Black Sabbath frontman and music legend Ozzy Osbourne has died at 76.
The iconic vocalist behind hits like Crazy Train, War Pigs, and Mr. Crowley passed away today, surrounded by his family (via BBC). His death follows the Back to the Beginning farewell concert, which he, alongside a team of other famous musicians, performed at just weeks ago.
Osbourne’s family released a statement: “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, also known as music’s Prince of Darkness, is known for shaping the metal world with his unique vocal and songwriting skills. He truly broke into the music scene as the lead vocalist in Black Sabbath, a pioneering ‘70s group known for projects like 1970’s Paranoid and 1971’s Masters of Reality. Even as the band remained through to the 2000s, Osbourne would go on to release his own solo projects, including 1980’s Blizzard of Ozz and 1991’s No More Tears.
It’s hard to understate Osbourne’s impact on rock, metal, and music in general, but he’s known for more than his legendary Crazy Train laugh. TV watchers were thrown for a loop in 2002 with The Osbournes, a reality show that featured Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne, and Jack Osbourne. It ran for four seasons and 52 episodes before coming to an end in 2005.
Aside from being known as the man who bit the head off of a real-life bat during a concert in the ‘80s, Osbourne made his stamp on more TV series and even the movie world, too. He’s lent his voice to South Park and, more recently, Trolls World Tour in the past, and he even made cameo appearances in films like Ghostbusters (2016), Austin Powers in Goldmember, and Little Nicky. Even gaming fans might have caught an appearance from Osbourne, as the rocker found his way to star alongside Jack Black in Double Fine’s Brutal Legend while also showing up for Neversoft’s Guitar Hero World Tour.
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Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
