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Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne dead at 76

Author
NZ Herald ,
Publish Date
Wed, 23 Jul 2025, 7:06am

Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne dead at 76

Author
NZ Herald ,
Publish Date
Wed, 23 Jul 2025, 7:06am

Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76.

鈥淚t is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,鈥 Osbourne鈥檚 family said in a statement.

鈥淗e was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.鈥

His death comes just weeks after he and his bandmates played a final concert at Villa Park in Birmingham.

Born December 3, 1948, the English singer, singwriter and media personality rose to fame during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath.

The band was formed in Birmingham, England, in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler with Osbourne as vocalist. Osbourne later left the band to embark on a solo career.

Osbourne was instrumental in pioneering heavy metal -- an offshoot of hard rock -- as Black Sabbath enjoyed huge commercial success in the 1970s.

Osbourne sold more than 100 million albums and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 as a member of Black Sabbath and again as a solo artist in 2024.

Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath performs on stage at Hammersmith Odeon, London, January 1976. (Photo by Erica Echenberg/Redferns)Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath performs on stage at Hammersmith Odeon, London, January 1976. (Photo by Erica Echenberg/Redferns) 

Black Sabbath, 1970s: Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne (Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage)Black Sabbath, 1970s: Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne (Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage)

The rocker鈥檚 career took an unexpected turn in the 2000s with the popular MTV reality show The Osbournes with his wife and manager Sharon and two of their children Kelly and Jack.

The fly-on-the-wall series documented their chaotic lifestyle in Los Angeles and became a worldwide hit.

The recent Black Sabbath performance at Villa Park marked Osbourne鈥檚 first live appearance since 2018 and follows a series of health setbacks, including his 2020 public disclosure of a Parkinson鈥檚 disease diagnosis.

The 76-year-old spoke on the 鈥淥zzy Speaks鈥 podcast on SiriusXM about the mental toll of preparing to return to the stage: 鈥淢y head鈥檚 crazy. ADHD 鈥 I have that badly. I will have done the show and died a death before I even started my exercises. So I try and put it on the back burner.

Slipknot's Sid Wilson proposed to his long-term partner Kelly Osbourne backstage at her dad Ozzy's final Black Sabbath show in Birmingham, England. Photo / kellyosbourneSlipknot's Sid Wilson proposed to his long-term partner Kelly Osbourne backstage at her dad Ozzy's final Black Sabbath show in Birmingham, England. Photo / kellyosbourne 

His wife Sharon, 71, has also spoken candidly about his condition.

Speaking to The Sun, she said: 鈥淗e鈥檚 very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this. Parkinson鈥檚 is a progressive disease ... it鈥檚 affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it鈥檚 ever been.鈥

Despite his frailty, he performed five songs with his solo band and four with Black Sabbath at the concert, which was held at Villa Park and billed as a celebration of his career, the Telegraph reported.

His wife, Sharon, said when the concert was announced that he had been determined to say a proper goodbye to his fans. 鈥淭his is his full stop,鈥 she said.

It was an emotional gig, with Osbourne telling fans: 鈥淭hank you from the bottom of our hearts.鈥 The event was said to have raised 拢140 million for charity.

Osbourne grew up in Birmingham and founded Black Sabbath in 1968. He left in 1979 to pursue a solo career.

His wild moments included biting the head of a bat during a 1982 show after mistaking it for a rubber toy.

New Zealand alt-metal band Devilskin, whose members include broadcaster Paul Martin, posted a simple tribute to Ozzy Osbourne as Kiwis wake up to the news of his death.

Sharing a black-and-white image of Osbourne performing with his guitarist, Randy Rhoads, the band wrote: 鈥淥zzy Forever鈥.

They signed the message off with a black heart emoji.

The Osbournes, Ozzy (L), Sharon, Jack, and Kelly are shown in this undated photo. MTV officials said March 4, 2002 that Ozzy Osbourne, the heavy metal rock star and his family are the subject of a new MTV series, "The Osbournes," which premieres 10:30 p.m. EST Tuesday, March 5, 2002. MTV describes it as television's first "reality sitcom." (Photo by Michael Yarish/MTV/Getty Images)The Osbournes, Ozzy (L), Sharon, Jack, and Kelly are shown in this undated photo. MTV officials said March 4, 2002 that Ozzy Osbourne, the heavy metal rock star and his family are the subject of a new MTV series, "The Osbournes," which premieres 10:30 p.m. EST Tuesday, March 5, 2002. MTV describes it as television's first "reality sitcom." (Photo by Michael Yarish/MTV/Getty Images)

Ozzy Osbourne speaks onstage during the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony streaming on Disney+ at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 19, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio.  (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)Ozzy Osbourne speaks onstage during the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony streaming on Disney+ at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 19, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) 

- Agence France-Presse 

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