Ozzy Osbourne, Heavy Metal’s Prince of Darkness, Passes Away at 76 Years Old
- Jul 23
- 2 min read
The End Of An Era
Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of Black Sabbath and icon of heavy metal, has died at the age of 76, his family confirmed on July 22 2025. The news was delivered in a statement from wife Sharon Osbourne and their children, who said Ozzy passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. The loss comes as a shock to fans, especially since the Prince of Darkness had just reunited with Black Sabbath for a final hometown performance in Birmingham, England earlier this month. Tributes from around the rock world are already pouring in for a man who truly defined an era of music.
Ozzy’s career is the stuff of rock legend. Rising to fame in the late 1960s as the eerie-voiced frontman of Black Sabbath, he helped invent the sound of heavy metal with doom-laden classics like “War Pigs” and “Iron Man”. After parting ways with Sabbath in 1979 amid notorious excesses, Ozzy embarked on a wildly successful solo career. His 1980 debut Blizzard of Ozz (featuring the all-time guitar anthem “Crazy Train”) became a hard rock classic. By the 1990s, Ozzy had further cemented his legacy by founding Ozzfest, a traveling festival that showcased dozens of major metal acts and introduced a new generation to heavy music. Over the decades he amassed countless accolades, including multiple Grammy Awards (five in total across his work with Sabbath and solo), and earned induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with both Black Sabbath and as a solo artist.
Beyond the music, Osbourne’s larger-than-life persona and exploits made him a pop culture fixture. He famously shocked the world (and infuriated parents’ groups) by biting the head off a bat on stage in the early ’80s, an incident that would go down in rock lore. Two decades later, he showed a very different side on MTV’s reality show The Osbournes, charming a new generation of fans as a lovably bewildered dad shuffling around his house. From defying death with off-stage antics to winning lifetime achievement honors, Ozzy seemed to live nine lives in one. His nickname “Prince of Darkness” belied a surprisingly warm, humorous character who loved his family, his fans, and a good riff.
In the wake of his passing, fellow musicians and fans worldwide are celebrating Ozzy’s incredible legacy. Rock and metal simply wouldn’t be the same without his voice, charisma, and irreverent spirit. Whether you first heard him on a classic Sabbath riff or an Ozzy solo hit, his influence on guitar culture and heavy music runs deep. As we say goodbye to one of rock’s true legends, we remember Ozzy Osbourne not only for the darkness he embraced on stage, but for the light he brought to the lives of millions of headbangers. Long live the Prince of Darkness.
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