Ozzy Osbourne, legendary Black Sabbath frontman, dies at 76

Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of Black Sabbath and one of the most iconic figures in British heavy metal, has passed away at the age of 76.

The Osbourne family released a statement saying, “It is with more sadness than words can express that we report our beloved Ozzy Osbourne passed away this morning. He was surrounded by family and love. We kindly ask everyone to respect our privacy during this difficult time.” No cause of death has been disclosed, though Ozzy had faced various health issues in recent years.

Known as the “Prince of Darkness,” Osbourne was famous for his haunting vocal style that helped pioneer heavy metal. He was also notorious for shocking stage antics, including the infamous incident where he bit the head off a bat during a performance. His struggles with substance abuse led to turbulent periods in his life, including an attempted assault on his wife. Later in life, he gained renewed popularity as a reality TV star on The Osbournes, where his bemused personality won many hearts.

Ozzy’s death comes less than three weeks after his retirement from live performances. On July 5, he reunited with his original Black Sabbath bandmates for Back to the Beginning, a star-studded farewell concert at Birmingham’s Villa Park — their first performance together since 2005. Despite suffering from Parkinson’s disease and multiple spinal surgeries, Ozzy thanked the crowd, saying, “I’ve been laid up for six years, and you have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Born John Michael Osbourne in 1948 in Aston, Birmingham, Ozzy grew up in a working-class industrial area. He faced a difficult childhood, including poverty and repeated abuse. In his youth, he was also jailed for burglary, admitting later that he was “useless” at it.

The industrial environment heavily influenced Black Sabbath’s unique sound, which reshaped British rock music. Bassist Geezer Butler once said, “We wanted to reflect how we saw the world around us — not with cheerful pop songs, but with the harsh reality of our surroundings.”

Ozzy left Black Sabbath in 1979 due to his drug addiction but rejoined in 2013 to release the acclaimed album 13, which topped charts in both the UK and the US. After their “final concert” in 2017, a reunion was announced for 2025.

Following his departure from the band, Ozzy launched a successful solo career, releasing 13 studio albums starting with Blizzard of Ozz in 1980, his latest being Patient Number Nine.

Among his most infamous moments was the 1982 concert in Des Moines, Iowa, where he bit the head off a bat he thought was a prop — an act that landed him in the hospital for a rabies shot. The year before, he bit off the heads of two live pigeons during a music industry meeting.

In the 1980s and 90s, several of his songs, including “Bark at the Moon” and “Perry Mason,” made it into the UK Top 40. In 2003, his duet with his daughter Kelly, “Changes,” became his first UK number one hit.

Ozzy’s personal life was often tumultuous. His first marriage to Thelma ended due to his alcoholism. He later married Sharon, who also became his manager, and together they had three children: Kelly, Jack, and Aimee. Sharon started the annual metal festival Ozzfest in 1996.

In 1989, Ozzy was arrested for attempting to strangle Sharon while intoxicated, though their relationship later improved before separating again in 2016 due to his involvement with another woman.

From 2002 to 2005, the Osbourne family starred in the popular reality show The Osbournes, which won an Emmy Award. In 2003, Ozzy suffered a serious quad bike accident at his Buckinghamshire home and was later diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. His final world tour, No More Tours 2, was cut short in 2019 due to health issues. In 2023, Ozzy revealed he was still physically weak despite surgeries, stem cell treatment, and extensive physiotherapy.

In a May 2025 interview with The Guardian, Ozzy spoke about his despair from ongoing health struggles: “Every morning I wake up, and something else in my body is worse. It felt like it would never end.” Sharon encouraged him, saying, “You need a reason to get up every morning.”

That reason became the Back to the Beginning concert, where Ozzy performed five solo songs before joining Black Sabbath members Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward for four classics. Seated on a bat-shaped throne, he shouted to the crowd, “I am Iron Man, go crazy!”

The concert also featured legendary metal bands like Metallica, Slayer, and Guns N’ Roses.

Rock legend Elton John paid tribute, saying, “Ozzy was my dear friend and a true pioneer of rock music. A genuine legend and one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. I will miss him terribly.”