Ozzy Osbourne, the prince of darkness, has died
The world of heavy metal is in mourning. Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary “Prince of Darkness” and one of the most iconic voices in the history of rock and metal, has passed away. He was 76 years old.
Born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham, England, Ozzy rose from working-class obscurity to global fame as the frontman of Black Sabbath, a band that laid the very foundations of heavy metal in the early 1970s. With his haunting voice, rebellious charisma, and a raw intensity that no one could replicate, Ozzy helped shape a genre that would echo across generations.
After parting ways with Black Sabbath in 1979, he launched a groundbreaking solo career, delivering timeless albums like Blizzard of Ozz, Diary of a Madman, and No More Tears. He introduced the world to guitarist Randy Rhoads and gifted us unforgettable anthems such as “Crazy Train”, “Mr. Crowley”, and “Bark at the Moon”. His music became the soundtrack of rebellion, anguish, and power.
Ozzy's career was marked not only by his music, but by his resilience. He faced addiction, health struggles, controversies, and the ever-changing landscape of the industry with brutal honesty and unwavering spirit. His voice was more than just sound, it was a force, a call, a scream from the underworld that resonated in the hearts of millions.
In recent years, Ozzy had been battling a series of serious health issues, including Parkinson’s disease and spinal injuries that forced him to step away from touring. Yet even in decline, he remained defiant, releasing new music, collaborating with artists across generations, and keeping the black flame of metal alive.
The news of his passing leaves a colossal void. Few artists have influenced so many subgenres, inspired so many musicians, or forged such a profound cultural legacy. Ozzy was more than a performer, he was a myth made flesh.
He is survived by his wife Sharon, his children, and legions of fans around the world who will never forget the voice that summoned darkness with grace, madness with melody, and chaos with soul.
Here’s some curiosities about his life:
Ozzy wasn’t just a rockstar. He was a scientific enigma.
In 2010, geneticists at Knome Inc. sequenced his DNA to try to understand how he survived decades of alcohol, drugs, and chaos. What they found were unique mutations that affected how his body processed substances. Literally, his biology was different. He was born to handle more than most humans ever could.
“I was curious - what the hell is going on with me?” Ozzy told The Sunday Times about his decision to give his DNA to science.
He laughed about it. But scientists didn’t.
The infamous bat incident in Des Moines, Iowa, 1982 is legend. Ozzy bit the head off what he thought was a rubber toy, but it was real. Fans know that part. What they don’t know is that he was rushed to the hospital for rabies treatment between songs and came back to finish the show.
He bit darkness, got vaccinated, and kept playing. That was Ozzy Osbourne.
In 2020, Ozzy released Ordinary Man, a hauntingly self-aware ballad featuring Elton John. At the time, many brushed it off as nostalgia. Today, it feels like prophecy.
“I was unprepared for fame. Then everybody knew my name. No more tears, I'm all dried up.”
In that line, you hear a man who has given everything. The scream. The sadness. The madness. All of it. Poured out and gone. Maybe this was Ozzy’s farewell, hidden in plain sight.
Ozzy often spoke of his bond with Lemmy Kilmister, his brother in chaos and creation. Before Lemmy died, he helped Ozzy write the lyrics for “Hellraiser”. Ozzy once joked that Lemmy had promised to “save him a seat at the bar in hell”.
Maybe now, in some smoke-filled underworld dive, Lemmy’s pouring the Jack and saying, “Took you long enough, mate.”
What few people know is that Ozzy had a deep love for horror films. His favorite? The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He once said that if he hadn’t been a musician, he would have become a horror director. That dream never happened. But his music became cinema for the soul-dark, visceral, and unforgettable.
“If I wasn’t making music, I’d be making nightmares,” Ozzy once said.
Despite being idolized for generations, Ozzy always spoke of himself as someone who “got away with it.”
He signed every last shirt. He stayed until the final fan. He didn’t act like a god, even when the world treated him like one.
“I’m just a lucky bastard,” he used to say. But we knew better. He was the heartbeat of heavy metal.
In a 2018 episode of The Talk, Sharon Osbourne was asked what she would want Ozzy’s tombstone to say. Her answer, meant as a joke, now reads like the perfect final word:
“He was loud. But he was ours.”
And that’s what he was.. Louder than life. And ours. Today, the bells toll for metal’s true godfather.
Rest in power, Ozzy.
