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Ozzy Osbourne passed away at the age of 76 on July 22, 2025. His undeniable mark on pop culture has many edges to it: a heavy metal pioneer that changed the landscape of music; an erratic, hedonistic “prince of darkness” known for his stage antics; and an early, wackily endearing icon of reality TV when the genre was only coming into existence. With his passing, the story of an all-encompassing star came to an end. Still, his legacy will live on through his millions of fans, many of which took to the streets of Birmingham, Osbourne’s hometown, to honor him.
Upon his death, his family released a statement: “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.” While no immediate cause of death was announced, Osbourne had been in treatment for a variant of Parkinson’s disease.
Born John Michael Osbourne, the musician rose to fame as the vocalist for Black Sabbath. The band laid the foundation for heavy metal, with Ozzy Osbourne bringing throaty, growling vocals to their experimental sounds, becoming the voice of the anguished, low-class youth in the UK. Their sophomore album, released in 1970, spawned three of the the most recognized rock anthems of the 20th century: “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” and “Paranoid.”
Osbourne dealt with addiction for many years, with one of the main fallouts of this being his firing from Black Sabbath in 1979. While baffling, this didn’t slow Osbourne’s music output. The following year, he released the album “Blizzard of Ozz,” which which went 5x platinum in the U.S. In total, Osbourne released 13 solo records—the most recent being “Patient Number 9,” released in 2022. He also cemented his role as a heavy metal legend by holding Ozzfest, an annual heavy metal festival tour named after and usually headlined by him (either solo or as a member of a reunited Black Sabbath.) Besides his music, Osbourne also became infamous for ripping off the head of a bat—which he thought to be a stage prop—during a show in Des Moines in 1982.
The singer also set the basis for another, wildly different endeavor—unscripted television. The Osbournes, a reality TV show starring Osbourne; his wife, Sharon; and two of his children, Kelly and Jack, premiered in 2002. By opening the doors of his home, Osbourne shed the rock music legend mysticism to reveal a loving, if often bewildered, patriarch. The show ended in 2005, but became a pillar of TV shows focused on the family lives of celebrities.
Osbourne taunted his retirement on a handful of occasions—first in 1992, then again in 2019—changing his mind every time. In 2020, it was revealed that he had Parkinson's disease. Subsequent spinal surgeries took a toll on his health as the years went by. Hoping to give him purpose amid a depressive episode due to his decaying health, his wife came up with an idea: a big farewell show with his Black Sabbath bandmates at Villa Park in Birmingham.
The show, titled Back to the Beginning, featured a solo set by Osbourne, followed by four songs with Black Sabbath. Due to his health, he performed sitting down on a black throne, but otherwise had the energy of his youth and was moved by the fans’ response. When the gig was first announced, it was revealed that all proceeds would be donated to charity. In total, Osbourne and his friends raised an estimated £140 million (just over $185 million), which will be split equally among Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acom Children’s Hospice.
Osbourne passed away just 17 days after his final show. As a tribute to his legacy, the city of Birmingham planned for a procession around town. Thousands showed up to honor the late musician, and cheered for him when his widow and children stopped at the famed Black Sabbath bridge—featuring portraits of the members—to look at the tributes placed by the fans. The next day, he was laid to rest in the grounds of his mansion in Buckinghamshire, England, granting his wishes to be “in a nice garden somewhere, with a tree planted over my head.”
Tributes have continued to pour in all shapes. Today, the Band of the Coldstream Guards at Buckingham Palace performed “Paranoid.” Meanwhile, his musician friends have spotlighted his importance and how much he will be missed. Fellow singer Elton John 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.”
Ozzy Osbourne, heavy metal pioneer and reality TV icon, passed away at age 76.
His legacy will live on through his millions of fans, many of which took to the streets of Birmingham, Osbourne’s hometown, to honor him.
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Fans cheered for Osbourne when his widow and children stopped at the famed Black Sabbath bridge to look at the tributes placed by the fans.
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With Black Sabbath, Osbourne laid the foundation for heavy metal, bringing throaty, growling vocals to their experimental sounds.
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Beyond his music, Oscbourne also became infamous for ripping off the head of a bat—which he thought to be a stage prop—during a show in Des Moines in 1982.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
With The Osbournes, the singer shed the rock music legend mysticism to reveal a loving, if often bewildered, patriarch.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Amid a depressive episode due to his decaying health, his wife came up with an idea: a big farewell show with his Black Sabbath bandmates.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Osbourne passed away just 17 days after his final show, which raised an estimated £140 million ($185 million) for charity.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
“He was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods—a true legend,” wrote Elton John.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Sources: Ozzy Osbourne Funeral: Sharon Osbourne and Family Pay Tribute With Peace Signs as Thousands of Fans Chant ‘Thank You Ozzy’ in Emotional Procession; Ozzy Osbourne Laid to Rest at UK Mansion During Private Funeral Service; Elton John on Instagram; Consequence on X; Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath frontman and icon of British heavy metal, dies aged 76; Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne’s final gig raised “a ton of money” for charity
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