Ozzy Osbourne Dies at 76 After Farewell Show; Tributes Flow

Following the death of Ozzy Osbourne, the rock and heavy metal icon turned reality show star, at the age of 76, tributes are flooding in from celebrities and music legends.

In a statement signed by his wife, Sharon Osbourne, their children Kelly, Jack, and Aimee, as well as his son Louis from his previous marriage to Thelma Riley, his family said, "We have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne passed away this morning with more sadness than mere words can convey."  He was surrounded by love and with his family.  At this time, we kindly ask that everyone respect the privacy of our family.

The rocker for Black Sabbath had Parkinson's disease.  Osbourne made what was referred to as his "final bow" from a throne at Villa Park in the United Kingdom earlier this month.

The English musician, who was born John Michael Osbourne, became well-known as the so-called Prince of Darkness thanks to his co-founding of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath in 1968.  Popular songs including "Paranoid," "Iron Man," and "War Pigs" were released by the band.

Following his departure from the band in 1979 due to substance abuse, Osbourne began a prosperous solo career with the release of Blizzard of Ozz in 1980, which included his hit song "Crazy Train."  Osbourne gained notoriety for his outrageous onstage persona, which included the notorious act of biting a bat's head off during a 1982 performance.  (He was later vaccinated against rabies.)  He later released thirteen studio albums and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice: once as a solo artist in 2024 and once with Black Sabbath in 2006. 

Osbourne had an impact on pop culture outside of music as well. His popular MTV show, The Osbournes, chronicled his hectic and frequently humorous home life with wife Sharon and their kids, Kelly and Jack, and made him a member of the first reality TV show family.  However, the show also shed light on the less positive aspects of his personal life, including his battles with substance misuse and health problems.  The program operated from 2002 to 2005 for four seasons.

In January 2020, Osbourne revealed that he had previously been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a progressive disorder of the nervous system, which he later told the Los Angeles Times he had had since 2003.   

"Parkinson's is not killing me.  The musician told the publication, "I've been working with it for the majority of my life."  "I've evaded death countless times.  You wouldn't say, "Oh my God!" if you read tomorrow that "Ozzy Osbourne never woke up this morning."  "Well, it finally caught up with him," you might say.

The musician had several health problems in addition to Parkinson's, including a serious staph infection in 2018 and several spinal surgeries after a fall that exacerbated an old condition.

Osbourne discussed his situation with the Guardian in May, saying, "You wake up the next morning and find that something else has gone wrong."  You start to believe that this will go on forever.