What to know as Black Sabbath singer, Ozzy Osbourne, dies at 76

Ozzy Osbourne, the 76-year-old frontman of Black Sabbath and a familiar face from reality TV, died Tuesday, according to a statement from his family.

“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 said in a statement to CNN. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

There were no immediate details shared about the cause of death.

His passing came just weeks after he reunited with his Black Sabbath bandmates in Birmingham, England, during a concert titled Back to the Beginning. It marked the band’s first show in 20 years and was announced as Osbourne’s “final bow,” per the band’s official site.

Osbourne was known for his unpredictable stage behavior — like biting off a bat’s head or throwing meat into crowds — as well as his long struggles with alcohol and drugs. Despite this, he remained a central figure in rock and roll. Some conservative groups strongly opposed him, labeling him a bad influence due to his image.

Later in life, he gained new attention by appearing as himself in The Osbournes, a reality show focused on his home life. It helped pave the way for later family-based reality series like the Kardashians.

Early Years

John “Ozzy” Osbourne was born on December 3, 1948, in Birmingham, England. He was one of six children in a working-class family. He left school at 15 and held various jobs, including at a slaughterhouse, before turning to petty crime. He ended up serving six weeks in jail after his father refused to pay a fine — a moment detailed in his 2009 memoir, I Am Ozzy.

Inspired by The Beatles, he credited their hit “She Loves You” for sparking his interest in music. In 1967, Geezer Butler invited him to join a new band, alongside guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. The group underwent a few name changes before becoming Black Sabbath. As Butler explained in Rolling Stone in 2016, “if people paid money to feel scared at the movies, then the same must be true of concerts.”

Their debut album, Black Sabbath, was recorded in two days in 1969.
“Once we’d finished, we spent a couple of hours double-tracking some of the guitar and vocals, and that was that. Done,” Osbourne wrote in his book. “We were in the pub in time for last orders. It can’t have taken any longer than 12 hours in total. That’s how albums should be made, in my opinion.”

Musical Legacy

Black Sabbath’s music, marked by heavy riffs and eerie tones, quickly found an audience. Their second album, Paranoid, reached number one in the UK. They didn’t top the charts again until 13 was released in 2013.

Though often called the “Godfather of Heavy Metal,” Osbourne preferred the nickname “The Prince of Darkness,” which he used online.

“I have never, ever, ever been able to attach myself to the word ‘heavy metal’ – it has no musical connotations,” he told CNN in 2013. “If it was heavy rock I could get that but the 70s was kind of like a bluesy thing, the 80s was kind of bubblegum-frosted hair, multi-colored clothes, and the 90s was kind of grungy.”

Osbourne was fired from the band in 1979 due to his substance abuse, but he went on to release 11 solo albums. He later rejoined Black Sabbath in 1997.

One of his most infamous moments happened during a 1982 concert in Des Moines, Iowa, when he bit into a bat. He later said he thought it was fake.

“Every time I do an interview they ask me ‘What do bats taste like, Ozzy?’ Like my mother-in-law’s cooking,” he joked on NBC’s Today Show in 1987.

His personal struggles were ongoing. Substance use contributed to the end of his first marriage to Thelma Mayfair. He also had issues with former manager Don Arden, father of Sharon Arden, whom Ozzy started dating in 1979. She later became his wife and a key part of both his personal and professional life.\

(CNN)

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