Ozzy Osbourne, the rock icon and longtime Black Sabbath frontman, has passed away at the age of 76, his family confirmed in a statement on Tuesday, July 22.
Known for both his seismic impact on heavy metal and his candid reality TV presence, Osbourne was a giant not just in the music industry, but in pop culture as a whole.
Ozzy's family confirmed the tragic news
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Ozzy’s family stated that the rock legend was not alone in his final moments. Instead, he passed away while surrounded by the love of his family.
As per the family in a statement to People magazine: “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. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.'”
Ozzy’s final concert was a farewell to fans in his hometown
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Weeks before his passing, Osbourne performed at a Black Sabbath farewell concert in Birmingham, England. Seated on a throne due to his physical condition, the performance marked his first full set with the band in two decades.
In February, he had announced the farewell fundraiser in his hometown. Though unable to walk due to Parkinson’s disease, his wife Sharon stated that he was "very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this."
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"Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. It’s not something you can stabilize. It affects different parts of the body, and it’s affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it's ever been,” she told The Sun.
Osbourne was open about his declining health
Diagnosed in 2003, Osbourne revealed his Parkinson’s to the public in 2020. "It's not a death sentence," he said at the time.
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"I have made it to 2025. I can’t walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I’m still alive. I may be moaning that I can’t walk, but I look down the road, and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me and didn’t make it,” he mused.
Osbourne had dealt with a series of medical challenges leading up to his passing.
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In 2019, he was hospitalized with pneumonia and later suffered a fall that required neck surgery. A 2022 procedure removed metal plates from his spine.
Even so, he returned to the stage in August 2022 for a surprise performance in front of 30,000 people at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Image credits: Ozzy Osbourne
A month after that, he told People that he would still love to perform for his fans.
"That's the only thing that reminds me I'm getting older: things going wrong and not working anymore. But I still feel young at heart," he said.
Fans mourned Ozzy’s passing on social media
