Ozzy Osbourne dies at age 76 following farewell show

The famous Black Sabbath singer had reunited with his bandmates at Villa Park earlier this month

2 months ago

Ozzy Osbourne, the infamous heavy metal star from Birmingham, has died this morning (22 July) at age 76.

In a statement, his family 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.”

The singer had recently reunited with his bandmates at Villa Park less than three weeks ago. His wife, Sharon, had announced the charity gig, saying Ozzy was determined to give fans the “perfect farewell”.

During the show, Ozzy told fans: “You’ve no idea how I feel – thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

The gig ended up raising £140 million for charities, including Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorns Hospice.

Ozzy suffered from Parkinson’s disease as well as other health problems before his death, including injuries sustained by a fall in 2019.

After cancelling his tour, Ozzy made a surprise appearance in Birmingham to close the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

via Elmar78 on Creative Commons

He was known as a pioneer of heavy metal with Black Sabbath but also celebrated success as a solo artist, consolidating him as an icon of Birmingham. His most famous songs included Iron Man, Paranoid, War Pigs, Crazy Train and Changes, and was he was lovingly labelled the Prince of Darkness.

Ozzy also starred in the hit MTV reality show The Osbournes, which aired in the 2000s, alongside his wife and two of his children, Kelly and Jack.

Ozzy has a star on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Birmingham’s Broad Street. Black Sabbath also have a mural and bridge dedicated to them in Birmingham.