Tributes flow after passing of a true rock god
<p>Ozzy Osbourne, the wailing frontman of Black Sabbath whose signature howl helped define heavy metal and whose larger-than-life persona spanned generations, has died at the age of 76.</p>
<p>His family confirmed his death in a statement to the UK Press Association:</p>
<p>“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.”</p>
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<p>The news comes just over two weeks after a final, emotionally charged reunion concert on July 5 with his original Black Sabbath bandmates – Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – in their hometown of Birmingham. Seated on a leather throne, unable to stand due to illness but refusing to be silent, Osbourne wiped away tears and told 45,000 fans at Villa Park stadium, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Millions more watched online.</p>
<p>Shortly after his passing was announced, a simple but powerful message appeared on Black Sabbath’s official Facebook page: “Ozzy Forever.”</p>
<p>Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948, Ozzy rose from a bleak, working-class childhood in Birmingham to become one of the most iconic and controversial figures in music history. With a voice as unmistakable as it was raw and a presence that blended chaos and charisma, he helped invent a genre, and then reinvented himself countless times across decades of reinvention, ridicule and redemption.</p>
<p>Osbourne was open about the toll of age and illness in his final years, particularly his battle with Parkinson’s disease, revealed by his wife Sharon in early 2025. Despite limited mobility, he retained his voice and his will to perform. In interviews, he acknowledged the damage caused by years of drug and alcohol abuse but always gave credit to Sharon – his wife, manager and fiercest protector – for keeping him alive.</p>
<p>“I do count my lucky stars,” he told <em>Rolling Stone</em> in 2023. “I said to Sharon the other day, ‘What a great f---ing life we’ve had and what a great f---ing experience.’”</p>
<p>From testing car horns in factories to forming Black Sabbath in 1968, Osbourne’s journey was never linear. Alongside Iommi, Butler and Ward, he took the band from pub gigs to global superstardom with albums like Paranoid, Master of Reality and Vol. 4, laying the foundation for heavy metal with thunderous riffs and lyrics steeped in war, madness and the occult.</p>
<p>Dismissed by critics early on (“Satanic claptrap,” some sneered) Black Sabbath became cult heroes. For fans disillusioned with peace-and-love flower power, Sabbath’s unflinching sound was a mirror of a darker reality.</p>
<p>As a solo artist, Osbourne struck gold again with albums like Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, powered by the virtuosic guitar work of Randy Rhoads and hits like Crazy Train. He was also infamous for his unpredictable antics, biting the head off a bat mid-show, urinating on the Alamo, and allegedly snorting ants during a drug-fuelled competition with Mötley Crüe.</p>
<p>Yet through the haze of tabloid headlines and outlandish behaviour, Osbourne’s voice and presence remained magnetic. “Technically speaking, he was a natural tenor with a good range and a powerful, focused voice,” said Katherine Dacey, a professor at Berklee College of Music. “But that doesn’t do justice to his artistry – his was a voice you recognised instantly.”</p>
<p>His reality TV comeback in the early 2000s, <em>The Osbournes</em>, turned him into an unlikely household figure; confused, endearing, and still somehow a rock god. He met world leaders, played Queen Elizabeth II’s jubilee, and launched the wildly successful Ozzfest tour, which brought heavy metal to a new generation.</p>
<p>Even as his health declined, Osbourne remained determined to perform. The July 2025 reunion with Sabbath was his last show – a fitting bookend to a life of extremes.</p>
<p>“Black Sabbath wasn’t a band that was created by some big mogul guy,” he once said. “It was four guys who went, ‘Let’s have a go.’ We had a dream and it came true beyond our wildest expectations.”</p>
<p>Osbourne is survived by his wife Sharon, and six children: Jessica, Louis and Elliot from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, and Aimee, Kelly and Jack from his second marriage. He also leaves behind a musical legacy unmatched in its influence and unforgettable in its audacity.</p>
<p>In a 2002 interview, Osbourne predicted the headline that would follow him in death: “Ozzy Osbourne, the man who bit the head off a bat, died in his hotel room …” But he added, “At least I’ll be remembered.”</p>
<p>He will be.</p>
<p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>
