Ozzy Osbourne, the heavy metal icon and founding member of Black Sabbath, has died after a years long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. “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 said in a statement published by The Guardian. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.” Osbourne’s passing comes just weeks after comes just week after he performed a star-studded farewell concert in his native England in his native Birmingham. He was 76.
Born John Michael Osbourne, in Birmingham, England, in 1948, Osbourne’s obsession with music began after hearing the Beatles’ song ‘She Loves You’ as a teenager. He went on to form Black Sabbath (originally named Earth) guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward in the late 1960s. With all-time classic albums including 1970’s self-titled debut and Paranoid, 1971’s Master of Reality, 1972’s Vol. 4, 1973’s Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and 1975’s Sabotage, the band laid the foundation for heavy metal and many of its subgenres. During his tenure with the group, Osbourne adopted the nickname “Prince of Darkness,” owing to the ominous imagery and occult references in their music.
In 1979, Osbourne was dismissed from Black Sabbath due to his dependence on alcohol and drugs, and was replaced by Raindbow’s Ronnie James Dio. He then launched a solo career, recording his 1980 solo debut, Blizzard of Ozz, with a band featuring Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoads. The record went five times platinum in the US and included his most popular song, ‘Crazy Train’. Osbourne went on to release 13 studio albums, the most recent being 2022’s Patient Number 9.
In 1997, a reunited Black Sabbath headlined Ozzfest, the touring festival founded by Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy became a reality TV star when he and his family launched the MTV reality show The Osbournes in 2002. In 2006, Sabbath were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They released their final studio album, 13, in 2013 and embarked on a farewell tour that concluded in early 2017. As a solo act, Osbourne was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.
