Ozzy Osbourne dies weeks after Black Sabbath’s farewell concert
Ozzy Osbourne has died at age 76 more than two weeks after his final performance .
The "Prince of Darkness" died "surrounded by love" on Tuesday, July 22, according to a statement posted by Osbourne's family on social media .
"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," Osbourne's family wrote in the statement. "He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time."
Osbourne's official cause of death was not initially revealed.
The heavy metal legend reunited with the original members of Black Sabbath from the 1970s — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Terence Butler, and drummer Bill Ward — for a four-song set at the "Back to the Beginning" music festival just over two weeks ago.
Osbourne had not performed for years prior to the July 5 show because of several health issues, including Parkinson's disease and emphysema, according to The New York Times.
"It's so good to be on this (expletive) stage, you have no idea," Osbourne told the crowd.
The legendary singer performed the show while sitting in a black winged throne.
The original Black Sabbath line-up played some of their biggest songs: "War Pigs," "NIB," "Iron Man" and "Paranoid."
In a question and answer with communications agency Premier Comms, the singer said "Back to the Beginning" was to "say thank you to my fans for always supporting me and being there for me."
"I couldn't have done my final show anywhere else," he said of playing the gig in his hometown of Birmingham. "I had to go back to the beginning."
Osbourne sold more than 100 million albums , including his solo work and Black Sabbath releases. He formed the band in Birmingham in 1968, which went on to become one of the most successful metal bands of all time. Black Sabbath is credited with helping to define metal genre with the band's 1970 self-titled album, "Paranoid" (1970) and "Master of Reality" (1971).
Black Sabbath was ranked by MTV as the "Greatest Metal Band of All Time" and placed second on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" list in 2000. Rolling Stone also ranked the band 85th on its "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" list in 2010.
Osbourne was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006 and as a solo artist in 2024 . The "Prince of Darkness" was also inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame both solo and with Black Sabbath in 2005.
Osbourne's other accolades include five Grammy Awards , a star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame , a Global Icon Award and an Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. As a solo artist, he released 13 studio albums, several of which have earned gold or platinum status. Some of his most popular songs include "Crazy Train," "Mr. Crowley," "Bark at the Moon," "Mama, I'm Coming Home," "No More Tears," "Flying High Again" and "Shot in the Dark."
The musician became a reality television star through his MTV show "The Osbournes," which ran from 2002-2005. He also co-stared with his children Kelly and Jack in the series "Ozzy & Jack's World Detour" from 2016 to 2018.
Osbourne was married to his wife and longtime manager, Sharon, for 43 years. The couple first met in 1970 and wed in 1982, according to PEOPLE . Together they share their daughters Aimee and Kelly as well as their son, Jack.
Osbourne also had three children with his first wife, Thelma Riley, who he married in 1971, according to Yahoo . The couple shared two biological children — Louis and Jessica — and one adopted song, named Elliot.
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Read the original article on MassLive .
