Entertainment

Ozzy Osbourne Dies at 76

JUL 22 2025·Updated JUL 23 2025

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Above: Ozzy Osbourne performs during a Los Angeles Rams vs. Buffalo Bills NFL game on Sept. 8, 2022, in Inglewood, California. Image credit: Harry How/Getty Images

The Facts

Ozzy Osbourne, the frontman of the rock band Black Sabbath known as the "Prince of Darkness," died Tuesday morning at age 76, according to a family statement that said he "was with his family and surrounded by love."
The Telegraph
BBC News
The singer performed his final concert just three weeks before his death on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, reuniting with original Black Sabbath members for the first time in 20 years during the "Back to the Beginning" farewell show.
The Independent
BBC News
The Times (UK)
Born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham in 1948, he co-founded Black Sabbath in 1968 and was a pioneer in the heavy metal genre with songs like "Iron Man," "Paranoid" and "War Pigs." Black Sabbath has sold over 75 million albums worldwide. Osbourne's career, however, was marked by numerous controversies, including biting the heads off animals during his concerts and several arrests. He stated that he had shot his 17 cats during one drug-fueled incident.
The New York Times
Sky News
BBC News
Guitar World
Osbourne faced Parkinson's disease and a struggle with substance abuse, along with numerous health issues, including spinal injuries from a 2003 quad-bike accident and a 2019 fall that required multiple surgeries and limited his mobility in recent years.
FOX News
Sky News
The rock singer gained renewed fame through MTV's reality show "The Osbournes" from 2002-2005, which featured his family life with wife Sharon and children Kelly and Jack. The band refuted claims of Satanism as a misinterpretation of their intended message about losing one's faith.
The Times (UK)
The Guardian
Far Out magazine
Vice
Tributes poured in from music legends, including Metallica, who posted a photo with a broken heart emoji, Elton John calling him a "dear friend and a huge trailblazer," and Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood praising his "lovely goodbye concert."
The Guardian
BBC News
The Telegraph

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The Spin

Narrative A

From a troubled youth marked by dyslexia, abuse, and criminality, Ozzy Osbourne rose to define heavy metal. His raw, haunting voice and everyman charisma connected with millions, making him a cultural icon. Solo success, driven by Sharon's vision and Randy Rhoads' genius, cemented his legacy.

Guardian

Narrative B

While Ozzy Osbourne's talent and innovation made him a metal icon, his notorious and often cruel antics — from biting bats and massacring cats to substance abuse — cast a shadow over his musical genius. Fellow musicians saw him as unprofessional or talentless, and his controversies alienated peers. His performative chaos and the darkness that continued beyond his music, while iconic, disgraced his legacy for many. Osbourne's existence beyond music carried over the darker aspects of his performative life.