The legendary frontman of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, has died at the age of 76.
This follows a stirring farewell performance in his hometown of Birmingham, England. The adored rock n’ roll icon passed away on the morning of July 22, 2025.
OZZY OSBOURNE, THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS
This pioneer of heavy metal passed away surrounded by his loved ones. Known to his fans as the ‘Prince of Darkness’, Osbourne helped craft the spirit and sounds of heavy metal with a catalogue littered with hits. Records like Paranoid, Iron Man and Crazy Train will live on as his legacy.
BLACK SABBATH’S LAST RIDE
He performed alongside his bandmates on July 5 at a concert held at Villa Park. His original cohorts of creativity, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, were by his side on stage. This was their first time on stage in 20 years. Quite an apt swan song for the lead of this legendary band, whose influence stretched beyond heavy metal.
Osbounre or Ozzy closed off the set with some haunting final words as he sat perched on a throne on stage due to his declining health.
“It’s the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” he said.
WHAT WAS AILING OZZY OSBOURNE?
Osbourne had been locked in a battle against Parkinson’s disease since 2019. He had endured multiple spinal surgeries in recent years, but despite this, he was fixated on delivering a memorable final performance to his fans.
OZZY’S INFLUENCE ON GLOBAL POP CULTURE
The monolithic efforts of Black Sabbath aside, Ozzy Osbourne became a fixture in global pop culture at the height of the MTV era. His reality show, The Osbournes has served as a blueprint for how this genre of television is made even till this very day. His whole family gained notoriety and fame from their 52-episode long run. That is four seasons in total.
He sold over 100 million records long before the age of streaming. He obtained five Grammy Awards as well as an induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
OZZY AND THE WORLD OF HIP HOP
Rock music has always shared similarities with hip hop and when the two genres meet it tends to be an unforgettable collision. His music has been sampled by the likes of American rap groups like the Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill, Outkast, A Tribe Called Quest, Eminem, Busta Rhymes and Ice-T.
He also collaborated with acts like DMX, Post Malone and Wu-Tang Clan, along with the gripping interpolation of Iron Man on Kanye West’s Hell of a Life.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE OZZY OSBOURNE MOMENTS?
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