Ozzy Osbourne, Heavy Metal Icon, Dead At 76

Just weeks after his final performance with Black Sabbath at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, on July 5, lead singer Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76. No cause of death has been revealed, however, the singer had been battling Parkinson’s Disease and first revealed his diagnosis to the public in 2020.

“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,” a statement released this morning (July 22) said. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.” The note was posted from Birmingham England, Ozzy’s hometown, and signed by his family, Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.

Read More: Ozzy Osbourne Bids Farewell, Plays Final Show With Black Sabbath & Special Guests

Osbourne started his career with Black Sabbath in 1970, a stripped-down, raw and heavy take on rock and roll that confused critics, scared parents and shook the walls of bedrooms across the world, defining heavy metal with a blend of horror-inspired imagery, pummeling riffs and Ozzy’s trademark caterwaul. After releasing a handful of heavy metal cornerstone albums in a span of just a few years, Osbourne’s erratic performances and heavy partying lifestyle led to his parting ways with the band.

Nearly synonymous with Ozzy over the past four decades is wife and manager Sharon, who is largely credited with convincing and shepherding Ozzy to begin a wildly successful solo career, deftly leaning into what would soon solidify as the “Prince of Darkness” mystique and intrigue that began with Sabbath and continued building for decades as a brand synonymous with heavy metal.

“He’d been fired. Everybody was like, ‘Oh, well, he’s gone,’” wife and longtime manager Sharon Osbourne told Pollstar in a previous interview. “What lead singer gets fired and then comes back again on their own?’ They hadn’t at that time, not from a band like Sabbath.”

Surrounding himself with gifted musicians like late guitarist Randy Rhoads and, always with a knack for earworms and catchy riffs, the performer sometimes known as erratic or unreliable on stage pulled off a calculated and well-crafted comeback, going on to record some of the most influential rock ‘n’ roll songs of his era. That solo career has endured for four decades, with the metal frontman evolving into a household name as a lovable musician, reality TV personality and influential presence on the road. 

Osbourne’s farewell concert with Black Sabbath grossed millions (a final tally has not yet been released), with all the funds donated toward the Cure Parkinson’s organization and Acorns Children’s Hospice and Birmingham Children’s Hospital. During the show, Black Sabbath performed a four-song set including “War Pigs,” “Paranoid,” “NIB” and “Iron Man.” Osbourne, sitting atop his throne, performed a haunting solo rendition of “Mama I’m Coming Home.” In order to ensure he could perform to his fullest extent, Osbourne opted to forego his usual pain management.

Pollstar’s Ray Waddell spoke with Sharon Osbourne last week following Ozzy’s July 5 “Back to the Beginning” final concert at Villa Park for an upcoming Pollstar feature.

“It was a huge success, because it was a phenomenal event,” Sharon Osbourne said of the final concert. “It was the first time anybody’s gone into retirement and where the show was streamed and it went to charity. It’s the first time anybody has said goodnight like that, it’s the perfect way, when you’ve had such a long career, to end it.”

Managing Ozzy since 1979, Sharon Osbourne expressed her appreciation for Ozzy’s fans, many who’ve been with him for the last 57 years.  “Oh my God, the metal fans are the most loyal fans in the world,” she said. “When they’re a fan, you’ve got them for life. They don’t go anywhere.”

Indeed, fans turned out en masse for the farewell concert, which had 40,000 in attendance, and the live stream, which reached an estimated 6 million. 

“I never wanted Ozzy to just disappear without some big event,” Sharon Osbourne continued. “And it’s the best way then to go home to where it all started, to go to his favorite stadium in the world (Villa Park), which is home to his beloved Aston Villa team. it was just perfect. It was the perfect storm.”

When asked if Ozzy was happy with how the “Back to the Beginning” concert went, his manager and longtime partner said the outpouring of support surprised even the Prince of Darkness himself.  “He turned around and he said to me that night, ‘I had no idea that so many people liked me.’”

Ozzy was represented by Creative Artists Agency and was a touring force ahead of his diagnosis, headlining festivals including Welcome To Rockville, Corona Hell & Heaven in Mexico City, and Ozzfest at Kia Forum in 2018. With 223 headline reports submitted to Pollstar’s Boxoffice dating back to 1999, Osbourne had sold 2.8 million tickets, grossing $154.8 million.

“The word that comes to mind is family,” CAA’s Allison McGregor, who accompanied Ozzy and Sharon on tour dating back to the early 2000s, said in a recent interview with Pollstar. “They have always treated me like one of their own, and you see that in everything that Ozzy and Sharon do, how they treat people when we’re on the road. They know all the vendors, who’s selling the merch and working the lights.”

Known for his antics on stage, some of Osbourne’s most iconic moments included biting off the head of a dead bat while on stage during a performance in 1982, then spitting the blood on the audience. However, to music fans, Ozzy was always known as a loveable force, always vigorously clapping along onstage and shouting “we love you!” to fans in the crowd.

In 1997, Osbourne rejoined Black Sabbath, with their final studio album, 13, released in 2013 followed by a farewell tour. Somewhere in the middle, the Osbournes became household names and compelling primetime TV with the reality series “The Osbournes,” which provided a mostly light-hearted look into the family’s life, a mix of lavish Hollywood splendor and relatable family moments capturing Ozzy struggling to figure out the cable TV or contending with pint-sized, less-than-potty trained pet dogs. The mix of family-friendly content and heavy metal star power was a hit with multiple generations of viewers and continued the Osbourne brand as a cultural institution.

“There was a time where you got to see a real window into their world when they started ‘The Osbournes,’” McGregor said. “It was real. You really got a glimpse into their day-to-day lives and saw how much they loved each other, all of the chaos and fun that went along with being in their household.” 

Osbourne’s influence continued well into the 2000s, influencing and supporting the metal scene through their Ozzfest festival and touring property, which inspired countless bands, fans and events as a cultural entity rather than mere music events.

In recent years, Osbourne’s farewell “No More Tours” tour, a play on his popular “No More Tears” hit, was rescheduled multiple times due to health issues and COVID,. Osbourne was on the bill for the Goldenvoice-promoted Power Trip metal festival, which he unfortunately had to cancel before his “Back To The Beginning” Birmingham finale.

With reports dating back to 1999, Black Sabbath has sold 2 million tickets, grossing $143.8 million, according to reports submitted to Pollstar’s Boxoffice.

Addtional reporting by Ryan Borba.