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Daily Record
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Ozzy Osbourne's 'brushes with death' including knife-wielding Satanist and witches coven
Ozzy Osbourne, who has sadly died, aged 76, experienced a number of close shaves over the years, including a catastrophic quad bike accident and an on-stage encounter with a knife-wielding Satanist Ozzy Osbourne had a number of "brushes with death" during his decades-long career, including an encounter with a knife-wielding Satanist and a "witches' coven". Yesterday (Tuesday, July 22), it was announced that the heavy metal icon had sadly died, aged 76, just weeks after performing a farewell concert with his Black Sabbath bandmates. In a statement announcing his passing, his family wrote: "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." The 'War Pigs' rocker suffered from a number of health issues over the years and had been battling Parkinson's disease since 2019, a condition that ultimately led to him being unable to stand or walk without assistance. Ozzy, whose hell-raising antics included biting the head off a bat, also had a well-documented fight with alcoholism and drug addiction and experienced several close shaves with death over his long career. Indeed, some of these incidents were astonishing, including an encounter with a Satanist in 1971, who jumped onto the stage during a Black Sabbath gig and wielded a "sacrificial knife", writes the Telegraph. It wouldn't be the end of the bizarre ordeal, however, as a "local witches' coven" later surrounded the band's hotel. Luckily, the group's drummer, Bill Ward, managed to "scare them off" with what was described as a "fake hex." Yet, Ozzy's "brushes with death" weren't all linked to the occult. In 1982, Sabbath's private jet had been "buzzing" the tour bus in Florida, US, when it collided into a house, killing the iconic guitarist, Randy Rhoads, Rachel Youngblood, and the pilot, Andrew Aycock. In a more recent incident in 2003, Ozzy suffered catastrophic injuries in a quad bike accident on his Buckinghamshire estate, with the singer requiring resuscitation and breaking his neck vertebrae, eight ribs, and collarbone. In addition, his "industrial-scale intake of drink and drugs" ultimately took its toll and had what the publication described as the "greatest effect" on his well-being. Speaking about his addictions, Ozzy confessed: "I am something of a madman. I can do nothing in moderation. If it's booze, I drink the place dry. If it's drugs, I take everything and then scrape the carpet for little crumbs." In 2024, reports emerged that Ozzy had been substance-free for much of the previous 10 years, but he revealed that year he wasn't "completely sober", admitting on his talk show, The Madhouse Chronicles, that he used a "bit of marijuana from time to time." Ozzy, who performed sat down on a throne in front of 42,000 fans less than three weeks ago, received an outpouring of tributes from the worlds of rock and metal following the tragic announcement that he'd passed away. Some of the names included Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones, Ali Campbell from UB40, Sir Elton John, Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, and Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong. Speaking at his farewell gig, Ozzy said: "You've no idea how I feel - thank you from the bottom of my heart."
The South African
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The South African
Ozzy Osbourne: 'Prince of Darkness' and maestro of heavy metal
Ozzy Osbourne will go down in rock history as the 'godfather of heavy metal' who fulfilled his hard-living dreams as the frontman of Black Sabbath. After decades of debauchery and more than 100 million albums sold, the British singer died on Tuesday at the age of 76, leaving behind his wife Sharon, six children, a host of grandchildren and a permanent legacy in the annals of rock'n'roll. His death came a little more than two weeks after Black Sabbath played a farewell concert to 40 000 fans at Villa Park, in his native Birmingham. Rock royalty lined up to pay tribute to him including Metallica, Guns N' Roses and members of Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones at the stadium that is the home to his beloved Aston Villa football team. Ozzy, as he was routinely referred to, attracted legions of new fans in the 2000s after appearing as the hard-of-hearing, slightly crazy but doting grandfather in MTV's hit reality show 'The Osbournes', a far cry from the excesses that defined his 1970s heyday. Until his renaissance, he was best known in the mainstream for biting the head of a live bat during a concert and for urinating in the wine glass of a record-label chief – as well as on the Alamo monument in Texas. But for hard-rock fans he will forever be remembered as the 'Prince of Darkness' leading Black Sabbath, the band that helped launch heavy metal, a blend of rock and blues drenched in distortion and dark lyrics. The band enjoyed immediate success on the release of its eponymous debut album in 1970. Hundreds of thousands around the world continued to flock to hear rock hymns such as 'Paranoid', 'War Pigs' and 'Iron Man' at the band's riotous live shows for almost 50 years, until the band brought down the curtain a first time with a gig in Birmingham in 2017. The hit reality TV show 'The Osbournes' introduced Ozzy to legions of new fans, along with wife Sharon and children Jack and Kelly © LUCY NICHOLSON / AFP/File Ozzy, like many of his contemporaries, suffered from gaps in his memory due to drink and drugs on on the road, but few can claim to have such monumental black holes. He said that he had forgotten attempting to strangle his wife Sharon the year their eldest daughter was born, adding that he had very few recollections from the 1990s as a whole. In 2010, scientists even analysed his genome to try to understand how he had survived so much self-inflicted punishment. Ozzy said he could not remember where he performed Black Sabbath's debut album for the first time. 'But I can sure as hell remember the audience's reaction: all the girls ran out of the venue, screaming,' he recalled in his autobiography 'I am Ozzy'. His wild lifestyle led to run-ins with the law, including visits to court on charges of satanism and encouraging suicide, though his criminal career started before he joined the band, spending time in jail for stealing a television and baby clothes. John Michael Osbourne was born into a working-class family in Birmingham on December 3, 1948. He inherited his nickname in primary school. Dyslexic and angry with homework, he left school at 15 before working in manual jobs, including at an abattoir. But he decided he would become a rock star after hearing the Beatles on the radio, a fantasy he realised incredibly quickly. Shortly after meeting guitarist Tony Iommi, the two decided to 'stop doing blues and write scary music instead', inspired by horror movies. The resulting sound of heavy riffs accompanied by Ozzy's droning voice singing lyrics exploring the dark side of human nature became the template for heavy metal. After leaving Black Sabbath in 1979 Ozzy embarked on a successful solo career, releasing 11 albums, while juggling a turbulent personal life © HECTOR MATA / AFP/File 'Pink Floyd was music for rich college kids, and we were the exact opposite of that,' he said. Albums followed at a frantic pace, often shunned by critics but acclaimed by fans. Ozzy left the band in 1979, going on to have a succesful solo career and releasing 11 albums while juggling a turbulent personal life. His first marriage to Thelma, with whom he had two children, Elliot and Jessica, was by his own admission a disaster. In 1982 he married Sharon, his manager, who quickly became his rock. They had three children – Aimee, Kelly and Jack – and adopted another boy, Roberto. Despite his seemingly carefree personality, the deaths of his rocker friend Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead and David Bowie left him in a reflective mood. 'Everybody's dying around me, but I'm at that age,' he told Rolling Stone magazine in 2016. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, with all profits from his last concert on July 5 going to charities including Cure Parkinson's and Birmingham Children's Hospital. The Prince of Darkness clung on for another six years after his diagnosis, before joining his peers in the pantheon of late, great British musicians. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
10 songs to memorialize Ozzy Osbourne, the great Black Sabbath frontman
NEW YORK -- There are pioneering music figures, and then there is Ozzy Osbourne, the larger-than-life frontman of Black Sabbath, whose personal mythology is eclipsed only by the strength and immortality of his songs. A godfather and force of heavy metal, Osbourne died Tuesday at 76, just weeks after his last performance. The English icon's idiosyncratic, throaty voice launched generations of metalheads, both through his work at the reins of Black Sabbath and in his solo career. Across his repertoire, there are songs with total global ubiquity and lesser-known innovations with his unique, spooky aesthetic quality. To celebrate Osbourne's life and legacy, we've selected just a few songs that made the man, from timeless tunes to a few left-of-center selections. Read on and then listen to all of the tracks on our Spotify playlist. It would be a challenge to name a more immediately recognizable guitar riff than the one that launches Black Sabbath's 1970 megahit 'Iron Man.' It transcends the metal genre — an all-timer heard around the world and in guitar stores everywhere. One of the great Vietnam War protest songs, Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs' is a rare moment where hippies and metalheads can agree: 'Politicians hide themselves away / They only started the war / Why should they go out to fight?' Osbourne sings in the bridge. Osbourne's heaviest performances are at least partially indebted to Black Sabbath's bassist and lyricist Terry 'Geezer' Butler, and there is perhaps no better example than 'Children of the Grave,' the single from the band's 1971 album, 'Master of Reality.' 'Must the world live in the shadow of atomic fear?' Osbourne embodies Butler's words, a sonic fist lifted in the air. 'Can they win the fight for peace or will they disappear?' Black Sabbath were in a creative rut in the time period leading up to 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,' the opening track from their 1973 album of the same name. It's almost hard to believe now — the song features one of their best-known riffs, and its chorus features some truly ascendant vocals. Would the world know what a vibraslap sounds like without the immediately recognizable introduction to Osbourne's first solo single, 'Crazy Train?' To call it a classic is almost a disservice — it is an addicting tune, complete with chugging guitars and Cold War-era fears. Another classic cut from Osbourne's debut solo album, 'Blizzard Of Ozz' — released one year after Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath for his legendary excesses, — the arena rock anthem 'Mr. Crowley' pays tribute to the famed English occultist Aleister Crowley and features Deep Purple's Don Airey on keyboard. The title track and coda of Osbourne's second solo studio album, 'Diary of a Madman,' runs over six minutes long, features big strings and a choir so theatrical it sounds like they're scoring a medieval war film. He wanted big, he wanted dramatic, and he nailed it. It wouldn't be inaccurate to call 'Mama, I'm Coming Home' a beautiful-sounding song. It's unlike anything on this list, a power ballad featuring lyrics written by the late Motörhead frontman Lemmy and a welcomed deviation. When Black Sabbath comes to mind, most fans jump to an unimpeachable run of albums released in the '70s and early '80s. But 'I,' a cut from Black Sabbath's too often overlooked 16th studio album, 'Dehumanizer,' is worth your ear. And not only because it is the first Sabbath album to feature singer Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice since 1981's 'Mob Rules,' though that's an obvious plus. Late in life Ozzy Osbourne was generous with his time and talent, often collaborating with younger performers who idolized the metal legend. One such example is Post Malone's 'Take What You Want,' which also features the rapper Travis Scott. Osbourne gives the song a necessary gothic edge — validating the otherwise balladic song's use of a sprightly guitar solo.
The Sun
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath legend and bat-biting rock icon, dies at 76
LONDON/LOS ANGELES: Ozzy Osbourne, frontman of 1970s heavy metal band Black Sabbath, earned his infamy biting the head off a bat on stage and pursuing a drug-fuelled lifestyle before reinventing himself as a loveable if often foul-mouthed reality TV star. Known to fans as 'The Prince of Darkness' and the 'Godfather of Heavy Metal,' Osbourne has died at the age of 76, his family said in a statement on Tuesday. '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,' they said. Osbourne kicked off his career in the early 1970s as singer on Black Sabbath's hits, from 'Paranoid' to 'War Pigs' to 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath'. Those plus a string of solo releases saw him sell more than 100 million records worldwide. The hard riffs and dark subject matter - from depression to war to apocalypse - combined with an instinct for Halloween theatrics. As a performer, Osbourne sprinkled audiences with raw meat and, in 1982, had his encounter with a bat thrown on stage by a fan. He always insisted he thought it was a toy until he bit into it, realised his mistake and rushed to hospital for a rabies shot. He later sold branded bat soft toys with a removable head. Osbourne was a regular target for conservative and religious groups concerned about the negative impact of rock music on young people. He acknowledged the excesses of his lifestyle and lyrics - but poured scorn on the wilder reports that he was an actual devil-worshipper. 'I've done some bad things in my time. But I ain't the devil. I'm just John Osbourne: a working-class kid from Aston who quit his job in the factory and went looking for a good time,' he said in a 2010 biography. REALITY SHOW STAR John Michael Osbourne was the fourth of six children. Growing up in Aston, Birmingham, in central England, he struggled with dyslexia, left school at age 15, did a series of menial jobs, and at one point served a brief prison sentence for burglary. Then came Black Sabbath. 'When I was growing up, if you'd have put me up against a wall with the other kids from my street and asked me which one of us was gonna make it to the age of 60, with five kids and four grandkids and houses in Buckinghamshire and California, I wouldn't have put money on me, no fucking way,' he once said. Britain's Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, a member of parliament representing a Birmingham constituency, wrote on X that she was devastated to hear the news of his death. 'One of the greatest gifts my city gave the world,' Mahmood said. In 2002, Osbourne won legions of new fans when he starred in U.S. reality TV show 'The Osbournes'. Cameras followed the aging rock god ambling round his huge house in Beverly Hills, pronouncing on events in his heavy Birmingham accent and looking on bemused at the antics of his family. Osbourne's family included wife and manager Sharon, five children including Jack, Kelly and Aimee, and several grandchildren. No cause of death was given, but Osbourne revealed in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The illness made him unable to walk. In his final concert on July 5 in Birmingham, Osbourne performed sitting, at times appearing to have difficulties speaking as he thanked thousands of adoring fans, some of whom were visibly emotional. Osbourne's performance followed a number of tributes on stage and on stadium screens from rock and pop royalty including Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Metallica's James Hetfield and Elton John. 'Thanks for your support over the years. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you,' said Osbourne. - Reuters
Perth Now
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
'So sad to see Ozzy leave us': Sir David Beckham's tribute to Ozzy Osbourne
Sir David Beckham, Brian May and Adam Sandler have paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. The 76-year-old rocker died on Tuesday (22.07.25) at his home in the UK with his family by his side and David was among the stars who took to social media to pay tribute. He wrote on Instagram: 'So sad to see Ozzy leave us. Thank you for entertaining us. Sending love to Sharon, the kids and family.' Brian wrote: 'So sad to hear of Ozzie's passing. His last appearance at Villa Park was a glorious way to say goodbye - the love in that place for him was gigantic. 'I'm grateful I was able to have a few quiet words with him after the show. And happy to know he passed peacefully with his loving family close by. But the world will miss Ozzie's unique presence and fearless talent. My heartfelt consolations to Sharon and their great family. 'And to Bill (Ward) and Geezer (Butler) and my dear friend Tony (Iommi) - for this is family - I know only too well. REST IN PEACE dear Ozzie. Bri.' Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready spoke about the influence Ozzy had on him. He wrote on Pearl Jam's Instagram: 'Sad to hear Ozzy died today. When I was in high school I discovered Sabbath. 'War Pigs' was terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time. It was Ozzy's voice that took me away to a dark universe. A great escape. 'Then when 'The Blizzard of Ozz' record came out I was instantly a fan. Randy Rhoads was an influence on me to play lead guitar. Luckily I got to play on the song 'Immortal' on the (Osbourne's) last record. Thanks for the music, Ozzy it makes our journey in life better. Mike McCready.' Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong wrote: 'No words. We love you Ozzy.' And Sandler shared: 'we were in our basements with our brothers, in the woods with our buddies, in the car, at a keg party, on a boat, at football practice, at a sleepover.... Nobody was more badass to crank up on our speakers than the one and only prince of darkness - Ozzy Osbourne! 'Loved him a lot like we all did! Sending love to the family and so happy to have spent time with the legend himself. RIP' Piers Morgan – who is a close friend of Ozzy's wife Sharon - posted a photo of himself with the couple and wrote: 'RIP Ozzy Osbourne. One of the greatest rock stars in history, and a wonderful character. 'Truly one of the funniest people I've ever known. I once asked him what was the best moment of his life and he replied instantly: 'Meeting Sharon.' My heart breaks for her.' And, Sir Rod Stewart wrote: 'Bye bye Ozzy. Sleep well my friend. I'll see you up there - later rather than sooner." Ozzy had been living with Parkinson's disease for several years. Despite his illness, he recently reunited with his Black Sabbath bandmates on stage at Villa Park, Birmingham, for his Back to the Beginning farewell concert.
