You could not write a better ending for a larger-than-life character — and the godfather of metal music — who epitomized the excesses, eccentricities and stereotypes inherent in the life of a rock star. There will definitely not be another one like Ozzy Osbourne anytime soon.
Just two weeks after holding court at Villa Park — sitting on a winged throne due to his declining health — at the "Back to the Beginning" Black Sabbath farewell in his hometown of Birmingham, England, Osbourne passed away on July 22, at age 76.
No words convey the heaviness of this loss on the rock community. Osbourne's surviving family (wife Sharon, and four of his six children, Aimmee, Jack, Kelly, and Louis) announced the sad news of his death in a joint statement via social media, noting that he was "with his family and surrounded by love."
In recent years, the five-time GRAMMY winner's health was in steady decline. In 2019, he had a debilitating bout of pneumonia and suffered a severe fall at his home that led to a severe neck injury. Many surgeries followed and, as he shared on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" in 2023, it was "five years of absolute hell for me and my family." In 2020, the septuagenarian announced that he had Parkinson's disease; that's why, at that final show, Osbourne sang from a seated position.
Jason Momoa emceed that all-day Black Sabbath celebration that featured performances from Metallica, Tom Morello, Tool, and many more. The musical marathon ended with Osbourne, along with the three other founding members of Black Sabbath (guitarist Tony Iomm, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward) performing a medley of the band's signature songs — "War Pigs," "NIB," "Iron Man," and "Paranoid" — to the delight of the 40,000 in attendance and those watching around the world. With the news of Ozzy's death, that final performance now takes on extra gravitas.
Over the course of a 50-year career, Osbourne left a chestful of treasured songs enshrined in the pantheon of rock history, both with Black Sabbath and on his own. A five-time GRAMMY winner, 12-time nominee and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient (as a member of Black Sabbath), he was a musical hero to generations of rock stars. In 2006, Ozzy, along with his Black Sabbath mates, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Last year, he was inducted again for his solo career.
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary Prince of Darkness," said Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. "Ozzy redefined heavy metal and rock music and inspired countless artists around the world. His legacy will continue to influence generations and hold a place in music history forever. Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this time."
Birthing An Icon: Birmingham & Black Sabbath's Beginnings
The beloved rock icon was born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham, England on December 3, 1948. His parents both worked blue-collar jobs: his father, Jack, was a tool maker, and his mother, Lillian, worked in a factory.
Though he collected many monikers over the course of his career from the Prince of Darkness to the Godfather of Metal, he was known — and will be remembered — simply as Ozzy, a nickname he picked up in primary school.
Ozzy and school never got along too well and he dropped out at 15. Like many future artists with a mispent youth, music saved Osbourne. With his pal Terry "Geezer" Butler, the budding musicians eventually linked up with guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward to form Black Sabbath, naming the band (and one of its earliest, fan-favorite songs) after a 1963 horror flick.
In Birmingham, late 1969, Osbourne and his bandmates recorded Black Sabbath's debut in just days and unknowingly created a bold new heavier rock sound marked by melodic hooks and dark lyrics. And while musicologists do not always agree on most things, when it comes to the birth of heavy metal music, few argue that the Ozzy Osbourne-led powerhouse Black Sabbath pioneered this new genre of rock with the release of its self-titled debut in 1970, which eclipsed the Top 10 in the U.K. — and forever influenced future purveyors of this hard-rock sound.
That same year, the English rockers released Paranoid, which thematically and lyrically leaned more towards the darker side. The opening verse from the title track follows one of the most iconic instrumental openings to a song: "Finished with my woman/ 'Cause she couldn't help me with my mind / People think that I'm insane/ Because I am frowning all the time." The record, which also features such Black Sabbath classics as "War Pigs" and "Iron Man," launched the band globally, hitting the Top 10 in both the U.K. (No. 5) and the U.S. (No. 8).
Over the remainder of the '70s, Sabbath toured extensively and released five more successful records with the original lineup: Master of Reality, Black Sabbath Vol. 4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Sabotage and Never Say Die! But by 1979, the band was tired of Osbourne's mounting dependence on (and erratic behaviour caused by) his alcohol and drug addictions and fired him. Former Rainbow frontman Ronnie James Dio initially took over, but the band would ultimately go through several lineup changes (and one brief name switch) until Osbourne's return for what would be their final album, 2013's 13.
Flying Solo: All Aboard The Crazy Train
After parting ways with Black Sabbath, in September 1980, Osbourne released his solo debut, Blizzard of Ozz. For this record and his sophomore solo release (1981's Diary of a Madman), Osbourne worked with Randy Rhoads, the founder and original guitarist of '80s heavy-metal band Quiet Riot. Blizzard of Ozz featured a pair of hits, "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley"; in the years and decades since its initial release, "Crazy Train" became a staple of classic rock radio and eventually received two-times Platinum status.
On 1991's No More Tears, Ozzy even got on the power ballad train most hard-rockers rode at least once in their careers to great success with "Mama, I'm Coming Home" — the only one of his solo songs that cracked the Billboard Top 40. The crossover hit, co-written with Lenny Kilmister (Motorhead) and Zakk Wylde, brought Osbourne new legions of fans in large part due to the power of MTV and the song's accompanying video.
In an era marked by grunge and alternative music, Osbourne made sure heavy metal was not lost. In 1995, he released his seventh studio set, Ozzmosis, which earned his then-highest placement on the U.S.'s all-genre Billboard 200 chart at No. 4. A year later, he and Sharon founded Ozzfest, the annual music festival that toured the U.S. (and later Europe, and even Asia) most years until 2018 and featured bands across the entire spectrum of hard rock — from heavy metal to all other derivations of the genre, including thrash, industrial, death, and gothic.
Entering The New Millenium: Reality TV, Sabbath Reunion & More Solo Success
For a long time, Osbourne was lost in a haze of drugs and alcohol and the life of excess that so many musicians succumb to. His demons stayed with him for most of his adult life, and it's often what made the artist both entertaining and unpredictable both on and off the stage. In the early 2000s, Ozzy showed all of his bad craziness when he, along with his wife Sharon and two of their kids (son Jack and daughter Kelly) let the world in on their life that was a far cry from domestic bliss.
"The Osbournes" premiered on March 22, 2002 on MTV and became a huge hit. The show garnered the highest ratings ever for an MTV show and won an Emmy following its first season for Outstanding Reality TV Program.
In 2005, Ozzy released the box set Prince of Darkness. The four CD compilation featured remastered tracks from Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, b-sides, live tracks, demos, outtakes and cover songs. And Ozzy continued to create, record and tour throughout the 2000s, both as a solo artist and with Black Sabbath, up until his death.
In 2013, Black Sabbath released its 13th, and final, studio album, aptly titled 13. Ozzy returned to the studio to record all-new material with all of his old bandmates for the first time since 1978. Working with nine-time GRAMMY winner Rick Rubin, Sabbath settled into famed Shangri-La studio in Malibu, Calif., and later Tone Hall in England to record eight hard-hitting tracks. The result was Black Sabbath's first-ever chart-topping record with 13 selling 155,000 copies in its first week alone and reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The lead single, "God is Dead?," became a radio staple and earned the band a GRAMMY for Best Metal Performance.
A decade after his last solo album, 2010's Scream, Osbourne returned with another effort in 2020. Ordinary Man debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and the same position on the U.K. Album charts, and saw the metal god invite a range of guests to contribute, from Elton John to Post Malone.
Patient Number 9, Osbourne's 13th studio record, was his final artistic statement. Released Sept. 9, 2022, the album received four GRAMMY nominations and Ozzy won a pair: Best Rock Album and Best Metal Performance for "Degradation Rules," a collaboration with Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi.
Saying Goodbye: Tributes To A Legend
The news of Ozzy's death triggered an outpouring of love from fans, celebrities and fellow artists inspired by Black Sabbath and the Prince of Darkness. The odes flooded social media for the next 24 hours, and fans flocked to locations around the world — from his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to the Black Sabbath Bridge bench in Birmingham — to leave flowers and pay homage.
"It's such heartbreaking news that I can't really find the words, there won't ever be another like him. Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother," wrote Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. Paul Stanley of Kiss added: "We have lost a legend. From Sabbath to Blizzard and onward Ozzy has impacted countless bands and that will not end. KISS was humbled to be an opening band for Sabbath in the mid-'70s. Through decades I've known him, Ozzy has always been a kind and very funny soul. Fly high now."
Pearl Jam founding member Mike McCready, speaking of the profound influence Sabbath had on his musical journey, wrote on X: "Sad to hear Ozzy died today. When I was in high school I discovered Sabbath. 'War Pigs' was terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time. It was Ozzy's voice that took me away to a dark universe. A great escape. Then when The 'Blizzard of Ozz' record came out I was instantly a fan. Randy Rhoads was an influence on me to play lead guitar. Luckily I got to play on the song 'Immortal' on the last record. Thanks for the music, Ozzy, it makes our journey in life better."
Character actor Danny Trejo chimed in: "Today we lost one of the wildest souls to ever walk this Earth. Ozzy wasn't just The Prince of Darkness, he was pure light to those of us lucky enough to meet him. A heart bigger than any stage he ever rocked. My heart goes out to Sharon and the Kids. Save me a seat backstage up there, carnál. Love you forever."
Sir Elton John poignantly posted on Instagram, "So sad to hear the news of @ozzyosbourne passing away. 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."
A legend, rock and roll pioneer and a life well-lived indeed. Ozzy Osbourne certainly lived — and died — with reckless abandon and with purpose right until the end. Performing a final show, despite obvious discomfort and failing health, mere weeks before his death, Ozzy’s candle burned until he was ready for the great gig in the sky.