Ozzy Osbourne, godfather of heavy metal who later found fame on reality TV, dead at 76
Family of Black Sabbath frontman says he died 'surrounded by love'
Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic frontman of the 1970s heavy metal band Black Sabbath, earned his infamy biting the head off a bat on stage and pursuing a drug-fuelled lifestyle before reinventing himself as a lovable if often foul-mouthed reality TV star.
Osbourne, known to fans as the "Prince of Darkness" and the godfather of heavy metal, died Tuesday morning at the age of 76, according to a family statement.
"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," said the statement sent to CBC News on behalf of the family.
"He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time."
No cause of death was released, but he'd had a string of health issues in recent years.
Parkinson's diagnosis
Osbourne announced in January 2020 that he had been diagnosed with a form of Parkinson's disease, known as Parkinsonism or Parkin 2, a nervous system disorder that affects movement. In an interview with Good Morning America at the time, he said the diagnosis came after a fall. He also had to cancel tour dates in 2019 due to health troubles.
Also in 2020, he told GQ that he had emphysema, saying he feared that as a result of this diagnosis, he could die if he fell ill with COVID-19.
He also had a long history of drug use and heavy drinking.
Osbourne kicked off his career in the early 1970s, blaring out Black Sabbath hits such as Paranoid, War Pigs and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Those plus a string of solo releases saw him sell more than 100 million records worldwide.
He was twice inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — once with Sabbath in 2006 and again in 2024 as a solo artist.
He is survived by his wife, Sharon, who was also his manager; their three children, Jack, Kelly and Aimee; and three children from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, Jessica, Louis and Elliot; as well as several grandchildren.
Sabbath fired Osbourne in 1979 for his legendary excesses, which included showing up late for rehearsals and missing gigs.
"We knew we didn't really have a choice but to sack him because he was just so out of control. But we were all very down about the situation," wrote bassist Terry (Geezer) Butler in his memoir, Into the Void.
Osbourne re-emerged the next year as a solo artist with Blizzard of Ozz and the following year's Diary of a Madman, both hard rock classics that went multi-platinum and spawned enduring favourites such as Crazy Train, Goodbye to Romance, Flying High Again and You Can't Kill Rock and Roll.
Return to Sabbath and a final show
He returned to Black Sabbath in 1997 and in 2013 released the band's final album, 13, along with two other original members — Butler and guitarist Tony Iommi. The band toured until 2017.
The original four-man Sabbath lineup, including drummer Bill Ward, reunited for the first time in 20 years earlier this month on July 5 for what Osbourne said would be his final concert.
"Let the madness begin!" he told 42,000 fans in Birmingham.
Metallica, Guns N Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Anthrax, Rival Sons and Mastodon all did sets.
Tom Morello, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Billy Corgan, Ronnie Wood, Travis Barker, Sammy Hagar and more made appearances.
"Black Sabbath, we'd all be different people without them, that's the truth," said Pantera singer Phil Anselmo on stage.
"I know I wouldn't be up here with a microphone in my hand without Black Sabbath."
A rocker and a shocker
The hard riffs and dark subject matter — from depression to war to apocalypse — were combined with an instinct for Halloween theatrics.
Osbourne became known for stunts such as throwing raw meat into the audience and, in 1982, biting the head off a bat thrown on stage by a fan.
He always insisted he thought it was a toy until he bit into it, realized his mistake and rushed to hospital for a rabies shot. He later sold branded bat soft toys with a removable head.
Osbourne was a regular target for conservative and religious groups concerned about the negative impact of rock music on young people. He always acknowledged the excesses of his lifestyle and provocative lyrics — but poured scorn on the wilder reports that he was an actual devil-worshipper.
"I've done some bad things in my time. But I ain't the devil," he said in a 2010 biography. "I'm just John Osbourne: a working class kid from Aston who quit his job in the factory and went looking for a good time."
Life and legacy of a legendary musician
Born John Michael Osbourne, he was the fourth of six children, growing up in Aston, in the city of Birmingham in central England. He struggled with dyslexia, left school at age 15, did a series of menial jobs and at one point served a brief prison sentence for burglary. Then came Black Sabbath.
"When I was growing up, if you'd have put me up against a wall with the other kids from my street and asked me which one of us was gonna make it to the age of 60, with five kids and four grandkids and houses in Buckinghamshire and California, I wouldn't have put money on me, no f--king way."
It was those latter stages of his life that provided the setting for his reinvention in 2002 as the star of U.S. reality TV show The Osbournes, featuring the rocker and his family members, including wife, Sharon, and two of their five kids, Jack and Kelly.
Cameras followed the aging rock god as he ambled around his huge house, pronouncing on events in his heavy, Birmingham accent and looking on bemused at the antics of his family — a format that won them all legions of new fans.
Ozzy remembered
His bandmates paid tribute to him on Tuesday in a post on Instagram with the simple message "Ozzy Forever."
Elton John, also on Instagram, called him "a dear friend and a trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods."
Rod Stewart told Osbourne in an Instagram post to "sleep well."
"I'll see you up there — later rather than sooner," he joked.
British TV host Piers Morgan, a longtime friend to Sharon Osbourne, remembered Osbourne as "one of the greatest rock stars in history, and a wonderful character."
"Truly one of the funniest people I've ever known," Morgan wrote in a post on X. "I once asked him what was the best moment of his life and he replied instantly: 'Meeting Sharon.' My heart breaks for her. 💔"
Britain's justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, a member of parliament representing a Birmingham constituency, wrote on X that she was devastated to hear the news of his death.
"One of the greatest gifts my city gave the world," Mahmood said.
And MTV expressed sadness at the loss of a "rock and roll icon."
"Our hearts are with his family, loved ones, and many dedicated fans during this time. We know his legacy will live on through music-lovers around the world," read a post on the music channel's X account.
With files from CBC News and The Associated Press