Ozzy Osbourne Passes Away at 76

Rock and roll has lost one of its most iconic voices. Ozzy Osbourne, legendary frontman of Black Sabbath and a pioneer of heavy metal, has died at age 76 following a years-long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

“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,” his family shared in a statement to Metro on Tuesday, July 22. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.” His death was later confirmed by the BBC.

The heartbreaking news comes just weeks after Ozzy took the stage for what would be his final performance with Black Sabbath in their hometown of Birmingham, England, on July 5 — a full-circle moment for the group that helped shape the sound of rock music for decades.

Ozzy’s musical journey began in 1967 when he joined the band Rare Breed with bassist Geezer Butler. After a short-lived run, the band reformed as Black Sabbath with the additions of guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. Known for their dark lyrics and heavy riffs, the band catapulted to fame and helped define the heavy metal genre. Despite a brief split in 1978, Osbourne rejoined the band before being fired in 1979 due to his struggles with drugs and alcohol. He later reunited with Black Sabbath for their final album, 13, and their farewell tour, which concluded in 2017.

While his music career cemented him as a rock god, Ozzy also made a name for himself in reality TV. Alongside his wife Sharon Osbourne, he starred in The Osbournes, the hit MTV series that aired from 2002 to 2005 and offered an unfiltered look at their home life with kids Kelly and Jack. The couple, who wed in 1982, also share daughter Aimee, while Ozzy had three children — Elliot, Louis and Jessica — from his previous marriage to Thelma Riley.

Ozzy’s later years were marked by health struggles. In 2020, he publicly revealed he had Parkinson’s disease. “I am now home from the hospital recuperating comfortably,” he wrote on Instagram in June 2022 following a major surgery. “I am definitely feeling the love and support from all my fans and send everyone a big thank you for their thoughts, prayers and well wishes during my recovery.”

The following year, he announced his retirement from touring due to lingering spinal injuries from a 2018 fall. “Believe me when I say that the thought of disappointing my fans really F***S ME UP, more than you will ever know,” he said in a February 2023 statement. “Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way.”

In what would become one of his last interviews, Ozzy spoke candidly to The Guardian in May 2025 about the toll his health issues had taken. “You wake up the next morning and find that something else has gone wrong,” he admitted. He credited Sharon for organizing his final Black Sabbath show, saying it gave him “a reason to get up in the morning.”