Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic lead singer of Black Sabbath who also experienced significant solo success and became a pop culture icon beyond the worlds of metal and rock music, is dead at 76 years old.
A statement from his family reads (as The Guardian notes):
“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.”
A cause of death has not been revealed, but in 2020, Osbourne revealed he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Osbourne’s death comes just weeks after Back To The Beginning, the benefit concert that was billed as featuring Black Sabbath’s final performance. Indeed, it ended up being the last time Osbourne took the stage.
Osbourne discussed life and death in a 2023 interview with Rolling Stone UK. Reflecting on the deaths of peers like Motörhead’s Lemmy and UFO bassist Pete Way, he said, “I should have been dead way before loads of them. Why am I the last man standing? I don’t understand any of it. Sometimes I look in the mirror and go, ‘Why the f*ck did you make it?!’ I’m not boasting about any of it because I should have been dead a thousand times. I’ve had my stomach pumped God knows how many times.”
He added, “I don’t fear dying, but I don’t want to have a long, painful, and miserable existence. […] At best, I’ve got ten years left and when you’re older, time picks up speed.”