Ozzy Osbourne: Black Sabbath Frontman And Music Legend Dies At 76

Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76.

The music legend’s family, including wife Sharon Osbourne, confirmed the news in a heartfelt statement – with his music publicist later telling the BBC that he died in the UK, weeks after his final performance.

 

The message 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.’

 

Ozzy’s cause of death has yet to be revealed, but he had been open about his devastating battle with Parkinson’s over the last few years.

 

Tributes quickly poured in for the Paranoid singer on social media from other music giants.

 

The official Black Sabbath Instagram page shared a photo from their final performance, with the simple caption: ‘Ozzy forever.’

 

Gene Simmons tweeted: ‘Sad to report Ozzy has passed away. He was a giant. Admired and loved by millions of fans worldwide.

 

‘Prayers and condolences go out to the Osborne family.’

 

‘So sad to hear of Ozzie’s passing,’ Sir Brian May commented. ‘His last appearance at Villa Park was a glorious way to say goodbye – the love in that place for him was gigantic.

 

‘I’m grateful I was able to have a few quiet words with him after the show. And happy to know he passed peacefully with his loving family close by.

 

‘But the world will miss Ozzie’s unique presence and fearless talent. My heartfelt consolations to Sharon and their great family.

 

”And to Bill (Ward) and Geezer (Butler) and my dear friend Tony (Iommi) – for this is family – I know only too well. REST IN PEACE dear Ozzie. Bri.’

 

The official Metallica account posted a picture of the group with Ozzy, simply captioned with a heartbroken emoji.

 

Sir Elton John posted on Instagram: ‘So sad to hear the news of @ozzyosbourne passing away. He was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods – a true legend.

‘He was also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. I will miss him dearly. To Sharon and the family, I send my condolences and love.’

 

The sad news comes shortly after he performed with Black Sabbath for the final time.

 

At the beginning of the month, he took to the stage at Villa Park in Birmingham for the Back to the Beginning show, and delighted the crowd with a short solo.

 

During the all-day event, he was also joined on stage by bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward.

 

‘It’s so good to be on this stage. You have no idea,’ he said, thanking those who had gathered at the stadium ‘from the bottom of [his] heart.

 

‘You have no idea how I feel.’

 

Music lovers gathered for the all-day concert, which also featured appearances by a string of other bands, including Metallica, Slayer, and Alice in Chains.

 

It was a bittersweet celebration for the rockers, after Ozzy faced a tough few years with health battles.

 

In January 2020, he revealed in an emotional interview that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s following a string of health complications due to a fall in 2019, which meant he had to have surgery on his neck.

 

Sharon – who shares children Aimee, Kelly and Jack with the star – explained that he had the Parkin 2 gene during an appearance on Good Morning America, stating: ‘It’s a form of Parkinson’s.

 

There’s so many different types of Parkinson’s.

 

‘It’s not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination, but it does effect certain nerves in your body.

 

‘It’s like you have a good day, a good day, and then a really bad day.’

 

‘I’m on a host of medications, mainly for this surgery,’ Ozzy added at the time. ‘I’ve got numbness down this arm from the surgery, my legs [keep] going cold.

 

‘I don’t know if that’s Parkinson’s or what. That’s the problem, because they cut nerves when they did the surgery. It’s a weird feeling.’

 

He added that he was taking medication for his condition, and also seeking treatment in Switzerland.

 

In 2019, Ozzy suffered a string of illnesses and accidents, which began with hospitalisation for pneumonia.

 

Then, the reality star suffered a horror fall in his LA home, which dislodged the metal rods in his spine that had been put in after a quad-bike accident in 2003.

 

‘I went to the bathroom in the night, lost my balance and landed flat on my face,’ he told the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine at the time. ‘I saw this big white flash when I hit the floor and I thought,

 

“You’ve finally done it now”.

 

‘I knew it was bad, I thought I was paralysed, so very calmly I said, “Sharon, I can’t move. I think I’ve done my neck. Phone an ambulance”.’

 

The musician had to undergo three operations following the fall, and had to spend Christmas away from Sharon and daughter Kelly as doctors advised he was not well enough to fly back to the UK. 

 

In the wake of Ozzy’s death, Parkinson’s UK chief executive Caroline Rassell commended him for speaking so ‘openly’ about his illness.

 

‘News of Ozzy Osbourne’s death, so soon after his celebratory homecoming show, will come as a shock to so many,’ she said in a statement via PA.

 

‘By speaking openly about both his diagnosis and life with Parkinson’s, Ozzy and all his family helped so many families in the same situation.

 

‘They normalised tough conversations and made others feel less alone with a condition that’s on the rise and affecting more people every day.

 

‘All of our heartfelt thoughts are with his family, friends and fans worldwide. His memory and the impact he left on the world will live on in all of them.’

 

Ozzy, real name John Michael Osbourne, rose to fame in the 1970s as the frontman of metal band Black Sabbath, during which time he was nicknamed The Prince Of Darkness.

 

The group went on to release tracks such as Paranoid, Iron Man and Changes.

His most infamous moment was in 1982 when he bit the head off a bat – believed to be dead at the time – while on stage at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 20.

 

The creature was launched at him from the audience by a fan and it was only after he had bitten into it that he realised it was a real animal. He was later rushed to hospital for a rabies injection.

Black Sabbath went on to become one of the most influential and successful metal bands of all time, selling more than 75million albums worldwide.

 

The group were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, and Osbourne was added for a second time last year.