Ozzy Osbourne dies weeks after farewell concert

WASHINGTON — Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne has died, according to multiple media reports. He was 76.

The legendary heavy metal singer’s death comes just weeks after his farewell show in Birmingham, England. 

“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,” a family statement to BBC News said. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

Earlier this month, Osbourne reunited with his Black Sabbath band members for a final live performance. The musician put on quite the show for some 40,000 fans.

The performance marked the end of Osbourne’s touring career following a 2020 Parkinson’s diagnosis and spinal surgery that forced him to pause performances in 2023.

During his farewell concert, his daughter Kelly received a surprise proposal from her partner Sid Wilson. 

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.

Sabbath fired Osbourne in 1979 for his legendary excesses, like showing up late for rehearsals and missing gigs. “We knew we didn’t really have a choice but to sack him because he was just so out of control. But we were all very down about the situation,” wrote bassist Terry “Geezer” Butler in his memoir, “Into the Void.”

Osbourne reemerged the next year as a solo artist with “Blizzard of Ozz” and the following year’s “Diary of a Madman,” both hard rock classics that went multi-platinum and spawned enduring favorites such as “Crazy Train,” “Goodbye to Romance,” “Flying High Again” and “You Can’t Kill Rock and Roll.” Osbourne was twice inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — once with Sabbath in 2006 and again in 2024 as a solo artist.

Osbourne was twice inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — once with Sabbath in 2006 and again in 2024 as a solo artist.

Osbourne’s look changed little over his life. He wore his long hair flat, heavy black eye makeup and round glasses, often wearing a cross around his neck. In 2013, he reunited with Black Sabbath for the dour, raw “13,” which reached No. 1 on the U.K. Albums Chart and peaked at No. 86 on the U.S. Billboard 200. In 2019, he had a Top 10 hit when featured on Post Malone’s “Take What You Want,” Osbourne’s first song in the Top 10 since 1989.

He is survived by Sharon, and their three children — Kelly, Aimee and Jack.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.