Iconic Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne died today aged 76, his family 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,” read the family’s statement, posted on X.
Ozzy’s death comes just days after his farewell gig at Villa Park on July 5. He had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for some years.
‘A true Birmingham legend’
UB40’s Ali Campbell, a fellow Brummie, led the tributes calling Ozzy “a true Birmingham legend.”
Ozzy Osbourne, born John Michael Osbourne in 1948 in Birmingham, rose to fame as the singer of heavy metal band Black Sabbath in the late 1960s.
Known for his dark, powerful voice, he helped pioneer heavy metal with hits like Paranoid and Iron Man.
Fired from the band in 1979 due to substance abuse, he launched a successful solo career with albums like Blizzard of Ozz, featuring iconic tracks such as Crazy Train.
His outrageous antics, including biting the head off a bat on stage, became legendary.
Biting the head off a bat
He later explained that the bat-biting incident, in 1982 in Des Moines, Iowa, was a mistake: a fan threw what Ozzy thought was a rubber toy bat on stage so he bit its head off only to discover it was a real one.
Despite struggles with addiction and health issues, Ozzy remained a central figure in rock music.
In the 2000s, he gained mainstream popularity through the MTV reality show The Osbournes, showcasing his eccentric family life.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Black Sabbath, Ozzy is celebrated as the “Prince of Darkness” and will forever be a heavy metal icon.
Ozzy – we love you, we salute you, we miss you.
