Rock icon Ozzy Osbourne, lead singer of Black Sabbath and famed “Prince of Darkness,” died on Tuesday at 76, according to a statement by his family. They said he passed away surrounded by loved ones and asked for privacy during this difficult time.
Osbourne’s final public appearance was a monumental farewell concert on July 5 in his hometown of Birmingham. The event, titled Back to the Beginning, united the original Black Sabbath lineup: Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. It lasted over ten hours and featured performances by Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, and many others. Osbourne, seated on a throne due to advanced Parkinson’s, sang his final songs in an unforgettable spectacle.
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2003, Ozzy lived with the condition for more than two decades. He spoke candidly about his declining mobility, once admitting, “I may be moaning about how I can’t walk, but I look down the road and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me.”
His daughter Kelly previously addressed rumors about his mortality and clarified that, despite his diagnosis, he was not “dying,” a statement that added to public concern in recent weeks.
Born John Michael Osbourne in 1948 in Marston Green, England, Ozzy helped pioneer heavy metal with Black Sabbath’s groundbreaking albums: Paranoid, War Pigs, and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. His unpredictable stage antics, including the infamous bat‑biting incident, cemented his status as a rock legend. Beyond music, Ozzy became a reality TV star alongside wife Sharon and their children on The Osbournes.
The Back to the Beginning concert wasn’t just a performance; it was a charitable event that raised millions for Parkinson’s research, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorns Children’s Hospice. It attracted 45,000 fans and was streamed globally, offering a fitting tribute to a life that reshaped rock history.
Ozzy Osbourne’s death marks the end of a legendary journey that defined heavy metal and pop culture for generations. He is survived by wife Sharon and their children, as well as his first wife Thelma’s children.
