Latest news with #heavy metal
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ozzy Osbourne's most shocking moments
Ozzy Osbourne was famed as a provocative and powerful performer on stage and a wild hedonist off it. The Black Sabbath singer and successful solo artist was known for his controversial live shows. Drug and alcohol use often fuelled manic behaviour in front of his adoring audiences, and also his most crazed moments in between shows. These are some of the most memorable and infamous moments from the hell-raising life of the late heavy metal pioneer. The Alamo In 1982, Osbourne was wearing one of his wife's dresses for a photoshoot close to The Alamo in Texas, the site of a heroic sacrifice by the Texan troops against the invading Mexicans. ADVERTISEMENT The rock star drunkenly relieved himself on a cenotaph commemorating the dead, later donating thousands to the group which maintains The Alamo. Cats In the midst of an alcohol and drug haze, Osbourne said that he set about slaughtering 17 cats with a shotgun. The rocker said he was found by his wife under a piano, armed with a knife in one hand and a shotgun in the other. Ants Osbourne toured with Motley Crue in the 1980s, and it was during this time that he is rumoured to have shocked his fellow rockers after 'spotting' a line of ants. Bassist Nikki Sixx claimed that Osbourne took a straw and, as if snorting cocaine, hoovered the line of ants up his nose. Bats In 1982, Osbourne was on stage at a gig in Des Moines, Iowa, during a US tour. ADVERTISEMENT A fan threw a bat on stage, and in the frenzy of performance Osbourne – believing it to be rubber – bit its head off. There remains debate as to whether the bat was alive or dead when it was thrown on stage. Doves Osbourne had history with the decapitation of winged creatures, beginning with an incident which stunned CBS Records executives. Celebrating a new album in 1981, the Black Country-born rock star was intending to release two doves in a symbolic act at the record label. Instead, he grabbed a dove and bit its head off, before being thrown out of the building.
Irish Times
15 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Ozzy Osbourne 1948-2025: A life in pictures
Ozzy Osbourne , who has died at the age of 76 , was best known as the frontman of Black Sabbath. At the forefront of the heavy metal scene, Osbourne had a theatrical stage presence, once biting off the head of a bat and styling himself as the Prince of Darkness. Black Sabbath's eponymous debut album in 1970 made the UK top 10 and paved the way for a string of hit records. They went on to become one of the most influential and successful metal bands of all time, selling more than 75 million albums worldwide. READ MORE Earlier this month Osbourne bid farewell to fans with a Black Sabbath reunion, telling thousands of heavy metal enthusiasts at Villa Park, Birmingham that it was 'so good to be on this stage' as he performed his last set from a large black throne. Here is a selection of photographs capturing his music career and life. Black Sabbath, 1970s: Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne. Photograph: Chris Walter/WireImage Ozzy Osbourne with his wife, Sharon, and children Kelly and Jack. Photograph: Ian West/PA Wire Ozzy Osbourne on stage with Ricky Martin, Rod Stewart and Cliff Richard during the Golden Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace in 2002. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Ozzy Osbourne arriving for the UK Music Hall Of Fame in 2005. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA Wire. Ozzy Osbourne performing during the Black Sabbath The End Tour in August 2016. Photograph: Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images Ozzy Osbourne performing at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony. Photograph:Ozzy Osbourne with his wife, Sharon, and children Kelly, Jack and Aimee at the Kerrang Awards 1997 in London. Photograph: Neil Munns/PA Wire Ozzy Osborne with his wife, Sharon, and Ant McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly (right) at the Royal Albert Hall in London, 2004. Photograph: Myung Jung Kim/PA Wire Ozzy Osbourne with his wife, Sharon, and daughter, Kelly arriving at the Hertfordshire home David Beckham and his wife Victoria for their pre-World Cup party in 2006. Photograph: Chris Radburn/PA Wire Geezer Butler, Tommy Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne from Black Sabbath in 2013. Photograph: Ian West/PA Wire Ozzy Osbourne and Kermit the Frog backstage for a concert to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Photograph: Peter Jordan/PA Wire Ozzy Osbourne performing in 2022 in Birmingham. Photograph: David Davies/PA Wire - Additional reporting PA, AP
BBC News
16 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Black Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne dies, weeks after farewell show
Ozzy Osbourne, one of the most recognisable and influential musicians in rock, has died at the age of 76. As frontman of Black Sabbath, the Birmingham-born musician is credited with inventing heavy metal, thanks to songs songs like Iron Man and than three weeks ago, the self-styled 'Prince of Darkness' performed a farewell concert in his hometown, supported by many of the musicians he had inspired, including Metallica and Guns 'n' a statement, 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. He was with his family and surrounded by love." Born John Michael Osbourne, he dropped out of school aged 15, holding several low-paid jobs and spending a short spell in prison for burglary before embarking on his musical career. After singing with several local bands, he joined Black Sabbath alongside guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward in the late 1960s. They developed a unique sound, inspired by the blues but slower, louder and more sinister - with frequent references to the occult. Considered pioneers of heavy metal, they released their self-titled album in 1970 and followed it up with platinum records such as Paranoid and Master of Reality throughout the rest of the from the band in 1978, he launched a successful solo career with the 1980 album Blizzard of Ozz, featuring the classic single Crazy Train. The following year's Diary of a Madman was even more popular, selling more than five million the way, Osbourne developed a reputation for his unhinged live performances, exemplified by the (possibly apocryphal) story that he had once bitten the head off a bat during a concert, having mistakenly thought it was a toy thrown on stage by a intake of drink and drugs was legendary, leading to some unusual behaviour. The rock band Motley Crue once described how Osbourne, in a competition to see whose habits were the most debauched, snorted a line of ants from a hotel in the 1990s, his wild image transformed thanks to the MTV reality show The Osbournes - which portrayed the star as the well-meaning, frequently befuddled patriarch of an unruly show also made stars of his manager-wife Sharon Osbourne, and daughter Kelly - with whom he duetted on a chart topping version of the Sabbath song Changes, reaching number one in 2003. The same year, however, he suffered a spinal injury in 2003 after a crash involving an all-terrain vehicle, or injury was exacerbated by a late-night fall in 2019, that required several rounds of extensive 2020, the star revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's and largely stepped back from touring after playing the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in he was determined to make one last appearance, bowing out with last month's concert at Birmingham's Villa Park - a stone's throw from his childhood home in Aston. The musician sang while seated on a black throne - clapping, waving his arms and pulling wild-eyed looks as he performed hits including Crazy Train, Mr Crowley and War Pigs He appeared overwhelmed at some moments. "You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart," he told the audience - and almost six million more people who tuned in for the live on stage, Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo said the artists on the bill "would all be different people" without Osbourne and Black Sabbath. "That's the truth. I wouldn't be up here with this microphone in my hand without Black Sabbath. The greatest of all time."
Al Jazeera
16 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Al Jazeera
Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath frontman and heavy metal icon, dies at 76
Osbourne was instrumental in pioneering heavy metal as his band Black Sabbath enjoyed huge success in the 70s. Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic frontman of heavy metal group Black Sabbath, has died at the age of 76, his family announced in a statement. The raucous singer, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, passed away on Tuesday 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 as 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. Later, he switched gears to appear as a sweet father on the reality TV show 'The Osbournes'. He ended his wild career earlier this month when Black Sabbath belted their most iconic songs in front of some 42,000 fans 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 had told the crowd after finishing the set with 'Paranoid' – the band's most famous song. Advertisement '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.' Osbourne is survived by Sharon, and their three children – Kelly, Aimee and Jack.
The Sun
16 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Ozzy Osbourne's final photo as Black Sabbath star snapped beaming on stage in final gig
TRAGIC icon Ozzy Osbourne's final photo as the Black Sabbath frontman has emerged - as he was seen beaming during his last ever gig. The Black Sabbath star's heartbroken family said that Ozzy passed away aged 76 on Tuesday morning "surrounded by love". 3 3 The icon's death comes just weeks after he took to the stage one final time with his band mates at Villa Park in Birmingham. Inspiring images showed the star grinning with enthusiasm during his emotional final gig. Ozzy - dubbed the Prince of Darkness who defined heavy metal - has left millions of fans mourning his devastating passing. The Black Sabbath frontman, 76, took to the stage for the last time earlier this month, belting out a blistering five-song set alongside bandmates Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward. Billed as 'the greatest heavy metal show ever,' Ozzy beamed as thousands chanted his name - then watched proudly as his daughter Kelly's boyfriend, Slipknot star Sid Wilson, proposed to her. The rocker had vowed it would be his final gig - after years of hard living and a heartbreaking Parkinson's battle he revealed in 2020. Ozzy's outrageous career ranged from biting the head off a bat mid-show to shocking record execs by snapping a dove's neck in a meeting. He also snorted a line of ants while on tour with the notorious Mötley Crüe band in the '80s. And he even made eyebrow-raising headlines off-stage - on one occasion he urinated on a US war memorial while wearing one of Sharon's dresses. Loved for his madcap antics, raw voice and larger-than-life persona, the Brummie icon leaves behind a heavy metal legacy that will never be forgotten. The full statement from his family read: "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." Black Sabbath also posted a heartwarming post on X in tribute to the late rock pioneer. The post said: "Ozzy Forever!" Further tributes have already poured in for the legend following his family's announcement on Tuesday evening. David Coverdale, founder and lead singer of rock band Whitesnake - and rumoured to once be considered for the role of Black Sabbath frontman - shared a message on X. "My Sincere Condolences To Sharon, The Family, Friends & Fans," he wrote. is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
