Ozzy Osbourne, Iconic Black Sabbath Frontman and ‘Prince of Darkness,’ Dies at 76
via Ozzy Osbourne / YouTube
A Final Goodbye Surrounded by Family
Ozzy Osbourne, often called the “Prince of Darkness” and one of the most recognized figures in heavy metal, has died at 76. His family confirmed the news in a statement released to The Sun.
“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. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.”
Osbourne had revealed in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The news of his death came more than five years after he made his illness public.
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From Birmingham to the World Stage
Born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham, England, on December 3, 1948, he got the nickname “Ozzy” while still in school. Growing up, he struggled in school due to dyslexia and later spoke about being abused by bullies at age 11. He once shared that he even tried to take his own life as a teenager.
Music became a way for him to cope. After hearing The Beatles’ 1964 hit “She Loves You,” he knew he wanted to be in music. He left school at 15 and worked odd jobs. By 17, he served six weeks in jail after being unable to pay a fine for theft.
The Rise of Black Sabbath
Shortly after his release, he and Geezer Butler started a band called Rare Breed. That led to the formation of Black Sabbath in 1967. The band became known for songs like “Paranoid,” “War Pigs,” and “Iron Man,” and was seen as a key force behind heavy metal.
Their dark lyrics and sound drew attention—and some criticism. “When we started gigging way back when, as soon as we started playing this song’s opening chords, young girls in the audience would f–king freak out,” Osbourne told NME in 2016. “They thought we were Satan’s f–king friends or something.”
“That’s when the whole ‘Prince of Darkness’ s–t started,” he added. “When people get excited about Halloween coming around each year, all I think is, ‘Well, we used to have Halloween every f–king night.’”
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Fired from Sabbath, Finding Solo Success
In 1979, Osbourne was removed from the band for drug and alcohol issues. He later said it felt unfair. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel betrayed by what happened with Black Sabbath,” he wrote in I Am Ozzy (2009). “We were four blokes who’d grown up together a few streets apart… And firing me for being f–ked up was hypocritical bulls–t.”
“If you’re stoned, and I’m stoned, and you’re telling me that I’m fired because I’m stoned, how can that be? Because I’m slightly more stoned than you are?” he added.
Sharon Arden, daughter of Sabbath’s manager, began managing Ozzy’s solo career. He went on to release 12 solo albums, including “Crazy Train,” “No More Tears,” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” Combined with his Black Sabbath work, he sold over 100 million records.
Controversy and Reality TV Fame
Ozzy made headlines for strange and shocking moments. In 1982, he bit the head off a bat during a show. A month later, he was arrested in Texas for urinating on a cenotaph near the Alamo.
That same year, he married Sharon. They had three children: Aimee, Kelly, and Jack. Their home life was featured in MTV’s “The Osbournes,” which aired from 2002 to 2005. Though successful, Ozzy admitted the show took a toll. “I don’t know how the Kardashians have done it for so long — it sent us crazy at the end,” he said in 2023.
“I am not sorry I did it, but after three or four years I said, ‘Do you know what, we’re going to lose somebody because it is getting too crazy.’”
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Battles with Addiction and Legal Trouble
His struggles with substance abuse were long-lasting. Ozzy said he started using cocaine in 1971 and took LSD daily for two years. By the time he left Sabbath, he admitted he was drinking and using drugs daily.
In 1989, he was arrested after trying to strangle Sharon while under the influence. “We’ve come to a decision that you’ve got to die,” Sharon recalled him saying. She pressed a panic button before police arrived. Ozzy said of the incident, “It’s not exactly one of my greatest f–king achievements.”
He completed rehab and was sober for long stretches but relapsed in 2013. In 2021, he said he had been sober again for seven years.
Health Struggles and Final Performances
In 2022, Ozzy said the violence in the U.S. made him want to return to England. But later, he changed his mind. “I’m American now. To be honest with you, I don’t want to go back [to England],” he said. “F–k that.”
He canceled his 2023 tour due to health issues. “My singing voice is fine,” he explained, “However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy, and most recently, groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) Treatment, my body is still physically weak.”
Still, he managed one last concert in July 2025 with Black Sabbath in Birmingham. “I’d love to say ‘never say never’, but after the last six years or so … it is time,” he told The Guardian.
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Family Defends Him Before Death
In mid-2025, his daughter Kelly addressed rumors about his health after an AI video falsely claimed Ozzy was dying. “So, there’s this video going around on social media, and it’s supposed to be my dad, but it’s AI,” she said.
“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.’ What the f–k is wrong with you people?”
Kelly also dismissed rumors of a “suicide pact” between her parents. “That was bulls–t my mum said to get attention one time,” she said. “And my dad’s not dying. Stop.”
A Big Family and a Long Legacy
Ozzy is survived by his wife Sharon, their children Aimee, Kelly, and Jack, and his children Jessica and Louis from his first marriage to Thelma Riley. He also adopted Riley’s son, Elliot Kingsley. Ozzy had 10 grandchildren.
