Rest in peace to an absolute legend, the late, great Ozzy Osbourne.
The rock icon and heavy metal pioneer passed away today, and in a statement shared via The Sun, it is reported that he went “surrounded by love”:
“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. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.”
Ozzy Osbourne has passed away at age 76. 🕊️🖤 pic.twitter.com/mqA31Wb74I
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) July 22, 2025
Osbourne, also known as the Prince of Darkness, reunited with the original members of Black Sabbath just two weeks ago for the first time in two decades for his final show in Birmingham, England. He had tons of special guests from the rock world also perform, and of course he came out in a bat chair… but the iconic rocker was seated throughout the show, as he revealed back in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
He told fans before playing their final song that their support has meant the world to him, and he thanked them from the bottom of his heart for everything, and he was joined onstage alongside original Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and guitarist Tony Iommi:
“Your support over the years has made it all possible for us to live the lifestyle we live. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you. We love you.”
It was a very different side of the man who has been known more as a larger-than-life, rock and roll icon. No doubt about it, he worked hard and played harder, fully embodying that cliche “sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll” lifestyle. But possibly the most emotional moment was when he delivered an extremely emotional rendition of “Mama I’m Coming Home,” which was inspired by his longtime wife, Sharon.
The footage might even bring a tear to your eye, especially knowing now that he was just weeks away from death, and the top comment on the viral video of it sums it up best:
“They should release this version, this is how it was meant to be heard, with the weight of a life lived full behind it.”
He has built quite a legacy for himself, but it’s really neat to see the very human side of someone who was rarely seen that way in the public eye:
@matheusmelosil #ozzyosbourne #backtothebeginning #blacksabbath #rocknroll #fyp #fyppp #foryoupage #villapark #lasttime ♬ som original – Good Vibe Rock | Matheus Melo
While the news of his death is obviously very sad, as Osbourne is a music icon who left a mark on generations of fans all over the world, his music will certainly live on and his life story itself is inspiring considering what he came from to becoming one of the most famous musicians of all-time. Osbourne was born in Birmingham, England, to a factory worker mother and toolmaker father. He in and his five siblings in a two-bedroom house in Aston, and Osbourne has spoken before about the intense bullying, and worse, he endured in school.
He left school at 15, working in a car factory and slaughterhouse before ultimately forming Rare Breed in late 1967 with Geezer Butler. Not long after in 1968, they, along with Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, officially started Black Sabbath. The rest, as they say, is history, but it’s not just music that people think of when they hear his name.
From the infamous bat story, to the many stories about things he’s done to his longtime wife Sharon Osbourne, the lore about him is beyond belief, and as pretty much everyone knows, he had a very bad drug problem for most of his life. I’ll be honest, the first real memories of him I have were watching the reality show The Osbournes, which aired on MTV from 2002 to 2005. Obviously, he was a dad to teenagers at this time and not quite the young rock and roller he once was, and I found him so incredibly funny and endearing.
When I got into his music later I realized he wasn’t exactly innocent, and while his checkered past is well-documented, as a kid I had no idea. Much like Carrie Underwood, I’m a fan, and I identify with a lot of his music (just not the evil/prince of darkness stuff… to be very clear).
But it might surprise you to know that he was good friends with country music’s own icon, Johnny Cash. They two met in rehab, go figure, in the ’80s. Johnny had checked himself into the Betty Ford Clinic in 1986, and the two musicians became friends while there, undergoing treatment for their respective drug problems.
Osbourne has been quoted as saying he found Cash “humble, kind, and deeply inspiring,” and he was able to related to him in many ways, and find hope in his journey, because Cash had been through similar struggles, knew exactly what it was like to be as famous as they both were, and still managed to come out on the other side and conquer his demons, so to speak.
Ozzy reportedly once said in an interview:
“I met Johnny Cash in rehab, and he was just so cool. I mean, here’s this guy who’s done everything I’ve done—drugs, booze—but he still had this aura about him. He gave me hope.”
It makes sense in many ways how and why they connected, even though clearly, their musical styles were very different. They both had similar struggles, and a passion for music, which transcends anything and everything I’ve found. At the end of the day, they were just two boys who grew up with nothing and surpassed what I imagine was anything beyond their wildest dreams to earn a spot as two of music’s most beloved and revered icons, truly.
They’re in rare company in terms of their legacy and enduring timelessness, and I can only imagine what they talked about in rehab… to have been a fly (or bat… SORRY, I had to) on the wall. One could only dream.
Rest in Peace, Ozzy.
There will never be another… turn it up:
“Crazy Train”
