Heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76, his family said in a statement.
Osbourne reunited just weeks ago with his Black Sabbath bandmates for a farewell show in England.
“You’ve no idea how I feel – thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Sky News reported the 76-year-old told the crowd as he performed from a throne on stage at Villa Park in early July.
In a statement, his family said he died “surrounded by love.”
“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. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time,” the steament read
Ozzy Osbourne was a pioneer of the heavy metal genre, both with his band Black Sabbath and as a solo performer. Some of his most famous songs include “Iron Man,” “Paranoid,” “War Pigs,” “Crazy Train” and “Changes.”
His also found a different kind of fame in the early 2000s in the then-fledgling reality TV genre. He starred with his wife Sharon and children Jack and Kelly in “The Osbournes,” which gave fans a deep view into their often unusual family life.
Osbourne had suffered ill health in recent years and had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Born John Michael Osbourne in Manchester, England, Osbourne rose to rock fame, becoming known for his stage persona as “The Prince of Darkness.”
The rocker was notorious for his on-stage antics, including the moment he bit the head off of a live bat while on stage in Des Moines, Iowa in 1982. He later said he believed it was a rubber bat when he took the bite.
That same year, he was arrested for urinating on the Alamo while in Texas.
A pioneer of the heavy metal sound and look, with his heavy makeup and Goth image, Osbourne was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was first inducted in 2006 as part of Black Sabbath and then in 2024 in his own right.
Osbourne made no secret of the fact that he had consumed copious amounts of drugs and alcohol during his many decades on the road, and publicly marveled at his longevity despite his behavior. He often credited his wife Sharon for his survival.
Osbourne leaves behind his wife, Sharon, and their children, Aimee, Kelly and Jack, as well as his two older children, Jessica and Louis, from his first marriage, and several grandchildren.
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