Heavy metal lost one of its brightest stars as legendary rockstar and Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne breathed his last on Tuesday. The ‘Prince of Darkness’ passed away at age 76 after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s, leaving behind a rich legacy of the fabled 1970s.
"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," his family said, asking for their privacy to be respected.
The ‘Godfather of Heavy Metal’ became a familiar name in pop culture, thanks to a career spanning over five decades with a blend of wild misadventures, musical innovation and cultural transformation. One of his most infamous moments was biting the head off a bat on stage during a show in 1982, albeit unknowingly.
He always insisted he thought it was a toy until he bit into it, realised his mistake and rushed to hospital for a rabies shot. He later sold branded bat soft toys with a removable head.
Besides winning Grammy awards multiple times and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, both with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist, Ozzy Osbourne was famous for his drug-fuelled lifestyle before reinventing himself as a loveable if often foul-mouthed reality TV star.
John Michael Osbourne was the fourth of six children. Growing up in Birmingham in central England, he struggled with dyslexia, left school at age 15, did a series of menial jobs, and at one point served a brief prison sentence for burglary. Then came Black Sabbath.
"When I was growing up, if you'd have put me up against a wall with the other kids from my street and asked me which one of us was gonna make it to the age of 60, with five kids and four grandkids and houses in Buckinghamshire and California, I wouldn't have put money on me, no fucking way," he once said.
Tributes pour in
Musicians across the globe extended condolences over the rockstar’s death. Led Zeppelin frontman and vocalist Robert Plant said: “Farewell Ozzy … what a journey … sail on up there .. finally at peace .. you truly changed the planet of rock!”
Expressing grief over the loss of the musical icon, Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood said: “I am so very sad to hear of the death of Ozzy Osbourne. What a lovely goodbye concert he had at Back To The Beginning in Birmingham.”
From the US, metal stalwarts Metallica released a statement acknowledging Ozzy’s immense contribution in paving the way forward for newer talent in the scene like themselves.