Heavy steel pioneer Ozzy Osbourne dies weeks after Black Sabbath reunion

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Ozzy Osbourne, who was born John Michael Osbourne on Dec. 3, 1948, and later earned the nickname "The Prince of Darkness" from his shadowy heavy steel persona, died Tuesday, July 22, after battling various well being points through the years. He was 76.

The Black Sabbath frontman was often called a lot for his indelible mark on the music trade as he was for his larger-than-life character, be it on stage or in entrance of a digital camera whereas filming the massively profitable actuality present, "The Osbournes."

Two weeks earlier than his loss of life, Ozzy reunited with Black Sabbath to carry out at a star-studded farewell present in England, an appropriately darkish and electrical send-off for one among rock's biggest legends.

OZZY OSBOURNE DEAD AT 76

Ozzy Osbourne left a lifetime legacy within the music trade. The Black Sabbath frontman died Tuesday. He was 76. (Ilya S. Savenok)

Throughout his ultimate present July 5 at Villa Park , Osbourne expressed gratitude for the overwhelming assist because the band, together with Tony Iommi, Terence "Geezer" Butler and Invoice Ward, carried out collectively for the primary time in 20 years.

The ten-hour present was hosted by Jason Momoa and featured performances from Metallica, Weapons N’ Roses, Jack Black, Steven Tyler and others. At one level in the course of the present, which was livestreamed within the U.Okay., legendary drummers, together with Instrument’s Danny Carey, Purple Sizzling Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and Blink-182’s Travis Barker, battled with their drumsticks whereas enjoying a canopy of Sabbath’s "Symptom of the Universe."

OZZY OSBOURNE PERFORMS FINAL CONCERT WITH BLACK SABBATH BANDMATES AND MORE LEGENDARY ARTISTS

For the closing set, the legendary rock star was lifted to the stage whereas sitting on a black throne accompanied by skulls and topped with a black bat. He sang hits like "Loopy Prepare" and "Mama I’m Coming Residence" whereas remaining seated throughout the whole set.

Ozzy Osbourne performs at Black Sabbath's farewell present, "Again to the Starting," at Villa Park in Birmingham, Britain, July 5, 2025. (Reuters/Sachin Ravikumar)

"You don't have any thought how I really feel," Osbourne advised the gang. "Thanks from the underside of my coronary heart."

Born in Aston, West Midlands, U.Okay., Ozzy was drawn to the theater as a baby, however he finally turned to music after listening to 1 explicit track from The Beatles .

"Once I heard ‘She Loves You,’ my world went up like a taking pictures star," Osbourne as soon as advised Esquire. "It was a divine expertise. The planets modified. I used to fantasize that Paul McCartney would marry my sister."

WATCH: Ozzy Osbourne throughout his ultimate efficiency with Black Sabbath

After leaving faculty as a young person, Osbourne spent six weeks in jail after being convicted of robbing a clothes retailer. It was in 1967 he was recruited by Geezer Butler to be a vocalist in a band the would turn into Black Sabbath.

Their sinister sound helped pave the way in which for heavy steel music, with their first three albums — "Black Sabbath," "Paranoid" and "Grasp of Actuality" — credited as pioneering albums within the trade.

After gaining business success, releasing three extra albums and touring for a handful of years, Ozzy threw within the towel in 1978 to pursue a solo endeavor, "Blizzard of Oz."

He rejoined the group, solely to be ejected by Black Sabbath three months later, and was changed by Ronnie James Dio. Ozzy had already been within the throes of substance abuse and habit like the opposite band members, he claimed in his ebook, "I Am Ozzy."

Ozzy Osbourne sang lead vocals for Black Sabbath. (Ross Marino/Getty Photos)

Black Sabbath included Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Invoice Ward and Ozzy Osbourne. (Chris Walter/WireImage)

"We knew we did not actually have a selection however to sack him as a result of he was simply so uncontrolled. However we had been all very down in regards to the scenario," Butler wrote in his memoir, "Into The Void."

In 1982, one 12 months after signing his first solo report deal, Ozzy bit the top off a bat whereas performing on the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Iowa. Osbourne later claimed the bat bit him, and he was handled for rabies.

WATCH FOX NATION'S ‘SHARON OSBOURNE: TO HELL AND BACK’

Now a star in his personal proper, Ozzy married his supervisor, Sharon Arden, July 4, 1982, and continued his ascent to rock stardom. The ability couple later shaped Ozzfest within the '90s, the primary heavy metal-focused competition that grossed greater than $100 million.

The "Iron Man" singer was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2003. Nevertheless, he did not converse publicly about his prognosis till 2020. He admitted that he could not stroll anymore throughout a Jan. 29 episode of his Sirius XM present, "Ozzy Speaks."

"I could also be moaning about how I can’t stroll, however I look down the highway and there’s folks that didn’t do half as a lot as me, they usually didn’t make it," he mentioned on the time.

The band was identified for its barely sinister sound. (Getty Photos)

Ozzy married his supervisor, Sharon Asten, July 4, 1982, and the couple welcomed three kids. (Mike Malone)

The "Dreamer" vocalist struggled with various bodily illnesses through the years. In 2003, he nearly died in an ATV accident when his quad flipped onto him whereas he was driving round his London property.

In 2022, the "Mama I am Coming Residence" singer underwent surgical procedure to take away and realign pins in his neck and again. Ozzy's again issues probably stemmed from the all-terrain automobile collision.

On the time, he had emergency surgical procedure for "a damaged collarbone (and) eight fractured ribs that had been pinching essential blood vessels and broken vertebrae in his neck."

"I’m simply ready on some extra surgical procedure on my neck," he advised Classic Rock journal in Might 2022. "I can’t stroll correctly today. I've bodily remedy each morning. I'm considerably higher, however nowhere close to as a lot as I wish to be to return on the highway."

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When requested if he ever thought of his personal mortality, Ozzy mentioned he felt optimistic about his future as he regarded again on the previous.

The Osbournes grew to become a family identify within the early 2000's when MTV launched an unscripted present in regards to the household. The collection premiered in 2002 and ran for 4 seasons, with a ultimate curtain name in 2005. (Dave Hogan)

"At f---ing 73, I’ve achieved fairly nicely," he mentioned. "I don’t plan on going wherever, but my time’s going to come ."

Years after his success as a heavy steel rock star, the Osbourne household grew to become a family identify within the early 2000s when MTV took followers inside their lives as well-known stars — and the youngsters of rock royalty — with an unscripted show about the family . The collection premiered in 2002 and ran for 4 seasons, with a ultimate curtain name in 2005.

The Grammy Award winner was candid about his drug and alcohol points, and, upon releasing "Black Rain" in 2007, his first album in almost six years, mirrored on the significance of the catalog.

"I believed I might by no means write once more with none stimulation. ... However what? As a substitute of selecting up the bottle, I simply received trustworthy and mentioned, 'I do not need life to go [to pieces],'" he advised Billboard journal.

The band reunited and performed in Might 2012, their first live performance since 2005. The next 12 months, they launched into a world tour, which led to June 2014 in London's Hyde Park.

Ozzy confronted various well being points all through his life and revealed a Parkinson's prognosis in 2022. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos)

Their twentieth studio album and ultimate tour was slated for 2016, however by the start of March 2017, Black Sabbath disbanded, and Osbourne later mentioned he had no real interest in a reunion.

"Not for me. It is achieved," Osbourne advised Final Basic Rock. "The one factor I do remorse just isn't doing the final farewell present in Birmingham with Invoice Ward. I felt actually dangerous about that. It will have been so good. I do not know what the circumstances behind it had been, however it could have been good. I've talked to Tony a couple of instances, however I haven't got any of the slightest curiosity in doing one other gig. Perhaps Tony's losing interest now."

Years earlier than his loss of life, Osbourne mirrored on the lasting legacy he wished to depart on the world as his Parkinson's illness progressed.

"Survival is my legacy," he advised People magazine. "I imply, I am 73. Folks go, ‘Effectively, you are 70 … why do not I throw the towel in?’ Why ought to I? Folks nonetheless wish to purchase my data. Folks nonetheless wish to see me, so why ought to I? It motivates me to get off my bottom and do one thing. I imply, if my profession had gone down the bathroom and I knew it was the top, I might be fairly depressing."

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After his loss of life, the Osbournes launched a press release to Fox Information Digital.

"It's with extra unhappiness than mere phrases can convey that we've got to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has handed away this morning. He was together with his household and surrounded by love. We ask everybody to respect our household’s privateness right now."

Osbourne is survived by spouse Sharon, daughters Kelly and Aimee and son Jack, along with daughter Jessica, and sons Elliot and Louis from his first marriage to Thelma Riley.