Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic musician who served as the frontman of rock band Black Sabbath and is known as the beloved “Prince of Darkness,” died on Tuesday at age 76.
“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,” the Osbourne family shared in a statement. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
The heavy metal singer, who later became known for his hit MTV reality show “The Osbournes,” performed a retirement concert just three weeks ago.
So far, no cause of death has been shared, though the legendary musician struggled for years with several health issues, including spinal injuries and Parkinson’s Disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2019.
Osbourne, whose full name is John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne, was born on Dec. 3, 1948, in Marston Green, Warwickshire, England. He rose to fame during the 1970s when he co-founded and served as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, which was originally also comprised of musicians Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. In their early days, the group sported the name Earth in 1968 but changed it to Black Sabbath a year later.
Black Sabbath released their self-titled debut album on Feb. 13, 1970, which included their widely praised opening track “Black Sabbath.” The song broke ground in the heavy metal genre, with the single being listed as the greatest heavy metal song of all time and being regarded as what is likely the first doom metal song. The band, who’ve been referred to as pioneers of their genre, continued to have success with the releases of their subsequent albums, “Paranoid,” “Master of Reality” and “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.”
However, Osbourne’s time with the band came to end in 1979 after he was fired over his heavy alcohol and drug use. He was replaced with Ronnie James Dio. His exodus sparked a solo career, during which he released his debut studio album “Blizzard of Oz” in 1980. He went on to release 13 albums, with seven of them earning multi-platinum certifications. While on his solo journey, he collaborated with Black Sabbath and eventually rejoined the band in 1997.
Osbourne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 as a member of Black Sabbath, and earned spots in the U.K. Music Hall of Fame as both a solo artist and as a Black Sabbath bandmate. The band got together for their farewell tour titled “The End” in January 2016.
Aside from his music career, Osbourne touched younger audiences when his family shared the behind-the-scenes events of their daily lives on the MTV reality TV series “The Osbournes,” which aired from 2002 to 2005 across four seasons.
Osbourne took the stage for the last time earlier in July for Black Sabbath’s farewell tour at Villa Park on July 5, where they performed several hits, including “Iron Man” and “War Pigs.” During his career, Osbourne sold over 100 million albums, including his solo work and his projects as a Black Sabbath member.
He is survived by his wife Sharon Osbourne and his six children — Elliot Kingsley, Louis Osbourne, Jessica Starshine Osbourne, Jack Osbourne, Aimee Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne.
