This goes WAY harder than it probably should.
Yesterday, it was announced that rock legend and heavy metal pioneer Ozzy Osbourne sadly passed away at 76-years old. 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.”
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 Osbourne’s, 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.
He was far from perfect, but beloved by so many music lovers around the world, and even when he went solo, he continued to build his legacy as one of the absolute greatest to ever do it. But he never thought about branching outside of his genre, and he certainly never thought about “going country” like so many others, particularly in rock, have done.
While Ozzy never had country ambitions, nor did he ever dabble in the genre in any way, he was friends with Johnny Cash, and at the aforementioned, recent farewell show, the queen herself Mrs. Dolly Parton left him a special message, saying:
“Well Ozzy Osbourne, it’s Dolly Parton here. Now I know you are at home, and what a wonderful place to be, right? Now, are we supposed to be saying farewell to you? Well, I don’t think that’s gonna happen!
How about we just say good luck, God bless you, and we will see you somewhere down the road. I love you, always have, and we’re gonna miss you up on stage. But you know what? I wouldn’t be surprised if you show up somewhere else, and I’ll be there.”
I don’t know if they ever met in person or not, but clearly, they’re two of the world’s most enduring, recognizable, and beloved musicians, and if they ever would’ve gotten the chance to work together, especially in their prime, I think it would’ve been incredible… sadly, Ozzy wasn’t featured on Dolly’s 2023 rock album, Rockstar.
But if there’s any consolation, it could be this reworked cover of Dolly’s 1973 hit “Jolene,” which we all know as one of her first big hit singles, and served as the title track for her 13th studio album. She famously wrote it on the same day in 1972 that she wrote her other massive hit, “I Will Always Love You.”
Last year, a YouTuber, producer and musician from Finland named Otu reimagined “Jolene” as if Black Sabbath recorded it and it’s beyond good. I never could’ve imagined this or even thought I wanted it, but the top comment sums it up best:
“Dolly Parton done like Sabbath is the crossover I have been waiting for this whole time, yet didn’t know it until now.”
Check it out… you won’t regret it:
