The legendary Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne died on Tuesday after a lengthy illness. He was 76 years-old.
Osbourne Passes Away
“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 told People Magazine.
“He was with his family and surrounded by love,” they continued. “We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.”
This came less than three weeks after Osbourne performed his final concert while sitting on a throne onstage at Villa Park in Birmingham in the United Kingdom. He was joined by his original Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. This was the first time that they had reunited since 2005.
“It’s so good to be on this stage… You have no idea how I feel – thank you from the bottom of my heart,” an emotional Osbourne told the crowd at the end of this July 5 concert.
Full Story: Ozzy Osbourne, 76, Performs Final Concert As He Says Emotional Goodbye To Fans – ‘You Have No Idea…’
Osbourne Fights To Perform One Last Time
By the start of this year, Osbourne was unable to walk due to Parkinson’s disease. Despite this, he was still determined to perform for his fans one last time.
“He’s very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this,” Osbourne’s wife Sharon told The Sun in February. “Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. It’s not something you can stabilize. It affects different parts of the body, and it’s affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.”
Around this same time, Osbourne opened up about his condition on his SiriusXM radio show.
“I have made it to 2025,” he said. “I can’t walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I’m still alive. I may be moaning that I can’t walk, but I look down the road, and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me and didn’t make it.”
‘I’m Giving It Everything I’ve Got’
Back in May, Osbourne talked about how important making it to his farewell concert was to him.
“I haven’t done any physical work for the last seven [or so] years,” Osbourne said. “By hook or by crook, I’m gonna make it there. I’ve got this trainer guy who helps people get back to normal. It’s hard going, but he’s convinced that he can pull it off for me. I’m giving it everything I’ve got.”
When asked if he was stressed about his last show, Osbourne replied, “Sometimes, but what I do, if I start obsessing all the time, I’ll be insane by Friday, you know? So I’m just taking it one day at a time and when I do it one day at a time.”
Osbourne is survived by his beloved wife Sharon, who he was married to for 43 years. He’s also survived by their three children: Aimee, Kelly, and Jack. Osbourne is additionally survived by three children from a previous marriage: Jessica, Louis, and Riley.
Related: Ozzy Osbourne, 76, Makes Huge Announcement About His Final Show – ‘If My God Wants Me To…’
Osbourne’s Reality Shows
Aside from his rock career, Osbourne was also known for his reality show The Osbournes. He starred on this show with Sharon, Kelly, and Jack after his daughter Aimee declined to take part in it. The show was a huge hit, running for four seasons from 2002-2005.
“What they call reality TV now is really not reality,” Osbourne later said. “It’s not raw. It’s not the real, real reality. With our show, what you saw was what really went on. It wasn’t contrived. It wasn’t scripted.”
“We didn’t become the Osbournes that you see just for the show. That’s the way we are,” he continued. “And all they did was take funny bits out of it.”
However, it can’t be denied that Osbourne will best be remembered for the incredible music that he made with Black Sabbath.
Few details about the specifics regarding Osbourne’s death are available at this time. All we know is that we will miss Osbourne dearly, as will millions of fans from around the world.
Rest in peace, Ozzy Osbourne, and rock on in Heaven!
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