Ozzy Osbourne death: Music world mourns ‘a true legend'
He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019.
As frontman of Black Sabbath, he was at the forefront of the heavy metal scene – a deeper, darker offshoot of hard rock.
His theatrical stage presence, including once biting off the head of a bat, and styling himself as the Prince of Darkness marked him out as a controversial figure.
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Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3 1948 in Aston, Birmingham, he left school at 15 and did odd jobs including factory work before teaming up with school friend Geezer Butler in several bands.
Earlier this month, he bid a farewell to fans with a Black Sabbath reunion, telling thousands of heavy metal enthusiasts at Villa Park, Birmingham – a stone's throw from where Black Sabbath was formed in 1968 – that it was 'so good to be on this stage' as he performed his last set from a large black throne.
Osbourne and his fellow original Black Sabbath members – Tony Iommi, Terence 'Geezer' Butler and Bill Ward – were the last to appear on stage as part of a star-studded line-up for the Back to the Beginning concert.
Tributes paid to Ozzy Osbourne
Heavy-metal band Metallica paid tribute by posting simply a broken heart emoji.
The White Stripes frontman, Jack White, shared an image of a young Osbourne with the caption, 'He made it.'
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Elton John said: 'So sad to hear the news of @ozzyosbourne passing away. He was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods – a true legend. He was also one of the funniest people I've ever met. I will miss him dearly. To Sharon and the family, I send my condolences and love.'
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The official social media accounts for filmmaker and heavy metal musician, Rob Zombie, posted a carousel of images of Osbourne, adding 'Goodbye Ozzy. Thanks for everything. It was always a blast being around you. You will be missed.'
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Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones said in a tweet he was 'very sad to hear of the death of Ozzy Osbourne.' He continued, 'What a lovely goodbye concert he had at Back To The Beginning in Birmingham.'
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Black Sabbath's account on X posted a photo of Osbourne from the gig with the caption: "Ozzy Forever!"
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Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
Ozzy Osbourne's fond send-off was the least depressing thing on the news
'Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy,' the crowds chanted as Ozzy Osbourne 's funeral cortege paused at Black Sabbath Bridge, in his home city of Birmingham, and his widow and children laid their own flowers amid the amassed bouquets, fan-sketched portraits, customised football scarves and bat-shaped balloons. Amid the litany of abject grimness otherwise known as just another summer news bulletin, it was heavy-metal fans who provided the unity and warmth of spirit. Through tears, Sharon Osbourne, the singer's wife, flashed them a peace sign; their daughter Kelly waved to onlookers. The Black Sabbath frontman said he wanted his funeral to be a celebration, not a 'mope-fest', and though the ceremony itself was private, the procession lived up to his desired billing, with the hearse preceded by a local brass band playing Sabbath tunes and the gathered thousands chipping in both reverent vocals and swells of raucous appreciation. 'That was worse than the queen, that was,' one male fan reckoning with his emotions told the BBC. Television coverage of this public homage to the 'Prince of Darkness' did indeed have the touch of a royal event about it, with reporters vox-popping fans about what Ozzy meant to them and why they had come. READ MORE The difference was that John Michael Osbourne, possessing no birthright whatsoever, had actually moved culture along in his time, and this was a day laced with humour, relatability and grit. Love for Ozzy was not only wrapped in municipal pride but also inseparable from the reassuring sense of belonging that being a fan of certain bands or genres of music gives people – or used to, at least. Watching this salute, I was struck by the feeling that we are close to the start of what is likely to be an inverted U-shaped graph of music-superstar send-offs, ones where people are given the chance to pay mass tribute to shared idols. There's definitely more to come, a lot more. [ Interviewing Ozzy Osbourne: 'You can't live that way forever. It catches up with you eventually' Opens in new window ] I remember thinking during the televised funeral of Shane MacGowan – complete with the church rendition of Fairytale of New York by a supergroup of musical luminaries – in December 2023 that this was a gloriously new benchmark, one that the families of other artists would be inspired to replicate when the time comes. But once all the icons whose careers thrived in more culturally finite times are gone, then what? It's not that you need a monolithic music scene or analogue broadcasting industry for moments of cohesion like these. Heavy metal was always much marginalised by the media. But you do need a world that hasn't fallen victim to the dead hand of tech platforms that simultaneously flatten out music culture and fragment it to the point where its role in identity formation is now much less potent than before. 'Is Gen X dying before our eyes?' the Hollywood Reporter wondered last week. Before our eyes! I hope not. (Osbourne himself, born in 1948, predates it.) Still, despite the Black Mirror-ish image this headline conjured up, the article wasn't wrong when it cited the death of Kurt Cobain, in April 1994, as the defining event for a generation characterised in youth as disaffected and doom-filled. Shown on MTV News throughout that year as mourning snowballed, footage from the Seattle vigil for the Nirvana singer burned on my teenage brain. I'd never heard anything as raw in my life as Courtney Love's taped message to fans, in which she read out part of her husband's suicide note while simultaneously railing against its most dangerous assertions. Preserved on YouTube , the stunned silence of the crowd remains palpable, and – whether it was a wise thing to do or not – you can almost see Cobain's legacy embedding itself in the cultural soil in real time. When we're let into someone else's shock and pain like this, it alters our relationship with celebrity. Expectations change. MTV, by then already pioneering the reality genre with The Real World, played its part in shifting fan culture away from one of distant, unknowable icons into something messier, more open, more confessional. Ozzy Osbourne funeral: a street artist adds to a Black Sabbath mural in Birmingham. Photograph: Joanna Yee/New York Times It was later the home of The Osbournes, of course, which is the unrepeatable facet of Ozzy's story: here was a musician who built his base in a finite, terrestrial landscape, achieved a new style of fame via a cable-TV megahit and died in the era of social media and live streaming. For devotees beyond Birmingham, there was a link to follow the procession as it passed Black Sabbath Bridge. This yielded hunger for more access, with some YouTube commenters disappointed that it turned out to be a fixed street camera with no sound – they were advised to consult fan-made videos instead. Even without comparable hometown-hero status, waves of household-name artists whose careers straddled similar eras are on track to receive huge, internet-fuelled public goodbyes, in which pure admiration mingles with personal nostalgia and sentiment. But will any of them be as uplifting and uncomplicated and fond as Ozzy Osbourne's? That seems more doubtful.
The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Ozzy Osbourne's meaningful gift to huge rock star pictured in tribute post hours after private funeral
A TOP rock star has shared a brand new photo of the meaningful gift Ozzy Osbourne shared with him before his death. Yungblud, 27, enjoyed an incredibly close bond with Ozzy in the years leading up to his death with the Black Sabbath frontman acting as a mentor to the star - whose real name is Dominic Harrison - prior to his passing. 4 Yungblud has paid another touching tribute to his idol Ozzy Osbourne Credit: Instagram 4 Yungblud has now shared a close-up pic of the necklace in a tribute post Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 4 Ozzy at his final gig in Birmingham earlier this year Credit: Reuters Now, in a new social media post following Ozzy's private funeral, Yungblud has shared a photo of the necklace which Ozzy gave to him back in 2022. Ozzy gave him the cross necklace in 2022 whilst he was recording a music video for his track, The Funeral. The pair enjoyed a close bond often likened to father and son with Yungblud going onto return the favour by gifting Ozzy his own custom-made cross necklace backstage at his final ever gig in Villa Park, Birmingham. Clearly a symbol of their bond, Yungblud has now shared a close-up image of the pendant alongside a heartfelt caption. Read more on Ozzy osbourne He wrote: "Goodnight oz. your light will forever shine. I love you." It is understood that Yungblud gave a touching reading at his private funeral on Thursday. Ozzy was laid to rest next to the lake in his Buckinghamshire home. A wreath, which read: 'Ozzy f***ing Osbourne,' was placed by the bank of the water as 110 of Ozzy's nearest and dearest joined his wife Sharon and his children Jack , 39, , 40, , 41, and , 50, who is Ozzy's son from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, for the service. Most read in Celebrity A family friend told The Sun that Ozzy and Sharon's home was decorated with pictures of the Black Sabbath rocker - and that they They added: 'Ozzy's service was a beautiful tribute. As well as tears, there was laughter.' YUNGBLUD - teresa The road leading to Ozzy and Sharon's home, close to Gerrards Cross, was closed from 1pm. Guests were sent a simple black invitation with a picture of a cross that read: 'In loving memory of Ozzy Osbourne.' Mourners were transported from The Crowne Plaza and The Bull in Gerrards Cross to the house at 2pm, with the service starting at 3pm. Security teams were also in place to ensure the safety of those attending. A friend told The Sun: "There was a stage where people including Yungblud, who grew very close to Ozzy in recent years, were set to pay tribute to him. 'The day was incredibly emotional. Pictures of Ozzy were dotted throughout the house and a photograph of him was given to everyone who attended to take home with them.' 4 Sharon was left devastated following his passing Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Sharon Osbourne revealed her darkest secrets to me over beer at LA mansion… including tragic sacrifice she made for Ozzy
"BIRTHS, booze, drugs, bike accidents, cancer, burglary, you name it and we've got through it,' Sharon Osbourne told me candidly at her glamorous Hollywood home with Ozzy. But amongst Advertisement 9 Grieving Sharon Osbourne flashes late husband Ozzy's famous peace sign at his funeral procession in Birmingham Credit: Getty 9 The couple pose beside the pool in the garden of their Beverly Hills home Credit: Getty 9 The Osbournes became one of the world's most famous reality TV couples thanks to Sharon's business brain Credit: Getty - Contributor Consumed by grief, a pale and weeping Sharon yesterday laid a single pink rose on Birmingham's Black Sabbath Bridge as the funeral cortege waited. It was emotionally fraught to Advertisement As she was helped back towards her black limo at Wednesday's funeral procession, she flashed the peace sign - husband Ozzy's trademark gesture. Having interviewed Sharon at the family's Beverly Hills mansion, I had witnessed first hand their enduring love. Back in 2005, Sharon invited me into their sumptuous Los Angeles home - where MTV reality show The Osbournes was filmed - to talk about her autobiography called Extreme. Ozzy - knowing it was his wife's gig - ambled around making fruit drinks for us then watched on from a polite distance. But he couldn't help interjecting with one-liners. Make no mistake, this was a double act. One Sharon - with a supreme, sharp-elbowed talent for showbiz management - had forged. Advertisement When she first started working with Ozzy in 1979 he was a washed up, drug-addled, alcoholic headbanger who'd been sacked as lead singer of heavy metal giants Black Sabbath. When I interviewed Ozzy three years earlier at their Buckinghamshire home, he'd admitted: 'I'd have beer for breakfast and work me way up. 'I would down four bottles of brandy a day, plus beer, wine, cocaine, pills and pot.' Tearful Sharon Osbourne reads fans' touching tributes to beloved husband Ozzy as she joins family at funeral procession Yet Sharon, 72, saw something in the wildman when most others thought he was an unsalvageable wreck. "When I first met my husband, I knew instantly that for the first time in my life, I was in love," she would later say on her chat show The Talk. Advertisement "He was so funny and quick-witted and yet very vulnerable. And I just thought he was the funniest, sweetest guy I'd ever met." Marriage sacrifice It would lead to marriage, three kids - and an almighty fall out with her father - self-anointed Godfather of Rock Don Arden, who was Sabbath's manager. When Sharon married Ozzy, bruiser Don - real name Harry Levy - gave her his contract as a wedding present. 9 The famous pair and their children Aimee, Kelly and Jack pictured in 1987 Credit: Getty 9 Sharon will do everything in her power to maintain her husband's legacy and be strong for their three children, says our writer Credit: Getty - Contributor Advertisement Repacking the frontman from dated '70s rock dinosaur to 80's Prince of Darkness, Sharon switched Ozzy from her dad's Jet Records and signed him up to a much bigger US company. It caused a rift with her father that would last more than 20 years before they patched it up. Back in 2005, Sharon told me with sadness in her voice: 'Don has never said he's proud of me. That hurts.' Dark presence Don - who died aged 81 in 2007 - had been a dark presence in her childhood that left deep psychological scars. 'There was nothing unusual in seeing my dad threatening someone or brandishing a firearm,' she said in a TV interview. Advertisement "My father really had a temper. He had a voice which could echo through the entire house. "A couple of times, he would whack me and he used to yank my hair. But I wouldn't say I was abused and beaten. In those days it was the normal thing." In adulthood Sharon had struggled with bulimia, telling me: 'Some people do drink and drugs but for me it's food, food, food. It's about having low self-esteem. When I first met my husband, I knew instantly that for the first time in my life, I was in love Sharon Osbourne 'I went through a stage where I loved my husband. I loved my kids, I had a great career and thought, 'What the f*** does it matter what I look like? Have another pint of ice cream, you deserve it'. 'But I was kidding myself. I wasn't well. I was so fat I couldn't get up the stairs. My son Jack used to have to push me up with one hand on each arse cheek while I yanked myself up with the rail. Advertisement "I literally had to lift the rolls of fat off my belly to wash under it, that's how fat I was. How bad is that? Ozzy loved me as I was but I didn't." 9 Sharon and Sun man Oliver Harvey during their 2005 interview Credit: Dave Hogan 9 Sharon transformed Ozzy from a dated '70s rock dinosaur to 80's Prince of Darkness Credit: Getty - Contributor At 5ft 2ins, Sharon would weigh 16st at her heaviest before having her stomach stapled and losing half her body weight. Then The Osbournes reality show - peppered with four-letter outbursts and family rows - turned her into a superstar in her own right. Advertisement Her own US chat show and a stint as an X Factor judge followed. Toughest challenges In the meantime this indomitable woman survived colon cancer, having surgery the day before her 2002 20th wedding anniversary, followed by chemotherapy. That year Ozzy admitted to me that Sharon had been his saviour: "I have a great wife and five of the most beautiful kids in the world. Without my wife I would be long dead.' 9 Jack, Ozzy and Sharon at the rock legend's final show Credit: Instagram 9 Ozzy and Sharon were as welcoming and down-to-earth a couple as you could wish to meet, says Oliver Credit: Getty Advertisement During my interview with Sharon three years later she was amazingly candid and witty. As photographer Dave Hogan packed away his camera gear and I put away my notepad, Ozzy piped up: 'Fancy a beer?' Most celebrities can't get rid of journalists quick enough but Ozzy and Sharon were eager to chew the fat. Alcoholic Ozzy produced a four-pack from the fridge, and handed me one while sticking to soft drinks himself. I eagerly asked him about heavy rock yet he explained his real love was The Beatles. Advertisement As welcoming and down-to-earth a couple as you could wish to meet, Ozzy and Sharon were eager to hear about gossip from Britain. They were a hilarious double act and the fierce love between them was evident. That Ozzy became a national treasure was largely Sharon's doing. Now he's gone the Osbourne matriarch will do everything in her power to maintain her husband's legacy and be strong for their three children.
