Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, the co-founder of Black Sabbath, has died at age 76. The news comes just weeks after he performed his final farewell concert.
A statement provided to Sky News said the heavy metal icon was “surrounded by love” when he died.
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‘Godfather of Heavy Metal’
Known as both the “Godfather of Heavy Metal” and the “Prince of Darkness,” Osbourne rose to fame as the frontman of Black Sabbath, one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time.
His vocal range, which seamlessly weaved between traditional blues, balladeering, and maniacal, wild-eyed screams, cemented his role as a definitive embodiment of the then-nascent metal scene. That, coupled with his infamous antics both on and off stage, similarly helped to create the lexicon and iconography for what heavy metal music would become.
Black Sabbath was formed in 1968 by Osbourne, guitarist Tommy Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler on bass. The four grew up in Birmingham, an industrial working-class city in England. That backdrop is largely credited with shaping Black Sabbath’s sound –– representing a far cry from the hippie-folk enclaves of San Francisco, Laurel Canyon and Greenwich Village, which had dominated popular countercultural music at the time.
A final bow in Birmingham
Osbourne’s legacy, which grew richer and more nuanced with each passing decade, culminated in a final concert with Black Sabbath on July 5 in Birmingham. He performed from a throne due to health complications, thanking fans for their years of support.
The all-day event featured a litany of bands that captured the breadth of Osbourne’s generational impact, from traditional acts such as Metallica, Guns N’ Roses and Pantera, to more modern purveyors like Mastodon, Gojira and Lamb of God.
Threaded through each band’s catalogue are undeniable homages to Black Sabbath’s genre-bending experimentalism, which continually pushed the boundaries of blues and rock into largely uncharted territories of thrash, metal, doom and psychedelia.
After initially being fired from Sabbath in 1979 due to an increasing dependence on alcohol and drugs, Osbourne launched a wildly successful solo career, with hits like “Crazy Train” and “No More Tears.” Years later, he also became a pop culture icon through his family’s MTV reality show “The Osbournes,” which gave fans a glimpse into his home life.
Health struggles in the public eye
Osbourne had long battled Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement. He was first diagnosed in 2003.
Just this month, his daughter denied claims that Osbourne and his wife had formed a suicide pact following reports that his health was declining.
“There’s this video going around on social media, and it’s supposed to be my dad, but it’s AI,” Kelly Osbourne said on her Instagram Stories, according to E! News. “It has a voice like my dad’s David Attenborough or something. And it starts out saying, ‘I don’t need a doctor to tell me that I’m going to die. I know I’m going to die.’”
She added, “Why would you spend your time making a video like this?”
In February 2025, The Sun reported that Osbourne’s condition had worsened to the point where he could no longer walk.
“Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. It’s not something you can stabilize,” his wife, Sharon, said. “It affects different parts of the body and it’s affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.”
Osbourne also spoke candidly about the disease on his SiriusXM radio show, “Ozzy’s Boneyard.”
“I have made it to 2025,” he said. “I can’t walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I’m still alive.”
Legacy of a rock icon
Despite his illness, Osbourne continued to connect with fans through music and media. His honesty about Parkinson’s helped raise awareness of the condition and showed a softer, more human side to the once-outrageous rock star.
No official cause of death has been released.
He is survived by his wife Sharon, children Aimee, Kelly, and Jack, Jessica, Louis and a legacy that shaped the sound and soul of heavy metal music for over five decades.
