British rock icon Ozzy Osbourne, best known as the frontman of Black Sabbath and later as a solo artist and reality TV star, has died at the age of 76 — just weeks after what would be his farewell performance.
Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948, in Birmingham, England, Ozzy rose to prominence in the early 1970s as the voice behind Black Sabbath’s brooding, heavy sound. The band’s pioneering work laid the foundations of heavy metal, with albums like Black Sabbath and Paranoid selling over a million copies each. By 1973, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath cemented their global status, and Osbourne’s dark persona earned him the nickname “The Prince of Darkness.”
Before fame, Osbourne left school at 15, worked odd jobs including at a slaughterhouse and mortuary, and even served six weeks in prison for theft. His path changed in 1968 when he formed a band with Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward — the group that would eventually become Black Sabbath.
Despite his success, Osbourne’s career was marred by intense drug and alcohol addiction. His substance abuse reached such a level by the late ’70s that he was removed from Black Sabbath in 1979. Reflecting on that moment years later, he said: “At the time it was the worst day of my life — now, I see it was the best.”
After hitting rock bottom, he rebounded with a powerful solo career, beginning with the 1981 hit album Blizzard of Ozz, which included the iconic single “Crazy Train.” He went on to release 13 solo albums and sold more than 40 million records worldwide.
Osbourne’s wild antics — such as biting the head off a live bat on stage in 1982 (thinking it was a toy) and previously decapitating doves in front of CBS executives — further entrenched his status as a rock legend known for pushing boundaries.
In later years, he achieved mainstream fame once again through the reality show The Osbournes, offering fans a look into his chaotic family life. Despite health struggles and his own acknowledgment that his past lifestyle could have ended his life years earlier, Ozzy remained active in music and touring into his 70s.
In a 2017 interview, when asked if he felt immortal, Osbourne replied: “No, I feel lucky to be alive — because I’ve done some pretty damn crazy stuff in my life.”
