Rock icon Ozzy Osbourne dies at 76

Legendary rock singer and heavy metal pioneer Ozzy Osbourne, founding member of the seminal rock band Black Sabbath, died Tuesday.

The English recording and performing artist, born John Michael Osbourne on Dec. 3, 1948, was nicknamed “Prince of Darkness.” He was 76.

Osbourne, who has sold more than 100 million records, died just weeks after putting on a farewell show in England with bandmates from Black Sabbath, which was formed in 1968.

He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019 and went public with the news in 2020.

Specific details of his death were not immediately released, but the family’s statement to various media outlets said, “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. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

Osbourne and Black Sabbath were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. He was inducted a second time, as a solo artist, in 2024. The UK Music Hall of Fame inducted him as both a Sabbath member and a solo artist in 2005.

The singer of memorable songs like “Paranoid,” “Iron Man” and “Crazy Train,” which is a staple for revving up crowds at sporting events, also became a reality television star with the MTV show “The Osbournes,” which also featured his wife Sharon and children Jack and Kelly and debuted in 2002.

His final concert was on July 5, when he performed in the Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham, England, the city where the band was formed.

Updated at 12:15 p.m. July 22, 2025

–City News Service