British rocker Ozzy Osbourne, lead singer of Black Sabbath, died on July 22 after a long battle with illness.
The family shared the sad news on Tuesday evening: "It is with deep sadness that we cannot express in words that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne passed away this morning. He passed away surrounded by his family and love."
Before his death, Ozzy Osbourne performed his last performance with Black Sabbath in Birmingham on July 5. He had been battling Parkinson's disease and other illnesses for many years. Despite his health challenges, he held a farewell charity concert in his hometown earlier this month.
In February, his wife, reality TV star Sharon Osbourne, said the rocker was excited and emotional to be back on stage. Although Parkinson's disease affects his ability to walk, his singing voice is still very good. Osbourne has injured his neck in the past in a fall and had surgery in 2022 to remove two metal plates in his spine. He returned to the stage at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August 2022 and continues to want to perform live despite his health problems.
Born in Birmingham, England, on December 3, 1948, Ozzy Osbourne is best known as the lead singer of Black Sabbath - a heavy metal band formed in 1968 with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. Many of their songs, including Paranoid, Iron Man and War Pigs, have become classics in the genre. During that time, Ozzy adopted the nickname Prince of Darkness.
However, in 1979, Ozzy was fired from the band due to his drug addiction. The rocker fell into crisis, but with the help of his then-wife, music manager Sharon Osbourne, he recovered and started a solo career. Ozzy released 13 studio albums of his own and achieved great success. He created hits such as Crazy Train and No More Tears.
In 2019, the rocker received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Ozzy received a total of 12 Grammy nominations and won 5 awards. He was honored twice in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - as a member of Black Sabbath and as a solo artist.
In addition to his music career, Ozzy also became famous for participating in the reality TV show The Osbournes with his wife and children on MTV from 2002 to 2005. The show gave the audience a humorous and touching look at their family life.
The artist married Sharon in 1982 and has three children: Aimee Osbourne, 42, currently a singer; Kelly Osbourne, 41, is a singer, presenter, and fashion icon; Jack Osbourne, 40, is a television producer. He also has three children from his previous marriage to Thelma Riley.
Ozzy's marriage to Sharon has been through many ups and downs, and at one point it ended because the rocker suffered from a sex addiction. After Ozzy went to rehab, the couple reconciled in 2017. In a 2021 biopic about their love story, Sharon shared: "Our relationship was often wild, crazy and dangerous at times, but it was our undying love that kept us together."