Latest news with #OrdinaryMan
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Elton John's sweet bond with Ozzy Osbourne as he attends Black Sabbath star's funeral
Sir Elton John will pay his last respects to his friend, Ozzy Osbourne, in Birmingham today following the Black Sabbath star's heartbreaking death last week Sir Elton John shared a strong bond with his "dear friend" Black Sabbath star, Ozzy Osbourne, who is being laid to rest today. In news which left the singer's legion of loyal fans bereft, it was announced last week that Ozzy had died, aged 76, as his famous family admitted "mere words" couldn't describe their loss. Paying tribute to his friend, Elton, 78, who will pay his last respects to Ozzy at his funeral in Birmingham later today, said the father-of-six was a "rock god" and a "true trailblazer". Joining a host of famous faces, including Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, in paying homage to the star following his passing on Tuesday, Elton wrote on Instagram: "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. Elton xx." The Sorry star, who has been pals with Ozzy for years, also sent a special message to his friend at the Black Sabbath farewell gig earlier this month. Appearing on screen at Villa Park at which thousands had turned up to see Ozzy perform for one last time, Elton told the star: "You are one of the most remarkable singles of our time... You are the king, you are the legend. 'You've been through so much crap in the last few years. "I hope this is the best day of your life so far.' Elton and Ozzy shared a decades-long friendship as titans in their music fields. The I'm Still Standing star and Prince of Darkness icon no doubt found common ground as survivors of very public, decades-long battles with addiction - as well as being two of the most famous singers on the planet. For Ozzy, Elton was a true friend who was there for him during his recovery from a horrific quad bike accident in 2003, according to Yahoo Entertainment. 'Elton told me to get off the couch and start walking, which was what I needed, as I couldn't move off it for months,' the singer told the outlet. 'He was right. Elton is a sweetheart. He has phoned me throughout all this. He was at the house the other day with his two boys. They are great kids. "They are such a good family. You would be surprised. When you are feeling miserable, you find out who is a friend and who doesn't give a s**t." The pair also collaborated on the power ballad, Ordinary Man, in 2020. The track features emotional lyrics, which focus on life and leaving a legacy as Ozzy poignantly sings: 'I don't wanna die an ordinary man.'
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Ozzy Osbourne fans emotional as family share new tribute to late Black Sabbath singer
Ozzy Osbourne's family, including his wife Sharon Osbourne, announced last week that the Black Sabbath member had died, aged 76, just weeks after his farewell concert The late Ozzy Osbourne has been the subject of yet more tributes following the news of his death almost a week ago. Fans have shared that they continue to mourn the Black Sabbath member this week ahead of his funeral. Ozzy's family announced last Tuesday that the singer-songwriter had died, aged 76, that morning, with his wife Sharon Osbourne, 72, and four of his children issuing a joint statement at the time. There was then an outpouring of tributes to him, including from his former bandmates. The verified account for Ozzy on Instagram has continued to post about him since the news broke, including in a tribute uploaded earlier today. It shared a photo that showed a logo of Ozzy's name above a black candle with a flame on top. The caption simply included an emoji depicting a candle. Accompanying the photo and its caption was the song Holy For Tonight, which was included in the post. The track, co-written by Ozzy, featured on his second most recent album, titled Ordinary Man, which was released back in 2020. The post has amassed more than 220,000 likes since it was uploaded this afternoon. Some fans took to the comments section to address the loss and reflect on it having been almost a week since 'the Prince of Darkness' died. One person wrote: "We will miss you forever." Another said: "Can't believe it's almost been a week." Whilst someone else commented: "It still hasn't sunk in." Sharing their thoughts, another fan wrote this evening: "Still doesn't seem real." Someone wrote: "I still can't believe you're gone Ozzy, thank you for everything." One person said in their reaction to the post: "You'll live forever in our hearts, Ozzy." Another wrote earlier today: "Love you Ozzy, I am still in disbelief that you have passed away. Thank you for your music." One fan commented: "I can't even begin to imagine the massive hole he has left in the lives of Sharon, his children and his grandchildren. My heart goes out to them." Another wrote in their response: "Sending light and love to all the family." Ozzy's death was announced last week by relatives including his wife Sharon. She issued a statement alongside their three children Aimee Osbourne, Jack Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne, as well as Ozzy's eldest son Louis Osbourne. They said: "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." Just weeks before his death, Ozzy had performed at a farewell concert in Birmingham as part of Black Sabbath's original line-up. He took to the stage at Villa Park stadium on July 5 in the star-studded Back to the Beginning concert and the gig is set to be turned into a film to be released next year.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Ozzy Osbourne on daughter Kelly's powerful act after his Parkinson's diagnosis
Ozzy Osbourne announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2020 and said that his daughter Kelly Osbourne had helped amid the diagnosis and other health issues The late Ozzy Osbourne credited his youngest daughter Kelly Osbourne with having helped him in the wake of being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The musician spoke about her whilst sharing the diagnosis five years ago. It was announced in 2020 that Ozzy had been diagnosed with a form of Parkinson's the year before. After sharing his condition, he continued to raise awareness of the condition, which can include a range of symptoms, in the years since then and has been praised by two charities this week following the news of his death on Tuesday. Ozzy's diagnosis was first shared in an interview on Good Morning America. He began by saying: "I found out that I have a mild form of ..." He looked to his wife Sharon Osbourne, who said: "It's Parkin 2, which is a form of Parkinson's." The couple were also joined by their children Kelly and Jack Osbourne for the interview with Robin Roberts in 2020. It was revealed that Kelly had helped her dad Ozzy, who had experienced a "bad fall" shortly before his Parkinson's diagnosis, "get back on his feet" and into the recording studio. Following the news of his diagnosis, Kelly said: "We just kept going everyday and the magic that happens, I think, when you're in pain ..." Ozzy, pointing at his youngest daughter, interrupted her to say: "She's the one! If it wasn't for her I'd be still lying up on the couch." Kelly said: "The only thing I know when it comes to my dad is what can I do to make him smile and I know that going to the studio makes him happy. So I got him up and got him to the studio, and that's all I did. Everything else was him." Ozzy recorded the album Ordinary Man following the diagnosis, which he said came after he was left with nerve damage from surgery in response to his fall in 2019. The album peaked at Number 3 in the UK after its release in 2020. In the interview on Good Morning America, Kelly also spoke about the family noticing symptoms of Parkinson's. She said that her brother Jack saw signs of the condition "first" and described the situation as "really strange". Kelly said: "It's really strange how this works because there are some days where I will walk in this house and I'm like 'there is absolutely nothing wrong with him'. [...] Then you come back the next day, and nothing has happened, but it's like he can't feel his arm and he can't get off the couch." Elsewhere in the interview, Ozzy said he was experiencing numbness in one arm, which he attributed to his surgery, and coldness in his legs. The musician and his wife said that they weren't sure which symptoms were as a result of the surgery, and which were due to Parkinson's. Sharon told host Robin that whilst Parkinson's isn't a "death sentence," it affects certain nerves. She shared in the interview five years ago: "It's like you have a good day, a good day, and then a really bad day."
USA Today
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Ozzy Osbourne's sobriety struggles and how he overcame them
From the iconic "All Aboard!" to Black Sabbath's heavy metal legacy, Ozzy Osbourne had one of the most recognizable voices in modern history. The Grammy-winning "Prince of Darkness" and legendary rocker died July 22, just weeks after reuniting with Black Sabbath for a final show in England. He was 76. Osbourne was one of the most iconic figures in rock, molding the sound and perception of heavy metal with his one-of-a-kind voice and shocking antics. He followed his rock zenith with a reality TV career, making him as well known for biting the head off a bat on stage and eating a live dove in a meeting with record executives as he was for his bemusing bickering at home with his wife and kids. Fans also watched his well-documented journey overcoming addiction, and Osbourne ultimately achieved sobriety and released his penultimate 2020 album: 'Ordinary Man.' After the first year of sobriety, he could 'start breathing again' Osbourne, whose issues with alcoholism and drug addiction began in the 1970s and got him booted from Black Sabbath in 1979, grew serious about his sobriety around 2014 after numerous attempts at rehab and recovery dating back to 1984. In a recent interview, he told The Sun that he once drank 28 gallons of alcohol to get through the Christmas season. 'I thought I'd be drinking to the day I die,' Osbourne said in a 2021 interview with Variety. His wife and longtime manager, 'The Talk' co-host Sharon Osbourne, and son Jack, who at the time had been sober for 17 years, also joined him for the sit-down. 'I've always been self-medicating because I've never liked the way I felt. I've had great success in my life, but I've never felt great about myself,' he said in the interview. "Most of the people that I drank with are dead. And the ones that aren't, that still continue to drink, are going to be dead soon," Osbourne added. "It's not a happy ending.' Osbourne's son was also asked about his sobriety. 'The first year is the worst, isn't it Jack? After the first year it's like you can start breathing again,' Osbourne told his son. Life on a 'Crazy Train': A timeline of Ozzy Osbourne's odyssey 'Ordinary Man' was the first album Osbourne recorded 'completely sober' 'Ordinary Man' tapped into the darker side of sobriety with "Straight to Hell," an anti-drug song featuring rapper Post Malone that recalls a wild, 1972 moment of Osbourne's drug life with Black Sabbath. While recording near Bel Air, California, police swarmed the band's rented house filled with cocaine and marijuana after Osbourne accidentally set off an alarm, thinking it was air conditioning. In a 2020 interview with Apple Music, Osbourne said the album was the first project he's completed sober. "I thought it was the drugs and the alcohol that made it all work," he said. "But it's not true. All I was doing for years was self-medicating because I didn't like the way I felt. But then this is the first album I've co-wrote and recorded (expletive) completely sober. The last album, I wrote some of it stoned." Osbourne admitted, "I quite like being sober now. 'Cause at least I can remember the (expletive) thing I did yesterday.'' Osbourne dies at 76, weeks after final Black Sabbath show A family statement shared with USA TODAY said Osbourne died in Birmingham, England, "surrounded by love." "It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy has passed away this morning," the statement read. "He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time." Ozzy Osbourne was diagnosed with a form of Parkinson's disease in 2019 after he suffered a bad fall that "screwed up all the vertebrae" in his neck, leading to the cancellation of a European tour. Osbourne kept his struggles private but eventually wanted to share with his fans. He leaves behind Sharon Osbourne, his wife of more than 40 years, as well as daughters Jessica, Aimee and Kelly and sons Elliot, Louis and Jack. Less than two weeks before his death, a new memoir from Osbourne called "Last Rites" was announced (releasing Oct. 7 from Grand Central Publishing Group). The publisher describes it as "the shocking, bitterly hilarious, never-before-told story of Osbourne's descent into hell." In the book, Osbourne says, "Look, if it ends tomorrow, I can't complain. I've been all around the world. Seen a lot of things. I've done good… and I've done bad. But right now, I'm not ready to go anywhere." Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri, Jim Sergent, Carlie Procell and Sara M. Moniuszko
ITV News
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
'Lost our brother': Black Sabbath bandmates and Elton John lead tributes to Ozzy Osbourne
Black Sabbath and other stars have been paying tribute to the band's frontman, Ozzy Osbourne, who died at the age of 76. Paying tribute to the megastar, Sir Elton John described Osbourne as a 'true legend'. 'He was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods,' he wrote on Instagram. '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. Elton xx.' Black Sabbath bassist Terence 'Geezer' Butler has said he is 'so glad' the band reunited with Ozzy Osbourne one final time for a farewell concert at Birmingham's Villa Park earlier this month. The music superstar's death was announced in a statement on Tuesday, saying he was 'with his family and surrounded by love'. 'Thanks for all those years- we had some great fun. 4 kids from Aston- who'd have thought, eh?' he wrote on Instagram. 'So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you.' 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 become one of the most influential and successful metal bands of all time, selling more than 75 million albums worldwide. The group were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, and Osbourne was added for a second time last year. Bandmates Bill Ward and Tony Iommi also expressed their grief. Iommi, the band's guitarist, said he was 'devastated' by the news. 'It's just such heartbreaking news that I can't really find the words, there won't ever be another like him,' he wrote on Instagram. 'Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother.' Ward, Black Sabbath's drummer, posted a photo of himself and Osbourne on X. 'Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls… no, you're forever in my heart,' he posted. In 2020, Osbourne revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and he paused touring in 2023 after extensive spinal surgery. He had a fall at home in 2019, which aggravated injuries from a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003, stopping his No More Tours 2 shows from going ahead in Europe and the UK. The tour had previously been rescheduled several times because of illness, the Covid-19 pandemic and logistical issues. He released his twelfth 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. In a statement on X, Metallica said it was "impossible to put into words what Ozzy Osbourne has meant" to the group. "Hero, icon, pioneer, inspiration, mentor, and, most of all, friend are a few that come to mind," the band wrote. Sir Rod Stewart also paid tribute on Instagram. 'Bye, bye Ozzy. Sleep well, my friend. I'll see you up there — later rather than sooner,' he wrote. Similarly, Nirvana thanked Osbourne "for the inspiration". "Black Sabbath is the template for heavy rock," it wrote. Singer Yungblud, who also performed at Villa Park on July 5, called him 'the greatest of all time'. 'I didn't think you would leave so soon the last time we met you were so full of life and your laugh filled up the room," he wrote. 'But as it is written with legends, they seem to know things that we don't. "I will never forget you – you will be in every single note I sing and with me every single time I walk on stage." Osbourne grew up in Aston, not far from Villa Park. Aston Villa Football Club also paid tribute to the rockstar, saying he "always had a special connection to the club and the community he came from". Osbourne rose to further fame alongside his wife Sharon – whom he married in 1982 and with whom he has three children, Aimee, Jack and Kelly – through their MTV reality TV series The Osbournes. In 2020, Osbourne revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and he paused touring in 2023 after extensive spinal surgery. He had a fall at home in 2019, which aggravated injuries from a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003, stopping his No More Tours 2 shows from going ahead in Europe and the UK. 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.
