Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness Gone at 76

Anyone who has listened to metal or who appreciates heavy rock music in will have a gargantuan lump in their throat today as Ozzy Osbourne has passed. The Prince of Darkness, metal icon, and yes, even a fatherly figure to numerous musicians, died at the age of 76. He last performed at his farewell show in Birmingham, England was on Saturday, July 5th, just a little over two weeks ago.

Ozzy Osbourne’s Early Life

Born John Michael Osbourne, he was given the name “Ozzy” in grade school. He admitted he did not have the easiest childhood as he was bullied and had some issues with depression. He also spent a bit of time in prison for stealing from a clothing shop.

When Ozzy was still a teenager, he and best friend Geezer Butler started a band called Rare Breed with Ozzy at the mic. In 1967 Ozzy was a founding member of the legendary metal band Black Sabbath. Often because of the musical chord progression in Black Sabbath, (plus their down tuning of instruments), they were said to be satanic. Ozzy soon became known as the “Prince of Darkness.”

Post Black Sabbath

Sharon Arden, daughter of Black Sabbath’s manager Don Arden, became Ozzy’s manager when he went solo. He made a dozen albums with huge hits like ‘Crazy Train’ and ‘Shot in the Dark.’ Ozzy also had amazing musicians perform with him – such as guitar icon Randy Rhoads and the super talented Zakk Wylde.

Ozzfest, which went from 1996 until 2010, then had different iterations afterward, was a huge annual festival for hard rock and heavy metal bands in which to partake. Sharon organized these and they were held annually until 2008. The last Ozzfest took place in December 2018 with performers like Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, and Jonathan Davis of Korn.

Ozzy Osbourne’s Later Years

It’s no secret that Ozzy struggled with drugs and alcohol for much of his life. He became sober for quite a while, but had a slight relapse in 2013. Then in 2021 he announced he had been sober for seven years. He had several reunions with Black Sabbath over the years as well.

Also noteworthy is  the reality TV show The Osbournes, which was on for three years. The TV show, occasionally done tongue-in-cheek, followed around a multimillionaire middle-aged metal star with his teenaged kids. Sharon portrayed a shopaholic wife.

Several years ago, Ozzy Osbourne revealed he had Parkinson’s. Although it was difficult for him to perform, he still tried to join musicians on stage, as evidenced by his 2023 reunion with Black Sabbath – and the most recent show. In 2019 he had to postpone shows, stating:

…after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy, and most recently, groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) Treatment, my body is still physically weak.

Ozzy truly had amazing loyalty to his fans.

Remembering the Prince of Darkness

Ozzy Osbourne is survived by wife, Sharon and children Aimee, Kelly, and Jack, as well as children Louis and Jessica from his first wife. He is additionally survived by 10 grandchildren.

The great Ozzy Osbourne will be missed by many. His signature on-stage antics, and his bold off-stage life is a testament to anyone who has ever listened to metal, hard rock, or pretty much any type of powerful music. Horns up to – yes, heaven.