Legendary singer Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness, dies at 76

Ozzy Osbourne, the pioneering heavy metal vocalist and co-founder of Black Sabbath, has died at the age of 76, according to his family.

“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 a statement posted on Tuesday. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family’s privacy at this time.”

The message was signed by “Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee, and Louis”, the singer’s wife and children.

Tributes poured in from across the music world. Black Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler wrote: “Goodbye dear friend — thanks for all those years — we had some great fun. 4 kids from Aston — who’d have thought, eh? So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you.”

“I just can’t believe it! My dear dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park,” Tony Iommi, the band’s co-founder and guitarist, said. “There won’t ever be another like him. Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother.”

Drummer Bill Ward added: “Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls, no, you’re forever in my heart. Deepest condolences to Sharon and all family members. RIP. Sincere regrets to all the fans. Never goodbye. Thank you forever.”

Metallica posted a 1986 photo of the band with Osbourne along with a broken heart emoji, and Nirvana’s official account wrote: “Thank you Ozzy Osbourne for the inspiration. Black Sabbath is the template for heavy Rock.”

Born in Birmingham, England, Osbourne rose to global fame in the 1970s as the lead singer of Black Sabbath, often credited as one of the first heavy metal bands. With songs like “Paranoid,” “Iron Man,” and “War Pigs,” the band defined a new genre of music and influenced generations of rock and metal acts.

After leaving Black Sabbath in 1979, Osbourne launched a successful solo career, releasing hits like “Crazy Train” and “Mr. Crowley.” He later reunited with the band for tours and new recordings. Beyond music, he became a pop culture icon with the reality TV series The Osbournes, which aired in the early 2000s and brought his eccentric family life to mainstream audiences.

Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2003, a condition he revealed publicly in 2020. Despite ongoing health issues, he continued performing and recently held a celebratory homecoming show in Birmingham, his birthplace.

“By speaking openly about both his diagnosis and life with Parkinson’s, Ozzy and all his family helped so many families in the same situation,” Parkinson’s UK said in a statement. “They normalised tough conversations and made others feel less alone with a condition that’s on the rise and affecting more people every day.”