Ozzy Osbourne, legendary heavy metal vocalist, dies at 76

The rocker's family announced that he died on Tuesday morning.

Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Ozzy Osbourne performing at the Los Angeles Rams-Buffalo Bills game in Inglewood, Calif., on Sept. 8, 2022

The "Crazy Train" singer's family confirmed the news in a statement Entertainment Weekly.

"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," the family wrote. "We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time."

The statement was signed by his wife Sharon, and children Jack, Kelly, Aimee, and Louis.

Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019. "It's been terribly challenging for us all," he said as he announced the news in 2020. "I ain't going to go anywhere yet."

Also known as the Prince of Darkness, Osbourne pioneered heavy metal with his screeching vocal performances and unpredictable on-stage antics as a member of Sabbath in the late 1960s and 1970s. He also launched a successful solo career after splitting from the band, and achieved further notoriety when he shared the spotlight with family on his 2000s MTV reality series The Osbournes.

Just three weeks ago, Osbourne played his final concert, reuniting with the  original lineup of Black Sabbath — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Terence Butler (known as Geezer), and drummer Bill Ward — at England's Villain Park. "I don’t know what to say, man, I’ve been laid up for like six years," he said during the show. "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."

As he introduced the band's final song, "Paranoid," Osbourne expressed his appreciation for his fans over the years. 

"I just want to say to you on behalf of the guys in Black Sabbath and myself, your support over the years has made it all possible for us to live the lifestyle that we do. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you. We love you."

Born to a working-class family in England's Marston Green in 1948, Osbourne survived a difficult childhood and adolescence that he said included sexual abuse, a stint in prison after a burglary arrest, multiple suicide attempts. He linked up with Butler, Iommi, and Ward after dropping out of school, first naming their band Earth before switching to Black Sabbath after a 1963 Boris Karloff horror film.

Heavily inspired by the blues, the band quickly cultivated a dark, haunting sound that helped define the early days of heavy metal. Their 1970 self-titled debut album received negative reviews upon release, but was a commercial success and has since been recognized as one of the most influential metal LPs in the genre's history. Their 1970 sophomore album, Paranoid, included legendary tracks like "Iron Man" and "War Pigs."

Kevin Winter/Getty Bill Ward, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath in West Hollywood, Calif., on November 11, 2011

The band's following albums — Master of Reality, Black Sabbath Vol. 4, and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath — continued Sabbath's commercial success, all achieving platinum status. Their sixth album, Saborage, and their seventh, more experimental LP, Technical Ecstasy, both sold fewer copies than their predecessors.

After the death of his father and the tumultuous recording session for their eighth album Never Say Die!, Osbourne was dismissed from Black Sabbath and replaced by Ronnie James Dio in 1979. The next year, the singer released his massively successful solo debut album, Blizzard of Ozz, featuring classic tracks like "Crazy Train" and "I Don't Know."

Osbourne continued regularly releasing solo albums throughout the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, the first eight of which eventually went platinum. In the 1990s, he launched the metal festival Ozzfest alongside his wife Sharon. The festival has seen over 5 million attendees since its launch. He reunited with several combinations of his Sabbath bandmates at various points, including 1985's Live Aid, 1997's Ozzfest, and a 2012 reunion tour that led to a new album, 13.

Osbourne's celebrity became inescapable upon the launch of The Osbournes in 2002. The show, which focused on the singer's family life with Sharon and their children Kelly and Jack, was among MTV's most successful shows during its four-season run from 2002 to 2005. He later appeared in additional shows like Ozzy & Jack's World Detour and The Osbournes Want to Believe, and acted in projects like Moulin Rouge and Gnomeo and Juliet.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage Kelly Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne, and Jack Osbourne at the 56th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 26, 2014

In addition to being a two-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Osbourne won three Grammys as a solo artist and two as a member of Black Sabbath. His first win came for Best Metal Performance With Vocal for "I Don't Want To Change The World" in 1994, followed by a win for Best Metal Performance for a live rendition of "Iron Man" in 2000. 

The group also won Best Metal Performance for "God Is Dead?" in 2014, and the singer most recently took home a trophy for Best Rock Album for his final album Patient Number 9, as well as Best Metal Performance for "Degradation Rules" alongside Iommi in 2023.

Osbourne is survived by his wife, Sharon, and his children Elliot, Jessica, Louis, Aimee, Kelly, and Jack.