Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic frontman of Black Sabbath and one of the godfathers of heavy metal music, has passed away. He died very peacefully at home on a quiet summer morning in 2024, at the age of 76. His family announced his passing on social media. That’s the bittersweet finish to an incredible story that started in Birmingham, England, where he was born John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948. Osbourne began life at a disadvantage as the fourth of six kids in a low-income family. He would go on to change the music industry forever.
Osbourne’s musical journey started in local clubs, where he showcased his distinctive voice without any expectation of changing the world. His unorthodox rapping technique is a forceful, laser-guided missile. With a natural tenor range, it was mainly responsible for the invention of heavy metal and the success of Black Sabbath. Music professor Mark Tavern noted that this distinctive voice was one of the key elements that propelled the band to prominence.
Ozzy Osbourne and his bandmates—Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward—were named after a Boris Karloff movie. The band agreed that a name change was in order, and from that the band name Black Sabbath was born. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1970 and soon took off. It flew to No. 10 in the UK and to No. 12 in the US. This concert helped to usher in a new era of music. With their first album, Black Sabbath literally defined the genre of heavy metal, and in many ways, they created it outright.
It wasn’t all joy and happiness in the band as all was not right behind the scenes. Then in 1979, Osbourne hit a wall. He was kicked out of Black Sabbath and Ronnie James Dio replaced him. That moment would have been the end of his career, but rather than closing doors, it opened them. Osbourne launched a successful solo career, producing hit albums like “Crazy Train” and “Diary of a Madman,” featuring talented musicians such as Randy Rhoads.
With all the chaos surrounding his career, Osbourne’s behavior frequently stole the spotlight from his musical accomplishments. In 1990, he gained notoriety after urinating on the Alamo in Texas. His outrageous stunt got him arrested, but only strengthened his mystique as the ‘Prince of Darkness’. By the end of the 1990s, his popularity started to turn south.
His wife Sharon Osbourne may have been the central figure in rebooting his career. She supported his decision to found Ozzfest, a genre-splicing multi-stage touring music festival, active 1996-2018 that became the first successful festival of that model. This festival featured many other heavy metal acts, but introduced Osbourne to the masses.
Ozzy’s journey came to a joyful climax back in July 2025. Just as iconic was the reunion with his longtime Black Sabbath bandmates for a once-in-a-lifetime last performance. The reunion was cheered by longtime fans around the world and was a fitting reminder of the impact and timelessness of their music. Osbourne had his own health problems in his golden years. In a brave interview in 2023, he candidly spoke about his battle with Parkinson’s disease. He opened up about the difficulty of facing numerous spinal surgeries, bringing attention to the very real cost of his physical lifestyle.
As Osbourne looked back on life and career, he showed appreciation for his one-of-a-kind experiences. “I’ve done a lot for a simple working-class guy,” he once stated. He acknowledged the mixed reactions to his persona: “I made a lot of people smile. And a side effect of that is I’ve made a ton of people go, ‘Who the f