Ozzy Osbourne, the roguish, animated lead singer of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, has died. He was 76. Osbourne had been beset by numerous illnesses over the years, including a 2020 diagnosis of Parkinsonism, which is similar to Parkinson’s disease, partially brought on by his years of drug abuse.

Ironically, he gave his final performance earlier this month in his hometown of Birmingham, England, where he reunited with the original Black Sabbath Lineup. A showman to the end, Ozzy performed the concert on a black throne to the delight of his fans.

Osbourne’s Early Years and Rock Stardom

John Michael Osbourne was born in Birmingham on Dec. 3, 1948, to his working-class parents, John Thomas and Lillian (Levy) Osbourne. Ozzie had a difficult childhood growing up in a small house with five other siblings. He had difficulty in school due to undiagnosed dyslexia and attention deficit disorder. He committed a series of minor crimes in his youth and actually spent three months in prison. However, this dissuaded him from living a life of crime.

At age 20, Osbourne started a band with three other Birmingham musicians, bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward, and guitarist Tony Iommi. Due to their love of horror movies, they eventually renamed themselves Black Sabbath and started to play a loud, grinding, heavy style of music.

They released their first album, “Black Sabbath,” in 1970 and would follow suit with 11 more albums in the next nine years. Critics panned their music, but their albums went platinum, striking a chord of defiance in young listeners. Hits from this era included “Iron Man,” “War Pigs,” and “Paranoid.”

Post Sabbath Bizarre Behavior and Tragedy

Osborne was booted from the band by Iommi in 1979 because of erratic behavior fueled by heavy chemical abuse. Shortly after that, he was chewed out by the daughter of his manager, Don Arden, for stealing money from her to buy drugs. Surprisingly, she decided to manage his career, and on July 4, 1982, Ozzy would marry his second wife, Sharon Arden. And with Sharon managing his career, he released his first solo album, “Blizzard of Ozz,” that included one of his trademark songs, “Crazy Train.”

He would tour and record constantly, and although he achieved great success, his demons started catching up to him. In a concert in Des Moines, IA, Osbourne bit the head off of a dead bat. And he bit off the head of a live dove at a music conference.

His drug use led to domestic assaults on his first wife (Thelma) and Sharon, who dropped her charges against him after accusing him of attempted murder. And tragedy struck his band when his lead guitarist, Randy Rhoads, their makeup artist Rachel Youngblood, and their tour bus driver, Andrew Aycock, crashed a small plane into their tour bus, killing everyone on board the plane.

Later Music and Realty TV

His later hits included “Close My Eyes Forever,” with Lita Ford, and “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” which both became big hits in the U.S. Banned from Lollapalooza, the Osbournes created Ozzfest, which became a long-running summer tour that included other heavy metal bands. The festival even led Ozzy to reunite with the original members of Black Sabbath on several occasions. Twice, Osbourne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath (2006) and as a solo performer (2024).

And the whole world got an up close and personal look at the life of the Osbourne family when their reality TV series, “The Osbournes,” debuted in 2002. The show focused on the everyday life of Ozzy, Sharon, and their teenage children Jack and Kelly, although their daughter Aimee refused to participate. The popular show would remain on the air until 2005, often depicting Ozzy as a mumbling, befuddled patriarch stumbling around their Beverly Hills Home.

Later Life and Remembrances

But his drug abuse continued, and he suffered a near-fatal accident when he flipped an all-terrain vehicle in 2003. Over the years, Osbourne was diagnosed with a severe upper-respiratory infection, a chronically damaged spine, as well as the Parkinsonism. He finally got clean four years before his passing.

In a statement, the Osbourne family eulogized Ozzie.

“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.”

Ozzy Osbourne is survived by his wife and their children; three children from his first marriage: Jessica, Louis, and Elliot; and numerous grandchildren.