Ozzy Osbourne may have been known as the ‘Prince of Darkness’, but the music icon’s death certificate has also honoured him with another brilliant moniker.
On July 22 the Osbourne family announced the heavy metal star’s death aged 76, following a long battle with Parkinson’s and other health problems. No official cause of death has been given.
Last week Osbourne was farewelled in his home city of Birmingham, with thousands turning out and lining the streets for a funeral procession, which happened just weeks after his band’s final ever show there, at Villa Park.
In emotional scenes, his family greeted fans and looked at tributes that had been left at the Black Sabbath bridge and bench in his honour, before they went on to hold a private service and burial in the grounds of his Buckinghamshire mansion.
Yesterday details of Osbourne’s death certificate were made public, with his cause of death being listed as ‘acute myocardial infarction’ – more commonly known as a heart attack.
However, the document also contained another interesting detail that signifies just how influential Osbourne was.
Under the details for his occupation, his death certificate listed Osbourne as being a ‘rock legend, songwriter and performer’.
In 1968 Osbourne co-founded Black Sabbath, who have been credited with pioneering the development of heavy metal music.
However, after being fired from the band in 1979, Osbourne went on to pursue a solo career, eventually releasing a total of 13 albums, the first seven of which were certified multi-platinum in the United States.
Over the years he reunited with Black Sabbath on several occasions, most recently at their Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham on July 5, which was billed as being his last ever due to his health issues.
Osbourne – who had also been referred to as the ‘Godfather of Heavy Metal’ and the ‘Madman of Rock’ – had intended to continue recording music but died 17 days later.
Throughout his career, the star sold more than 100 million albums and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006 and as a solo artist last year.
He also gained a new legion of fans when starring in the MTV reality show The Osbournes, which ran from 2002 until 2005, and also followed his wife Sharon and two of their children, Kelly and Jack.
When announcing Osbourne’s death, his family wrote: ‘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.’
This week Kelly went on to share an emotional tribute to her dad, writing on social media: ‘I’ve sat down to write this a hundred times and still don’t know if the words will ever feel like enough…but from the bottom of my heart thank you,’ she began.
‘The love, support, and beautiful messages I’ve received from so many of you have truly helped carry me through the hardest moment of my life. Every kind word, every shared memory, every bit of compassion has meant more than I can ever explain.’
Kelly added that she wouldn’t be ok for some time but felt supported by the knowledge that so many people are grieving with her. ‘I am holding tight to the love, the light, and the legacy left behind,’ she concluded the post.
Meanwhile Jack shared: ‘I haven’t really wanted to post anything since the passing of my father. My heart has hurt too much. I’m gonna keep this short because he certainly hated long rambling speeches. He was so many things to so many people, but I was so lucky and blessed to be a part of a very small group that got to call him “Dad”. My heart is full of so much sadness and sorrow, but also so much love and gratitude. I got 14,501 days with that man and I know that is such a blessing.’
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