Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath Icon And Reality TV Star, Dies At 76

Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic frontman of Black Sabbath who rose to fame in the 1970s and later reinvented himself as a reality TV star, has passed away at the age of 76, his family announced Tuesday.

“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne died peacefully this morning, surrounded by family and love,” the statement read.

Known to fans around the world as “The Prince of Darkness” and hailed as the “Godfather of Heavy Metal,” Osbourne became a household name through his wild stage antics—including the infamous moment when he bit the head off a bat during a concert—and his unapologetic rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle.

Osbourne first made his mark in the early ’70s as the lead vocalist of Black Sabbath, lending his voice to some of the band’s most legendary tracks such as Paranoid, War Pigs, and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Alongside a successful solo career, his music helped define the heavy metal genre and earned him over 100 million albums sold globally.

His shows were theatrical and often provocative, featuring dark themes like war, mental illness, and doom, punctuated with wild gestures like throwing raw meat into crowds. The bat-biting incident in 1982—when a fan threw a real bat on stage—became one of rock’s most infamous moments. Osbourne later claimed he thought the animal was a toy and had to get a rabies shot afterwards. He later turned the episode into merchandise, selling plush bats with detachable heads.

Despite his rebellious image, Osbourne often rejected the more extreme accusations that followed him, especially from religious and conservative critics who feared his influence on youth. “I’ve done some crazy stuff, but I’m no devil,” he wrote in his 2010 autobiography. “I’m just John Osbourne, a working-class lad from Aston who left the factory life behind in search of something bigger.”

Born John Michael Osbourne, he was the fourth of six children in a modest household in Aston, Birmingham. Struggling with dyslexia and leaving school at 15, he worked various low-paying jobs and even served time for burglary before his life changed with the formation of Black Sabbath.

Reflecting on his unlikely rise, Osbourne once said, “If you’d lined me up with all the kids on my street and asked who’d make it to 60 with a big family and homes in California and Buckinghamshire, I wouldn’t have picked me. No chance.”

Tributes have poured in from around the world. Britain’s Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, whose parliamentary seat includes Birmingham, called his passing a “devastating loss” and praised him as “one of the greatest gifts my city gave to the world.”

In 2002, Osbourne found new fame with a younger audience through The Osbournes, a hit MTV reality series that gave fans a glimpse into his chaotic but loving household. The show became a cultural phenomenon, showcasing Osbourne’s quirky personality and strong family bonds, including wife and manager Sharon and children Jack, Kelly, and Aimee.

While no official cause of death was released, Osbourne had publicly revealed in 2020 that he was battling Parkinson’s disease, which had left him with severe mobility issues.

His final live performance came on July 5 in his hometown of Birmingham, where he sang while seated, at times struggling to speak clearly. The emotional concert included tributes from music legends like Metallica’s James Hetfield, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, and Elton John.

“I want to thank you for standing by me all these years. I love you all from the bottom of my heart,” he told the crowd, many of whom were moved to tears.

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