the Four Seasons, Chuck Berry and Little Richard. The Beatles made a huge impression. "They came from Liverpool, which was approximately 60 miles north of where I come from," he told Billboard. "So all of a sudden it was in my grasp but I never thought it would be as successful as it became." Osbourne and his wife Sharon had three children together: Jack, Kelly and Aimee. Either clad in black or bare-chested, Osbourne was often the target of parents' groups for his imagery. Later, he would reveal himself to be a doddering and sweet father on the reality TV show The Osbournes. Black Sabbath's 1969 self-titled debut LP has been likened to the Big Bang of heavy metal. It came during the height of the Vietnam War and crashed the hippie party, dripping menace and foreboding. The cover of the record was of a spooky figure against a stark landscape. The music was loud, dense and angry, and marked a shift in rock 'n' roll. The band's second album, Paranoid, included such classic metal tunes as War Pigs, Iron Man and Fairies Wear Boots. The song Paranoid became in many ways the band's signature song. Both albums were voted among the top 10 greatest heavy metal albums of all time by readers of Rolling Stone magazine. "Black Sabbath are the Beatles of heavy metal. Anybody who's serious about metal will tell you it all comes down to Sabbath," Dave Navarro of the band Jane's Addiction wrote in a 2010 tribute in Rolling Stone. "There's a direct line you can draw back from today's metal, through Eighties bands like Iron Maiden, back to Sabbath." Sabbath fired Osbourne in 1979 for his legendary excesses, like showing up late for rehearsals and missing gigs. "We knew we didn't really have a choice but to sack him because he was just so out of control. But we were all very down about the situation," wrote bassist Terry "Geezer" Butler in his memoir Into the Void. Osbourne re-emerged the next year as a solo artist with Blizzard of Ozz and the following year's Diary of a Madman, both hard rock classics that went multi-platinum and spawned enduring favourites such as Crazy Train, Goodbye to Romance, Flying High Again and You Can't Kill Rock and Roll. Osbourne was twice inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - once with Sabbath in 2006 and again in 2024 as a solo artist. The original Sabbath line-up reunited for the first time in 20 years in July 2025 in the United Kingdom for what Osborne said would be his final concert. "Let the madness begin!" he told 42,000 fans. Audiences at Osbourne shows could be mooned or spit on by the singer. They would often be hectored to scream along with the song but Osbourne would usually send the crowds home with their ears ringing and a hearty "God bless!". with Reuters and AP John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne, the lead singer of heavy metal band BlackSabbath, has died at the age of 76, his family says. Osbourne was "surrounded by love" during his last moments, a statement from his family said. "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 said. "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. 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. Children in school nicknamed him Ozzy, short for his surname. As a boy, he loved the Four Seasons, Chuck Berry and Little Richard. The Beatles made a huge impression. "They came from Liverpool, which was approximately 60 miles north of where I come from," he told Billboard. "So all of a sudden it was in my grasp but I never thought it would be as successful as it became." Osbourne and his wife Sharon had three children together: Jack, Kelly and Aimee. Either clad in black or bare-chested, Osbourne was often the target of parents' groups for his imagery. Later, he would reveal himself to be a doddering and sweet father on the reality TV show The Osbournes. Black Sabbath's 1969 self-titled debut LP has been likened to the Big Bang of heavy metal. It came during the height of the Vietnam War and crashed the hippie party, dripping menace and foreboding. The cover of the record was of a spooky figure against a stark landscape. The music was loud, dense and angry, and marked a shift in rock 'n' roll. The band's second album, Paranoid, included such classic metal tunes as War Pigs, Iron Man and Fairies Wear Boots. The song Paranoid became in many ways the band's signature song. Both albums were voted among the top 10 greatest heavy metal albums of all time by readers of Rolling Stone magazine. "Black Sabbath are the Beatles of heavy metal. Anybody who's serious about metal will tell you it all comes down to Sabbath," Dave Navarro of the band Jane's Addiction wrote in a 2010 tribute in Rolling Stone. "There's a direct line you can draw back from today's metal, through Eighties bands like Iron Maiden, back to Sabbath." Sabbath fired Osbourne in 1979 for his legendary excesses, like showing up late for rehearsals and missing gigs. "We knew we didn't really have a choice but to sack him because he was just so out of control. But we were all very down about the situation," wrote bassist Terry "Geezer" Butler in his memoir Into the Void. Osbourne re-emerged the next year as a solo artist with Blizzard of Ozz and the following year's Diary of a Madman, both hard rock classics that went multi-platinum and spawned enduring favourites such as Crazy Train, Goodbye to Romance, Flying High Again and You Can't Kill Rock and Roll. Osbourne was twice inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - once with Sabbath in 2006 and again in 2024 as a solo artist. The original Sabbath line-up reunited for the first time in 20 years in July 2025 in the United Kingdom for what Osborne said would be his final concert. "Let the madness begin!" he told 42,000 fans. Audiences at Osbourne shows could be mooned or spit on by the singer. They would often be hectored to scream along with the song but Osbourne would usually send the crowds home with their ears ringing and a hearty "God bless!". with Reuters and AP John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne, the lead singer of heavy metal band BlackSabbath, has died at the age of 76, his family says. Osbourne was "surrounded by love" during his last moments, a statement from his family said. "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 said. "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. 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. Children in school nicknamed him Ozzy, short for his surname. As a boy, he loved the Four Seasons, Chuck Berry and Little Richard. The Beatles made a huge impression. "They came from Liverpool, which was approximately 60 miles north of where I come from," he told Billboard. "So all of a sudden it was in my grasp but I never thought it would be as successful as it became." Osbourne and his wife Sharon had three children together: Jack, Kelly and Aimee. Either clad in black or bare-chested, Osbourne was often the target of parents' groups for his imagery. Later, he would reveal himself to be a doddering and sweet father on the reality TV show The Osbournes. Black Sabbath's 1969 self-titled debut LP has been likened to the Big Bang of heavy metal. It came during the height of the Vietnam War and crashed the hippie party, dripping menace and foreboding. The cover of the record was of a spooky figure against a stark landscape. The music was loud, dense and angry, and marked a shift in rock 'n' roll. The band's second album, Paranoid, included such classic metal tunes as War Pigs, Iron Man and Fairies Wear Boots. The song Paranoid became in many ways the band's signature song. Both albums were voted among the top 10 greatest heavy metal albums of all time by readers of Rolling Stone magazine. "Black Sabbath are the Beatles of heavy metal. Anybody who's serious about metal will tell you it all comes down to Sabbath," Dave Navarro of the band Jane's Addiction wrote in a 2010 tribute in Rolling Stone. "There's a direct line you can draw back from today's metal, through Eighties bands like Iron Maiden, back to Sabbath." Sabbath fired Osbourne in 1979 for his legendary excesses, like showing up late for rehearsals and missing gigs. "We knew we didn't really have a choice but to sack him because he was just so out of control. But we were all very down about the situation," wrote bassist Terry "Geezer" Butler in his memoir Into the Void. Osbourne re-emerged the next year as a solo artist with Blizzard of Ozz and the following year's Diary of a Madman, both hard rock classics that went multi-platinum and spawned enduring favourites such as Crazy Train, Goodbye to Romance, Flying High Again and You Can't Kill Rock and Roll. Osbourne was twice inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - once with Sabbath in 2006 and again in 2024 as a solo artist. The original Sabbath line-up reunited for the first time in 20 years in July 2025 in the United Kingdom for what Osborne said would be his final concert. "Let the madness begin!" he told 42,000 fans. Audiences at Osbourne shows could be mooned or spit on by the singer. They would often be hectored to scream along with the song but Osbourne would usually send the crowds home with their ears ringing and a hearty "God bless!". with Reuters and AP
