Prince of Darkness: Ozzy Osbourne pioneered heavy metal with Black Sabbath before carving out a highly successful solo career.
Legendary heavy metal star Ozzy Osbourne has passed away at the age of 76 – just two weeks after he reunited for a farewell concert with his Black Sabbath bandmates at Villa Park, in his home city Birmingham.
After decades of debauchery and more than 100 million albums sold, the British singer died on Tuesday morning, leaving behind his wife Sharon, six children and a host of grandchildren.
RIP Ozzy Osbourne
In a statement, his family said: “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 [22 July].
“He was with his family and surrounded by love.”
The Prince of Darkness: Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell concert…
The Grammy-winning musician was known for iconic heavy metal hits, including Iron Man, Paranoid, War Pigs, Crazy Train and Changes – both with the band and as a solo star.
For his epic farewell concert, Osbourne performed in front of a 40 000-strong crowd from a throne at Villa Park.
“It’s the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” the hell-raising lead singer, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019, told emotional fans after finishing the set with Paranoid – the band’s most famous song.
The concert also featured performances from some of the 76-year-old iconic performer’s favourite acts, including Metallica and Guns’n’Roses.
Ozzy Osbourne: Pioneering heavy metal
Born John Michael Osbourne on 3 December 1948 in Birmingham, he left school at 15 and did odd jobs including factory work before teaming up with school friend Geezer Butler in several bands.
Nicknamed the “Prince of Darkness”, Osbourne pioneered heavy metal with Black Sabbath before going on to have huge success in his own right, as well as becoming a reality TV star on The Osbournes.
Ozzy Osbourne: Rocker’s bat-biting legacy
One of the most infamous moments in his long career of infamous moments unfolded on stage at a 1982 concert in Iowa.
During the band’s performance, a fan threw a bat on stage, and in the frenzy of his manic act, Osbourne – believing it to be rubber – bit its head right off.
To everyone’s shock and horror, the then 33-year-old rock singer threw it back into the crowd of roughly 5000 people at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines.
Following the show, the controversial rocker were taken to hospital for rabies and tetanus shots, according to an article published in the Des Moines Regiter after the incident.
‘I know what’s going to be on my tombstone’
In a 2005 interview with Esquire, Osbourne joked about his bat-biting past:
“I know what’s going to be on my tombstone, and there’s no getting around it: ‘Here lies Ozzy Osbourne, the ex-Black Sabbath singer who bit the head off a bat’.”
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