Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath frontman and heavy metal pioneer, has died at the age of 76

Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76, according to a statement from his family.

The singer, who helped to pioneer heavy metal through his work with Black Sabbath and earned the nickname ‘the Prince Of Darkness’, passed away this morning (July 22). No cause of death has been given.

The Osbournes say: “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.”

Osbourne’s death comes mere weeks after he played his retirement show: an all-day extravaganza called Back To The Beginning, held at Villa Park in his hometown of Birmingham on July 5. The concert saw the singer perform both a four-song solo set and a five-song set with the other founding members of Sabbath: guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward.

The bill at Back To The Beginning was rounded out by such rock and metal superstars as Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Anthrax and Slayer. All proceeds from the event are going to various Birmingham charities and a concert film is coming out in cinemas next year. It’s currently estimated to be the highest-grossing charity concert of all time.

Osbourne co-founded Black Sabbath in 1968 and made eight albums with the group before being dismissed in 1979, due to what was perceived by his bandmates to be excessive substance abuse. He then launched a successful solo career, which kicked off with the 1980 album Blizzard Of Ozz. Osbourne returned to Sabbath from 1997 to 2006 and again from 2011 until their first retirement in 2017. He sang on the band’s final album, 2013’s 13: his first full-length studio album with them in 35 years.

In 1996, Osbourne and his wife/manager Sharon (whom he married in July 1982) started Ozzfest: a touring summer heavy metal festival. The first edition was a success, reviving interest in Osbourne’s career and launching an annual franchise that persisted on-and-off until 2018.

In the early 2000s, Osbourne – along with Sharon, their daughter Kelly (born 1984) and their son Jack (born 1985) – became a reality TV star, appearing in the MTV series The Osbournes. The show ran for four seasons from 2002 to 2005 and was one of MTV’s most-watched programmes. Osbourne’s eldest daughter with Sharon, Aimee (born 1983), chose not to participate.

Osbourne was often the source of mainstream controversy during his career. Sabbath’s early material was released to scathing reviews and sparked outcry with its occult themes, heard on such songs as Black Sabbath. However, the music’s heaviness and darkness became a profound influence on later metal bands, including Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica and Slayer.

After his dismissal from Sabbath, Osbourne engaged in several infamous public antics, often while intoxicated. In January 1982, he bit the head off of a bat during a concert at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa. The following month, he drunkenly urinated on the Alamo Cenotaph in Alamo, Texas. He was arrested and banned from the city for 10 years.

Osbourne suffered from various health problems in his later years and retired from touring in 2023. He underwent multiple spinal surgeries after injuring himself in a fall at home in 2019 (the fall aggravated a previous injury he sustained in 2003). In January 2020, he announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Osbourne is survived by Sharon, as well as Aimee, Kelly and Jack, and three other children from his first marriage between 1971 and 1982.