The legend has passed away: the outstanding musician Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76
Фото: REUTERS
Today, July 22, the world lost one of rock music’s most iconic figures – Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of Black Sabbath, founder of heavy metal and symbol of the rebellious spirit for several generations, passed away at the age of 76. His death came as a shock to millions of fans around the world.
This was announced by his family in an official statement, quoted by The Guardian.
“It is with sadness beyond words that we are forced to announce that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love,” the statement said.
The official cause of death has not yet been disclosed, but it is known that in the last years of his life the musician suffered from serious health problems, including Parkinson’s disease and underwent spinal surgery after a fall.
Less than three weeks ago, Ozzy officially left the stage, ending a musical career spanning more than half a century that changed the course of rock music history.
We will add that recently, on July 5, in the UK in the city of Birmingham, heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne gave the last live concert of his career. The performance took place at the Villa Park stadium with the participation of the original line-up of the Black Sabbath band. He performed several songs solo, after which he was joined by Tony Iommi, Terence “Geezer” Butler and Bill Ward. The members of Black Sabbath performed together for the first time in 20 years, closing the set with the composition Paranoid.
The event was the culmination of a day-long metal festival that also featured Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N’ Roses. Jack Black, Dolly Parton and Elton John sent words of support.
John Michael Osbourne was born in 1948 in Aston, an industrial area of Birmingham. His childhood was spent in a modest family of factory workers. Despite poverty and difficult conditions, Osbourne showed a passion for music from an early age, which later became his path to immortality.
In 1969, he co-founded the band Black Sabbath , named after the horror film of the same name. Their debut album Black Sabbath (1970) effectively launched the heavy metal genre, and subsequent albums — Paranoid, Master of Reality, Vol. 4 — became world rock classics.
In 1979, Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath due to drug and alcohol problems, but this did not stop his career – his solo debut Blizzard of Ozz brought him huge success and five platinum certifications in the US. Over the following decades, he released 11 studio albums, the last one – Ordinary Man – was released in 2020.
Ozzy is also known as a scandalous and iconic pop culture figure: he bit off the head of a bat on stage, tried to kill his wife while intoxicated, and later turned his family into television stars on The Osbournes.
In 2013, Osbourne reunited with Black Sabbath and recorded the album 13 with them, which topped the charts in the US and the UK.
His contribution to music has been recognized with numerous awards, and Ozzy himself has become a living embodiment of heavy metal, earning the nickname “The Prince of Darkness.” His influence on generations of musicians and fans of heavy music is undeniable.
Ozzy is survived by his wife Sharon and children Jack, Amy, Jessica and Louis. The artist’s death has caused a wave of condolences around the world: fans, musicians, colleagues and just people who care about him are posting words of gratitude, remembering how much Osbourne’s music has influenced their lives.
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