Daijiworld Media Network - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Jul 23: Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of Black Sabbath and a trailblazer of heavy metal music, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 76, just weeks after performing his final concert in the UK.

"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," his family said in a statement. The iconic rocker had revealed in 2020 that he was battling Parkinson’s disease following a serious fall.

Osbourne, known for his raspy growl, gothic persona, and controversial antics—including biting the head off a bat on stage—was often criticized by parents' groups and religious leaders. Yet he later showed a softer side as a loving father on the reality show The Osbournes.

With Black Sabbath, Osbourne changed the course of rock forever. The band's 1969 debut and 1970's Paranoid introduced fans to enduring metal anthems like War Pigs, Iron Man, and Paranoid. Dave Navarro once called Sabbath “the Beatles of heavy metal.”

Fired from Sabbath in 1979 for his wild lifestyle, Osbourne launched a massively successful solo career with hits like Crazy Train and Flying High Again. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice—once with Sabbath in 2006 and again in 2024 as a solo artist.

His final concert in July 2025 reunited the original Sabbath lineup in front of 42,000 fans. Metal giants like Metallica, Slayer, and Guns N’ Roses performed in tribute, with actor Jason Momoa hosting the event.

Osbourne's wild legacy includes urinating on the Alamo, snorting ants, and a controversial lawsuit over the song Suicide Solution. He often defended his lyrics, once telling a Cardinal, “You are ignorant about the true meaning of my songs.”

Despite the chaos, Osbourne always ended his shows with a cheerful “God bless!” His Ozzfest tour, launched in 1996, became a metal institution, hosting bands like Slipknot, System of a Down, and Limp Bizkit.

In recent years, he reached new audiences with collaborations like the 2019 hit Take What You Want with Post Malone. Yet his look remained timeless—long hair, round glasses, black eyeliner, and a cross necklace.

Ozzy Osbourne's voice, vision, and outrageous presence defined an era—and heavy metal will never be the same.