Black Sabbath’s frontman Ozzy Osbourne has died, his family has announced this evening (Tuesday July 22). The news comes just a few weeks after a mammoth ‘farewell’ gig at Villa Park in Birmingham, his home city.
No cause of death was cited in the family’s statement.
The Brummie icon, who was born in December 1948, was known for his theatrical stage presence, with some wild stories to tell of his life – including once biting the head off a bat. Besides his fame as a musician, we can’t forget his starring role in The Osbournes; a reality show following the life (and general drama) of him and his family.
The star was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease six years agobut not even a month ago he had Black Sabbath back together on stage for a sold-out homecoming gig. He performed his final show from a huge black throne – a fitting last hurrah for the Prince of Darkness.
The Villa Park gig, which took place on July 5, was the first time Ozzy Osbourne reunited with all of his original bandmates—Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward—for two whole decades. It was always intended to be a retirement gig, a way to bid a fond farewell to performing.
Metallica shared a tribute to the Godfather of Heavy Metal on socials; an old image featuring members of the band alongside Ozzy Osbourne, with a simple broken heart emoji as the caption.
Back To The Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow
Last week, it was announced that a feature-length film would be hitting the big screen; celebrating the life and legacy of Ozzy, and his final bow with Black Sabbath in his hometown of Birmingham. Back To The Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow is currently in production and will be released in early 2026.
