Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of Black Sabbath and a towering figure in rock ‘n roll history, has died at the age of 76. His family confirmed the news Tuesday morning, saying he passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. “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 statement read. His death comes just weeks after his emotional farewell performance in Birmingham, England, where he reunited with his original bandmates for one final show.
Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948, in Birmingham, Ozzy helped form Black Sabbath in 1968 alongside Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. The band would go on to define heavy metal with albums like Paranoid and Master of Reality. After being fired from the group in 1979, Osbourne launched a wildly successful solo career, beginning with Blizzard of Ozz, which sold over four million copies. He later became a pop culture icon through MTV’s The Osbournes and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice—first with Black Sabbath in 2005, and again as a solo artist in 2024.
Despite a Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2020 and numerous health setbacks, Ozzy remained determined to perform. His final concert on July 5, 2025, saw him seated on a throne, belting out Sabbath classics to a crowd of 45,000 fans at Birmingham’s Villa Park. He is survived by his wife Sharon Osbourne and seven children. Ozzy’s voice, spirit, and influence will echo through generations of music lovers. As he once said, “I may be moaning that I can’t walk, but I look down the road, and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me and didn’t make it.”
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[Source: Premiere]