Latest news with #Bill Ward
The Sun
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Black Sabbath star's heartbreaking tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and youth photo as he asks ‘where will I find you now?'
BLACK Sabbath star Bill Ward has shared a heartbreaking tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and a photo from their youth. Ozzy's heartbroken family announced he had passed away aged 76 on Tuesday morning "surrounded by love". Asking, "Where will I find you now?" his bandmate took to X, formerly Twitter, with a heartfelt post. Follow our live blog here... Drummer Bill uploaded an image taken inside a photobooth during Black Sabbath 's heyday, writing: Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls, no, you're forever in my heart. "Deepest condolences to Sharon and all family members. RIP Sincere regrets to all the fans. Never goodbye. Thank you forever." The icon's death comes just weeks after he took to the stage one final time with the band at Villa Park in Birmingham. Inspiring images showed the star grinning with enthusiasm during his emotional final gig. More on Ozzy Osbourne... Ozzy - dubbed the Prince of Darkness who defined heavy metal - has left millions of fans mourning his devastating passing. The Black Sabbath frontman, 76, took to the stage for the last time earlier this month, belting out a blistering five-song set alongside bandmates Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward. Billed as 'the greatest heavy metal show ever,' Ozzy beamed as thousands chanted his name - then watched proudly as his daughter Kelly's boyfriend, Slipknot star Sid Wilson, proposed to her. The rocker had vowed it would be his final gig - after years of hard living and a heartbreaking Parkinson's battle he revealed in 2020. And his last ever post on Instagram was a picture of a poster celebrating his last ever show - with a photo of him alongside his three bandmates. It read: "Ozzy Osbourne. Back to the Beginning." Ozzy's outrageous career ranged from biting the head off a bat mid-show to shocking record execs by snapping a dove's neck in a meeting. He also snorted a line of ants while on tour with the notorious Mötley Crüe band in the '80s. And he even made eyebrow-raising headlines off-stage - on one occasion he urinated on a US war memorial while wearing one of Sharon's dresses. Loved for his madcap antics, raw voice and larger-than-life persona, the Brummie icon leaves behind a heavy metal legacy that will never be forgotten. The full statement from his family read: "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. "Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis." Black Sabbath also posted a heartwarming post on X in tribute to the late rock pioneer. The post said: "Ozzy Forever!" Further tributes have already poured in for the legend following his family's announcement on Tuesday evening. David Coverdale, founder and lead singer of rock band Whitesnake - and rumoured to once be considered for the role of Black Sabbath frontman - shared a message on X. "My Sincere Condolences To Sharon, The Family, Friends & Fans," he wrote. 11 11 Although Ozzy's wild behaviour would have been enough to see some artists blacklisted, the star became a loveable rogue who captured fans' hearts across the globe. In 2001, Ozzy appealed to a whole new audience after appearing in reality TV show The Osbournes with his family. Its first series was the most-watched show ever on MTV and propelled Jack and Kelly into stardom, with the latter enjoying a music career of her own. Matriarch Sharon also carved out a successful showbiz career for herself - first as an X Factor judge, then host of her own show in the US. With the family's success growing, they hosted the 30th Annual American Music Awards and later the BRIT Awards in London. The hugely popular show ran until 2005 and portrayed heartbreaking moments for the family - including Sharon's battle with cancer and the quad bike accident that nearly killed Ozzy. The family later starred in the reality series The Osbournes Want to Believe and special The Osbournes: Night of Terror, which both focused on paranormal investigations. Ozzy Osbourne's iconic career The singer then pursued his love of music after hearing The Beatles hit She Loves You in 1963, aged 15. After appearing in a handful of school plays, Ozzy joined Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler in their first group Rare Breed in 1967. When that band split, the pair reunited in Polka Tulk Blues alongside Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. The group later became known as Black Sabbath and went onto shatter the music world with their whining guitar solos, Occult-based lyrics and Ozzy's screeching vocals. In 1970, the group gained a cult following in both the US and UK after releasing their eponymous first album. Black Sabbath saw incredible success with hit tracks such as Paranoid but discord in the group saw most of the original line-up leave. Ozzy himself quit the band in 1978, with a spiral into drug abuse leading to a divorce from first wife Thelma Mayfair, who he had two children with. It was then he first met a young Sharon Arden, who Ozzy at first wrote off as he believed she would think he was a "lunatic". But the singer could not be more wrong and the pair married in Hawaii in July 1982 before going on to have three children together, Aimee, Kelly and Jack. With Sharon's encouragement and help from her music manager dad Don, he began to carve out a successful solo career. His seminal first album Blizzard of Ozz in 1980 became a multi-platinum success thanks to Ozzy's howling vocals and macabre laugh on hit Crazy Train. Coupled with the Prince of Darkness' insane tour that saw him bite the head off a live bat, a string of successful tracks followed - cementing Ozzy as a rock legend around the world. In 1992, the singer announced his retirement but four years later created the beloved annual music festival Ozzfest with Sharon, which featured heavy metal acts touring the US and some of Europe. Ozzy returned to Black Sabbath in 1999, with the band winning a Grammy for best metal performance for the song Iron Man. They later earned the same award in 2013 after releasing single God Is Dead? from album 13. Born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham in 1948, the star had a string of jobs including labourer, plumber and abattoir worker after dropping out of school aged 15. He was raised by his parents Lilian and John, with three older sisters and two younger brothers, in a humble two-bed house. The youngster struggled in education with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, and dyslexia. And Ozzy became entangled with petty crime and served two months in prison for burglary. It was during his stint behind bars he gave himself his first tattoo, his iconic OZZY on the knuckles of his left hand. The singer then pursued his love of music after hearing The Beatles hit She Loves You in 1963. After appearing in a handful of school plays, Ozzy joined bassist Geezer Butler in their first group Rare Breed in 1967 at the age of 19. When that band split, the pair reunited in Polka Tulk Blues alongside Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. They renamed the group, originally called Earth, as Black Sabbath. The band took on satanic and occult themes, which were enough to see them condemned by future pope Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. 11 11 Some of Black Sabbath's most iconic hits featured on their second album Paranoid. Fans hailed the heavy metal artists for their classics including Iron Man and War Pigs. The skyrocketed to international fame with five consecutive platinum selling albums within three years. But Ozzy himself quit the band in 1978, with a spiral into drug abuse leading to a divorce from first wife Thelma Mayfair, who he had two children with. However by the 1980s, Black Sabbath signed Don Arden as their manager. This led Ozzy to meet his future wife Sharon - Arden's daughter. The pair eventually tied the knot on July 4, 1982 - a date set by Ozzy so he would never forget their anniversary. Although it wasn't always smooth sailing - Ozzy originally fobbed Sharon off because he believed she would think he was a "lunatic". But the singer could not be more wrong and the couple went on to have three children together, Aimee, Kelly and Jack. With Sharon's encouragement and help from her music manager dad Don, he began to carve out a successful solo career. 11 Ozzy later opened up about his first wife Thelma, to whom he was married for 11 years and welcomed two children with - Jessica and Louis. The rocker also adopted Thelma's son Elliot. He admitted the union had failed because of his career and drug use, calling himself "a complete idiot" for being "abusive" to her. Ozzy's seminal first album Blizzard of Ozz in 1980 became a multi-platinum success thanks to Ozzy's howling vocals and macabre laugh on hit Crazy Train. However, in 1989 Ozzy's hardcore partying lifestyle took a sinister turn when he tried to strangle Sharon. Although the couple have famously spoken about how they both gave as good as they got, the incident saw Ozzy seek help for his drug use. She agreed not to press charges if he went to rehab - a decision that allowed the icon to continue performing. In 1992, the singer announced his retirement but four years later created the beloved annual music festival Ozzfest with Sharon, which featured heavy metal acts touring the US and some of Europe. Ozzy returned to Black Sabbath in 1999, with the band winning a Grammy for best metal performance for the song Iron Man. They later earned the same award in 2013 after releasing single God Is Dead? from album 13. 11
SBS Australia
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath singer and heavy metal's 'prince of darkness', dies aged 76
Ozzy Osbourne, the British rocker who pioneered heavy metal with his band Black Sabbath, has died at the age of 76. '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,' Osbourne's family said in a statement early on Wednesday AEST. 'He was with his family and surrounded by love.' A cause of death was not disclosed. Osbourne's death comes just weeks after Black Sabbath performed a sold-out farewell gig in the English city of Birmingham, where the band was formed. Osbourne, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, performed while seated on a giant leather throne topped with a bat. A 'working class kid from Aston' John Michael Osbourne was born in 1948 in Warwickshire in the UK. Growing up in Aston, Birmingham 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-cking way," he once said. In 1968, Osbourne joined guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward and bassist Geezer Butler to form Black Sabbath. They released their debut, self-titled album two years later. Ozzy Osbourne (right) formed Black Sabbath alongside bandmates Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward. Source: Getty / Chris Walter/WireImage Its follow-up, Paranoid, also released in 1970, is often cited as one of the most influential metal albums of all time. It contained many of their most well-known songs, including War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man. The band combined hard riffs and dark subject matter — from depression to war to apocalypse — combined with an instinct for Halloween theatrics. In 1982, Osbourne had an infamous encounter with a bat thrown on stage by a fan. He always insisted he thought it was a toy until he bit into it, realised his mistake and rushed to hospital for a rabies shot. The band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, and won two Grammy Awards for Best Metal Performance, along with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Osbourne was a regular target for conservative and religious groups concerned about the negative impact of rock music on young people. He acknowledged the excesses of his lifestyle and 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. 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," he said in a 2010 biography. Osbourne married his manager, Sharon Arden, in 1982. Source: Getty / Greg Doherty In 2002, Osbourne won legions of new fans when he starred in US reality TV show The Osbournes, featuring the singer alongside his family, wife Sharon and two of their children, Kelly and Jack. In his final concert on 5 July, Osbourne thanked thousands of adoring fans, some of whom were visibly emotional. Osbourne's performance followed a number of tributes on stage and on stadium screens from rock and pop royalty including Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Metallica's James Hetfield and Elton John. "Thanks for your support over the years. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you," he said.
