(AP/WJW) — A musical icon has died.
Ozzy Osbourne, the Black Sabbath singer and godfather of heavy metal, died at 76, just weeks after a farewell show at Villa Park in the United Kingdom.
“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 said in a statement obtained by AP. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
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LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 30: Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne attend the Pride Of Britain Awards at Grosvenor House, on October 30, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage) -
OZZY OSBOURNE 1980’s Blizzard Of Ozz with Randy Rhoads (Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage) -
UNITED KINGDOM – JANUARY 01: Photo of Ozzy OSBOURNE and BLACK SABBATH; of Black Sabbath, posed (Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns) -
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1970: Photo of Ozzy Osbourne Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
UNSPECIFIED – JANUARY 01: Photo of Black Sabbath (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 25: (L-R) Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne attend the Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Sean “Diddy” Combs on January 25, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images for The Recording Academy) -
CELEBRITY WATCH PARTY: L-R: Kelly and Ozzy Osbourne on the all-new unscripted series CELEBRITY WATCH PARTY, premiering Thursday, May 7 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (Photo by FOX via Getty Images) -
CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 19: Ozzy Osbourne speaks onstage during the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony streaming on Disney+ at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 19, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) -
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 08: Musician Ozzy Osbourne performs during half-time of the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium on September 08, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The cause of Osbourne’s death was not immediately clear. In 2020, he revealed he had Parkinson’s disease after suffering a fall.
Either clad in black or bare-chested, the singer was often the target of parents’ groups for his imagery and once caused an uproar for biting the head off a bat. Later, he would reveal himself to be a doddering and sweet father on the reality TV show “The Osbournes.”
Black Sabbath’s 1969 self-titled debut LP has been likened to the Big Bang of heavy metal. It came during the height of the Vietnam War and crashed the hippie party, dripping menace and foreboding. The cover of the record was of a spooky figure against a stark landscape. The music was loud, dense and angry, and marked a shift in rock ’n’ roll.
FOX 8 News has reached out to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for comment. The musician was recently in Cleveland for his induction as a solo artist into the Rock Hall, but he did not perform.
At his final performance earlier this month, he said this from the stage:
“I don’t know what to say, man. I’ve been laid up for like six years. You have no idea how I feel — thank you from the bottom of my heart. You’re all … special. Let’s go crazy, come on.”
