Tributes to Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath frontman, dead at 76

Ozzy Osbourne, the frontman of English rock band Black Sabbath, died at the age of 76, his family announced on Tuesday.

“He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time,” the statement from his family said.

Osbourne had revealed in 2020 that he had Parkinson’s disease after suffering a fall.

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Britain’s Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, a member of parliament representing a Birmingham constituency mourned Osbourne’s death in a post on X, saying she was “devastated to hear the news.”

“One of the greatest gifts my city gave the world,” she said.

Tributes flow for Ozzy Osbourne

Music icon Elton John mourned Osbourne in a post on Instagram, describing him as “a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods — a true legend.”

“He was also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. I will miss him dearly,” John wrote.

Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood said he was “very sad” to learn of Osbourne’s death, calling the rock star’s final concert in Birmingham last week “a lovely goodbye.”

Meanwhile, Nirvana said Black Sabbath was “the template for heavy Rock.”

“Thank you Ozzy Osbourne for the inspiration,” the band said.

KISS singer Gene Simmons also offered his condolences to Osbourne’s family. “He was a giant. Admired and loved by millions of fans worldwide,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rod Stewart posted: “Bye, bye Ozzy. Sleep well, my friend. I’ll see you up there — later rather than sooner.”

From working-class Birmingham to ‘Godfather of Heavy Metal’

John Michael Osbourne was born in 1948 and grew up in England’s central city of Birmingham, the fourth of six children in a working-class family.

He struggled with dyslexia as a child, leaving school at age 15 to a series of menial jobs. He even served a brief prison sentence at one point for burglary.

Osbourne’s musical career kicked off in the 1970s as the frontman of heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Hits like “Paranoid,” “War Pigs” and “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” shot the band to fame.

He was known to fans as “The Prince of Darkness” and the “Godfather of Heavy Metal.”

He became famously known for biting the head off a bat onstage. Osbourne always insisted he thought the bat, thrown onstage by one of the fans, was a toy when he bit into it in 1982.

His drug-fueled lifestyle came to a halt when he reinvented himself as a reality TV star.

Osbourne passed away just over two weeks after a farewell concert in his home city of Birmingham.

“It’s the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle… Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” Osbourne told the crowd after finishing the set with “Paranoid” — Black Sabbath’s most famous song.