Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne dead at 76

Ozzy Osbourne, the pioneering heavy steel singer and Black Sabbath frontman whose star activate actuality TV endeared him to a brand new technology of followers, has died, his household introduced Tuesday. He was 76 years outdated.

“It’s with extra unhappiness than mere phrases can convey that now we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has handed away this morning,” the household mentioned in a press release signed by Osbourne’s spouse Sharon, in addition to his youngsters Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis. “He was together with his household and surrounded by love.”

They added, “We ask everybody to respect our household privateness right now.”

Information of Osbourne’s loss of life comes 17 days after he carried out his final show in Birmingham, England, alongside his former Black Sabbath bandmates on the Again to the Starting profit live performance.

He had additionally just lately introduced a brand new memoir titled “Last Rites,” which was due out Oct. 7 through Grand Central Publishing.

Osbourne was beforehand recognized with Parkinson’s illness in 2019 and mentioned in an interview then with “Good Morning America” that it had been “terribly difficult.”

“It is PRKN 2,” Sharon Osbourne mentioned on the time. “There’s so many several types of Parkinson’s. It isn’t a loss of life sentence by any stretch of the creativeness, however it does have an effect on sure nerves in your physique. And it is — it is like you’ve a great day, a great day, after which a very dangerous day.”

In 1968, the Birmingham, U.Okay., native co-founded Black Sabbath with guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Invoice Ward. The band helped outline the steel style, thanks largely to Osbourne’s otherworldly vocals on such basic tunes as “Iron Man,” “Paranoid” and “Battle Pigs.” Osbourne additionally gained notoriety for his usually drug-and-alcohol-fueled exploits. His persona and antics earned him the nicknames the Prince of Darkness and the Steel Madman.

After a decade with the group, Osbourne was fired from Sabbath, purportedly over his substance abuse.

Nonetheless, he quickly launched a solo profession that, with preliminary assist from virtuoso guitarist Randy Rhoads, turned extra profitable than Black Sabbath. Amongst Osbourne’s memorable tunes from the ’80s are “Loopy Prepare,” “Flying Excessive Once more,” “Shot within the Darkish,” “Bark on the Moon” and “No Extra Tears.” In 1988, Osbourne scored a top-10 hit on the Billboard Scorching 100 with “Shut My Eyes Without end,” a duet with ex-Runaways guitarist Lita Ford.

Over time, Osbourne sometimes reunited with Black Sabbath, whereas primarily specializing in his solo endeavors. In 1996, Osbourne’s spouse and supervisor, Sharon, launched Ozzfest, an annual hard-rock competition and tour that Osbourne has usually headlined both solo or with Sabbath.

Within the early 2000s, the singer discovered a complete new viewers when he starred alongside Sharon and two of their youngsters — Jack and Kelly — within the hit MTV actuality collection “The Osbournes,” which ran from 2002 to 2005. He and his son Jack teamed up once more for an additional actuality present, “Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour,” which debuted in 2016.

In 2006, Osbourne was inducted into the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath. The band — minus Ward — reunited to document a remaining studio album, “13,” which was launched in 2013. The group launched a farewell tour known as The Finish that ran from January 2016 to February 2017.

Osbourne then refocused on his solo profession, and launched the No Extra Excursions II outing, which he supposed to be his remaining main trek. In early 2019, he battled an higher respiratory an infection and pneumonia that compelled him to postpone tour legs within the U.Okay. and Europe, and cancel dates in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

In an unique interview with “Good Morning America,” the rocker mentioned that across the time of his Parkinson’s illness analysis, he additionally had a foul fall that required surgical procedure on his neck.

The autumn finally led to 3 spinal surgical procedures, none of which absolutely alleviated the damage, Osbourne mentioned. He canceled his 2023 European tour and introduced he was done touring for good because of his again issues.

“My one and solely objective throughout this time has been to get again on stage,” he wrote on social media on the time. “My singing voice is ok. Nonetheless, after three operations, stem cell therapies, infinite bodily remedy classes, and most just lately groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) Remedy, my physique remains to be bodily weak.”

In 2022, Osbourne closed out the Commonwealth Video games in his hometown of Birmingham that August alongside Iommi on guitar. The venue was only a five-minute drive from the place Osbourne went to high school, he advised “GMA” in September 2022.

“If somebody had mentioned to me after I was 14 standing outdoors these faculty gates, ‘You may be closin’ the Commonwealth Video games,’ it was simply — my life’s been unimaginable. And that issues have occurred,” Osbourne mentioned on the time.

At 74 years outdated, Osbourne received Grammy for greatest steel efficiency for the tune “Degradation Guidelines” alongside Iommi on guitar. The tune got here from his thirteenth studio album, “Affected person Quantity 9,” which additionally received a Grammy for greatest rock album and rose to No. 3 on the U.S. charts and No. 2 within the U.Okay. after its launch in September 2022.

Osbourne received 5 Grammy Awards as a solo artist, whereas Black Sabbath received two Grammy Awards and a lifetime achievement award in 2019.

Osbourne married his second spouse, Sharon, in 1982 and had three youngsters, Aimee, Kelly, and Jack. Although Aimee selected to not seem on “The Osbournes,” Sharon, Kelly and Jack Osbourne have been featured all through and paved the way in which for future family-centric actuality reveals like “Maintaining Up with the Kardashians.”

The singer was beforehand married to Thelma Riley from 1971 to 1982. He had two youngsters together with his first spouse, Jessica and Louis. He additionally adopted her son Elliot from a earlier marriage.