RIP Ozzy

ROCK legend Ozzy Osbourne has tragically died at the age of 76.

It comes just weeks after the Black Sabbath star took to the stage one final time with his band mates at Villa Park in Birmingham.

He died "surrounded by love", a statement from his family said on Tuesday night.

"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," wrote the family.

"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, who became known as the Prince of Darkness thanks to his on-stage antics that attracted a legion of heavy rock fans, played a short five-song set reuniting with his bandmates Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward earlier this month.

The gig was touted as "the greatest heavy metal show ever," with Ozzy grinning to chanting fans and even watching on after as his daughter Kelly was proposed to by her boyfriend Sid Wilson.

The icon vowed, however, that it would be his final performance due to his deteriorating health, having opened up about his battle with Parkinson's in 2020.

The legend cemented his place in rock history early in his career with controversial displays such as biting the head off a bat.

The stunt came in 1982, during a performance in Des Moines, Iowa, when a fan threw the animal on stage.

Ozzy, believing it to be made of rubber, bit into the carcass, and later had to be plied with rabies shots.

He also snorted a line of ants while on tour with the notorious Mötley Crüe band in the '80s.

Off-stage the rocker also hit headlines for eye-brow raising appearances, such as the time he urinated on the Cenotaph at the Alamo while wearing one of Sharon's dresses.

She had reportedly hidden his clothes in an attempt to stop him from venturing out - but he ended up banned from San Antonio for a decade.

Although his wild behaviour would have been enough to see some artists blacklisted, Ozzy became a loveable rogue who captured fans' hearts across the globe.

In 2001, Ozzy appealed to a whole new audience after appearing in reality TV show The Osbournes with his family.

Its first series was the most-watched show ever on MTV and propelled Jack and Kelly into stardom, with the latter enjoying a music career of her own.

More on Ozzy Osbourne...

• ‘If it’s end of the road, I can’t complain’ How hard-living rocker Ozzy Osbourne had no regrets amid health battles
• Ozzy Osbourne joined Black Sabbath on stage for poignant final show weeks before death aged 76
• Emotional moment Ozzy celebrated with daughter Kelly after she got engaged at last concert days before death
• Who is Kelly Osbourne’s fiance and Slipknot member Sid Wilson?
•  Who is Jack Osbourne’s wife Aree Gearhart and do the couple have any children together?

Matriarch Sharon also carved out a successful showbiz career for herself - first as an X Factor judge, then host of her own show in the US.

With the family's success growing, they hosted the 30th Annual American Music Awards and later the BRIT Awards in London.

The hugely popular show ran until 2005 and portrayed heartbreaking moments for the family - including Sharon's battle with cancer and the quad bike accident that nearly killed Ozzy.

The family later starred in the reality series The Osbournes Want to Believe and special The Osbournes: Night of Terror, which both focused on paranormal investigations.

Tributes have already poured in for the legend following his family's announcement this evening. 

Black Sabbath shared a picture of Ozzy on his icon throne, with the simple caption: "Ozzy Forever!"

David Coverdale, founder and lead singer of rock band Whitesnake - and rumoured to once be considered for the role of Black Sabbath frontman - shared a message on X.

"My Sincere Condolences To Sharon, The Family, Friends & Fans," he wrote. 

Actor Jason Momoa also shared a snap taken with Ozzy and Sharon.

"All my aloha @sharonosbourne and ohana. So grateful. RIP," he wrote.

Heartbroken fans have also paid their respects to the icon.

One said on X: "RIP Ozzy Osbourne #Ozzy."

Another added: "Rip Ozzy, condolences to the Osbornes."

"Heavy Metal lost an icon today, just weeks after his final show. RIP Ozzy. Thank you for everything," agreed a third.

Born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham in 1948, the star had a string of jobs including labourer, plumber and abattoir worker after dropping out of school aged 15.

He was raised by his parents Lilian and John, with three older sisters and two younger brothers, in a humble two-bed house.

The youngster struggled in education with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, and dyslexia.

And Ozzy became entangled with petty crime and served two months in prison for burglary.

It was during his stint behind bars he gave himself his first tattoo, his iconic OZZY on the knuckles of his left hand.

The singer then pursued his love of music after hearing The Beatles hit She Loves You in 1963.

After appearing in a handful of school plays, Ozzy joined bassist Geezer Butler in their first group Rare Breed in 1967 at the age of 19.

When that band split, the pair reunited in Polka Tulk Blues alongside Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward.

They renamed the group, originally called Earth, as Black Sabbath.

The band took on satanic and occult themes, which were enough to see them condemned by future pope Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

Some of Black Sabbath's most iconic hits featured on their second album Paranoid.

Fans hailed the heavy metal artists for their classics including Iron Man and War Pigs.

The skyrocketed to international fame with five consecutive platinum selling albums within three years.

But Ozzy himself quit the band in 1978, with a spiral into drug abuse leading to a divorce from first wife Thelma Mayfair, who he had two children with.

However by the 1980s, Black Sabbath signed Don Arden as their manager.

This led Ozzy to meet his future wife Sharon - Arden's daughter.

The pair eventually tied the knot on July 4, 1982 - a date set by Ozzy so he would never forget their anniversary.

Although it wasn't always smooth sailing - Ozzy originally fobbed Sharon off because he believed she would think he was a "lunatic".

But the singer could not be more wrong and the couple went on to have three children together, Aimee, Kelly and Jack.

With Sharon's encouragement and help from her music manager dad Don, he began to carve out a successful solo career.

Ozzy later opened up about his first wife Thelma, to whom he was married for 11 years and welcomed two children with - Jessica and Louis.

The rocker also adopted Thelma's son Elliot.

He admitted the union had failed because of his career and drug use, calling himself "a complete idiot" for being "abusive" to her.

Ozzy's seminal first album Blizzard of Ozz in 1980 became a multi-platinum success thanks to Ozzy's howling vocals and macabre laugh on hit Crazy Train.

Coupled with the Prince of Darkness' insane tour that saw him bite the head off a live bat, a string of successful tracks followed - cementing Ozzy as a rock legend around the world.

In 1992, the singer announced his retirement but four years later created the beloved annual music festival Ozzfest with Sharon, which featured heavy metal acts touring the US and some of Europe.

Ozzy returned to Black Sabbath in 1999, with the band winning a Grammy for best metal performance for the song Iron Man.

They later earned the same award in 2013 after releasing single God Is Dead? from album 13.

In 2006, Ozzy and the rest of Black Sabbath were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

A year later, the star released his first solo studio album in six years, Black Rain followed by Scream in 2010 and Ordinary Man in 2020.

HEALTH BATTLE

Ozzy won another Grammy for Patient Number 9 in 2022 and single Degradation Rules, which featured Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi.

But following a spate of nasty injuries, Ozzy was forced to cancel his upcoming tour after revealing he was "not physically capable" of the travel required.

He was later pictured looking frail as he walked in New York with the aid of a stick.

Ozzy suffered a spinal injury after an accident at his LA home in 2019 that required him to undergo surgery on his neck.

He was sadly diagnosed with Parkinson's the same year and revealed the sad news a year later in an emotional joint interview with Sharon.

The singer told Good Morning America at the time that he couldn't hide his health struggles any longer.

Explaining the condition, Sharon said: "It's Parkin 2 which is a form of Parkinson's. There are so many different types of Parkinson's.

"It's not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination but it does affect the nerves in your body.

"It's like you'll have a good day, then a good day and then a really bad day."

Ozzy added: "A year ago I was in a terrible state. I'm on a host of medication, mainly for the surgery.

"I've got numbness down this arm and my legs are going cold. I don't know if it's the Parkinson's or what. That's the problem."

Parkin 2 cannot be cured, but treatments are available to minimise symptoms — although it is steadily degenerative.

Experts say the variety Ozzy had is one of the slowest developing types — but the long-term prognosis varies significantly between cases.

FINAL GIG

Not content with being laid up in bed, Ozzy wowed fans with a surprise performance of Paranoid in his hometown Birmingham at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

And this year, he took to the stage for Black Sabbath's final-ever concert on July 5.

Ozzy arrived on stage at Villa Park in Birmingham dressed in his trademark black, sitting on a bat throne for the historic gig.

The crowd were delighted to see the iconic rocker back on stage, and kept chanting his name.

Ozzy was equally thrilled to be performing, and repeatedly broke out into a massive grin.

It was the first time in 20 years that the original Black Sabbath line-up have performed together.

The Sun was there to witness the final show-stopping spectacular.

Meanwhile his daughter Kelly revealed that she is engaged to her boyfriend Sid Wilson.

She shared a video of the moment Sid popped the question backstage at her father's final ever Black Sabbath gig.

It came after Ozzy told how much he misses being on tour and insisted he has not given up yet.

Reflecting on how supportive his fans have been since the announcement, he said in February: "My fans. That's the thing that I really miss about not doing gigs.

"I'm a hands-on guy. I like talking to my fans. I miss them terribly. My goal is to get back on stage as soon as possible."