Dawn Images

Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic “Prince of Darkness” and frontman of Black Sabbath, passed away peacefully at age 76, surrounded by family, according to an official statement released on Tuesday.

His family shared, “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. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

Osbourne had recently reunited with Black Sabbath for a monumental farewell concert held on July 5 in Birmingham, England. The Back to the Beginning show featured performances from Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, and many others, drawing a crowd of approximately 40,000 fans. This reunion marked the first time the original lineup had shared a stage in nearly two decades.

At this event, Osbourne performed seated on a bat-themed throne due to ongoing health issues stemming from his battle with Parkinson’s disease and multiple surgeries, including treatments for a vertebral tumour.

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in early 2020, a diagnosis stemming from health issues in 2019, Osbourne endured multiple surgeries — neck, spinal, and thumb — and years of physical therapy. Despite partial paralysis and mobility limitations, he remained determined to give fans a proper farewell. “For all of my complaining,… I’m still alive,” he told SiriusXM listeners in February.

Osbourne’s career revolutionised hard rock and heavy metal. In 1969, Black Sabbath released their self-titled debut, a moment often described as the Big Bang of heavy metal. Their follow-up, Paranoid, featured enduring classics like ‘Iron Man’, ‘War Pigs’, and ‘Paranoid’ itself.

After being ejected from Black Sabbath in 1979 due to substance problems, he rebounded solo with Blizzard of Ozz (1980) and Diary of a Madman (1981), spawning hits like ‘Crazy Train’. He amassed over 100 million sales worldwide and became one of the rare artists inducted twice into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — first with Black Sabbath in 2006 and then as a solo act in 2024.

He also gained mainstream fame through the reality show The Osbournes and was awarded honours such as the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement and Global Icon awards.

Osbourne described his July 5 concert as his “full stop” — a chance to say goodbye properly after years of battling health setbacks. His wife Sharon confirmed it would be his last live performance.