Biography
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (3 December 1948 – 22 July 2025) was an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adopted the nickname "Prince of Darkness".
Osbourne became a founding member of Black Sabbath in 1968, providing lead vocals from their eponymous debut studio album in 1970 to Never Say Die! in 1978. The band was highly influential in the development of heavy metal music, in particular their critically acclaimed releases Paranoid (1970), Master of Reality (1971), and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973). Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 due to problems with alcohol and other drugs. He then began a successful solo career with Blizzard of Ozz in 1980 and released 13 studio albums, the first seven of which received multi-platinum certifications in the US. He reunited with Black Sabbath on several occasions. He rejoined in 1997 and helped record the group's final studio album, 13 (2013), before they embarked on a farewell tour that ended with a 2017 performance in their native Birmingham.
Osbourne sold over 100 million albums, including his solo work and Black Sabbath releases. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006 and as a solo artist in 2024. He was also inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame both solo and with Black Sabbath in 2005. He was honoured with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Birmingham Walk of Stars. At the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards, he received the Global Icon Award. In 2015, he received the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.
In the early 2000s, Osbourne's career expanded to a new medium when he became a star in his own reality show, The Osbournes, alongside wife/manager Sharon and two of their three children, Kelly and Jack. He co-starred with Jack and Kelly in the television series Ozzy & Jack's World Detour. On 5 July 2025, Osbourne performed his final show at the Back to the Beginning concert event amid ongoing health battles, having announced earlier in the year that this would be his last live performance, though he intended to continue recording music. He died later that month on 22 July 2025.
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