Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne dead aged 76
The hell-raising singer, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, passed away just over two weeks after playing a final gig before a sold-out crowd in his home city of Birmingham, England.
"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," read the family's statement.
"He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time."
Nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness", Osbourne was a notorious figure who once bit off the head of a bat while on stage.
He was instrumental in pioneering heavy metal -- an offshoot of hard rock -- as Black Sabbath enjoyed huge commercial success in the 1970s.
Osbourne brought the curtain down on a wild career on July 5, when Black Sabbath rattled through their most iconic songs in front of an adoring crowd at Villa Park, home of Premier League football club Aston Villa.
"It's the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle... Thank you from the bottom of our hearts," Osbourne told the crowd after finishing the set with "Paranoid" -- the band's most famous song.
He was joined by original bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the concert, dubbed "Back to the Beginning". The heavy metal giants formed in Birmingham in 1968.
Osbourne -- stylish to the very end -- held court from a giant leather throne, topped with a bat.
Black Sabbath's eponymous debut album in 1970 made the UK top 10 and paved the way for a string of hit records.
They went on to sell more than 75 million albums worldwide.
The band were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, and Osbourne was added for a second time last year as a solo artist.
- Rabies shots -
Osbourne's public persona took a new turn with the reality television series "The Osbournes" in the 2000s, which followed the ups and downs of his family life alongside wife Sharon, whom he married in 1982, and their three children.
Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948 in Birmingham, he left school at 15 and did odd jobs including factory work before teaming up with school friend Butler in several bands before finding success with Black Sabbath.
He paused touring in 2023 after extensive spinal surgery.
Osbourne had suffered a fall at home in 2019, which aggravated injuries from a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003.
His live performances at the height of his hedonism have gone down in rock folklore, particularly a 1982 gig in Des Moines, Iowa, when he bit the head off a bat on stage.
Osbourne said he thought a fan had thrown a fake rubber bat onstage, and it was not until he took a bite that he realised it was real.
"I can assure you the rabies shots I went through afterwards aren't fun," he told US TV host David Letterman in 1982.
He released his 12th studio album, "Ordinary Man", in 2020, followed by "Patient Number 9" in 2022, which went to number three and two in the UK charts, respectively.
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Sydney Morning Herald
33 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Details of Ozzy Osbourne's funeral requests emerge
London: When Ozzy Osbourne was an advice columnist for The Sunday Times of London, he detailed what he wanted his funeral to be like. The heavy metal singer and reality TV star wrote in 2011 that he hoped the eventual ceremony would be 'a celebration, not a mope-fest' and preferably include some pranks – 'maybe the sound of knocking inside the coffin'. On Tuesday, the City Council in the singer's hometown, Birmingham, England, said that a celebration of the singer's life would be held there on Wednesday, with a hearse carrying his body through Birmingham's main street accompanied by a brass band. The procession will culminate at the Black Sabbath Bench, a tourist attraction dedicated to Osbourne and his bandmates in the heavy metal group that has become a focal point for fan tributes since Osbourne's death at age 76 last week. Zafar Iqbal, Birmingham's lord mayor, an honorary position, said in a statement that 'it was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral. We know how much this moment will mean to his fans.' The Osbourne family is covering all costs related to the procession, the lord mayor added. Details of a private family funeral have not yet been announced. A spokesperson for the Osbourne family did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. The procession will take place just weeks after Osbourne performed his last show, Back to the Beginning, an all-day festival on July 5 that celebrated the singer's life and music. Held at a soccer stadium in Birmingham, the concert also served as a momentary reunion for Black Sabbath, the band that he and three other musicians formed in 1968. Heavy metal and rock bands including Metallica, Slayer and Guns N' Roses also played sets and covered Black Sabbath songs at that event, and video tributes from celebrities such as Elton John and Dolly Parton were broadcast on large screens at the side of the stage. As Black Sabbath's lead singer, Osbourne was widely considered a forefather of heavy metal music, though he achieved more commercial success in the 1980s and 1990s as a solo musician after his bandmates fired him.
The Age
33 minutes ago
- The Age
Ozzy Osbourne: Heavy metal icon to be honored in Birmingham procession
London: When Ozzy Osbourne was an advice columnist for The Sunday Times of London, he detailed what he wanted his funeral to be like. The heavy metal singer and reality TV star wrote in 2011 that he hoped the eventual ceremony would be 'a celebration, not a mope-fest' and preferably include some pranks – 'maybe the sound of knocking inside the coffin'. On Tuesday, the City Council in the singer's hometown, Birmingham, England, said that a celebration of the singer's life would be held there on Wednesday, with a hearse carrying his body through Birmingham's main street accompanied by a brass band. Ozzy Osbourne in full flight in 2022. He died last week aged 76. Credit: AP The procession will culminate at the Black Sabbath Bench, a tourist attraction dedicated to Osbourne and his bandmates in the heavy metal group that has become a focal point for fan tributes since Osbourne's death at age 76 last week. Zafar Iqbal, Birmingham's lord mayor, an honorary position, said in a statement that 'it was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral. We know how much this moment will mean to his fans.' The Osbourne family is covering all costs related to the procession, the lord mayor added. Details of a private family funeral have not yet been announced. A spokesperson for the Osbourne family did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. Tributes for Ozzy Osbourne left at Black Sabbath Bench in Birmingham in the wake of his death. Credit: Getty Images The procession will take place just weeks after Osbourne performed his last show, Back to the Beginning , an all-day festival on July 5 that celebrated the singer's life and music. Held at a soccer stadium in Birmingham, the concert also served as a momentary reunion for Black Sabbath, the band that he and three other musicians formed in 1968. Heavy metal and rock bands including Metallica, Slayer and Guns N' Roses also played sets and covered Black Sabbath songs at that event, and video tributes from celebrities such as Elton John and Dolly Parton were broadcast on large screens at the side of the stage. As Black Sabbath's lead singer, Osbourne was widely considered a forefather of heavy metal music, though he achieved more commercial success in the 1980s and 1990s as a solo musician after his bandmates fired him.
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
Ozzy Osbourne's one funeral demand revealed
Legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne said he didn't want his funeral to be a 'mope fest' — but instead a celebration of his life. More than a decade before his death at age 76 last week, the Black Sabbath icon divulged on wishes for his funeral when the time eventually came, reports the New York Post. In a Dear Ozzy column for the UK's Times newspaper in 2011, the 'Prince of Darkness' was asked if he had any plans for his own memorial. 'I honestly don't care what they play at my funeral; they can put on a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and We Are the Diddymen if it makes 'em happy,' he wrote. 'But I do want to make sure it's a celebration, not a mope-fest.' 'I'd also like some pranks: maybe the sound of knocking inside the coffin; or a video of me asking my doctor for a second opinion on his diagnosis of 'death.' There'll be no harping on the bad times.' The Crazy Train hitmaker went on, 'So to answer your question, yes, a bit of planning is the right thing to do for the family you leave behind'. Osbourne added that it's 'worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives. 'So by any measure, most of us in this country — especially rock stars like me — are very lucky. 'That's why I don't want my funeral to be sad. I want it to be a time to say thanks,' he concluded. In 2023, Ozzy said he would 'die a happy man' if he could express his gratitude to loyal fans ahead of his farewell show. Speaking to Rolling Stone, the musician admitted that his final wish was to feel 'well enough' for one more live performance before his time was up. 'If I can't continue doing shows on a regular basis, I just want to be well enough to do one show where I can say, 'Hi guys, thanks so much for my life,'' he told the outlet. 'That's what I'm working towards, and if I drop down dead at the end of it, I'll die a happy man.' The rocker's wish came true on July 5 when he took to the stage for the final time at his Black Sabbath farewell concert, titled Back to the Beginning, in Birmingham, UK. Osbourne wowed the 42,000-person crowd at Villa Park for what turned out to be his last performance in his lifetime. Elsewhere in his 2023 interview, the rocker insisted that he 'doesn't fear death' and was well aware that he had 'at best 10 years left'. 'I don't fear dying, but I don't want to have a long, painful and miserable existence. I like the idea that if you have a terminal illness, you can go to a place in Switzerland and get it done quickly. I saw my father die of cancer.' He went on, 'But look, I said to Sharon [Osbourne] that I'd smoked a joint recently and she said, 'What are you doing that for? It'll f**king kill you!' I said, 'How long do you want me to f – king live for?!' 'At best,' he said, 'I've got 10 years left, and when you're older, time picks up speed. 'Me and Sharon had our 41st wedding anniversary recently, and that's just unbelievable to me,' he added. The rocker is survived by his wife, Sharon Osbourne, six children and 10 grandkids.
