John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne, the trailblazing frontman of Black Sabbath, solo artist, reality star and “Prince of Darkness,” shockingly passed away on July 22, 2025, at the age of 76.
“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,” his family shared on social media. It was later revealed that his passing was caused by cardiac arrest caused by a heart attack. Coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s disease were listed as contributing factors.
Just 17 days earlier, on July 5, 2025, Ozzy performed his final concert in his hometown of Birmingham, at Villa Park, as part of the farewell reunion event “Back to the Beginning”, alongside original Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. From a bat-shaped throne, Ozzy belted out the anthems that defined a generation, including a highly emotional performance of “Mama I’m Coming Home”, a song Osbourne wrote for his wife, Sharon. After the show, he expressed disbelief at the love he received. Sharon later shared: “He turned around and said to me that night, ‘I had no idea that so many people liked me’.”
On July 30, thousands of fans lined the streets for a public funeral procession. The cortege traveled past landmarks of his life—Black Sabbath Bridge, his childhood home, and a mural on Navigation Street. A private service followed at his Buckinghamshire estate, attended by close friends, family and musical peers, including Black Sabbath bandmates, James Hetfield, Elton John, Marilyn Manson, and Rob Zombie, Corey Taylor and his guitarist Zakk Wyld.
Born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham in 1948, he rose to fame in the early 1970s with Black Sabbath, pioneering a heavier, darker sound that helped define heavy metal. His piercing vocals and theatrical stage presence made him a rock legend, while his unpredictable behavior and onstage antics earned him the moniker “Prince of Darkness.”
His career was not without turbulence, marked by substance abuse, public controversy, and health struggles, but his resilience and ability to reinvent himself, both as a solo artist and as a reality TV star on “The Osbournes”, cemented his place in pop culture.
Several musicians have paid tribute to Ozzy. Many have dedicated songs to him on stage. Yungblud has to play Black Sabbath’s “Changes” at every live show for the rest of his career.
In February 2025, Osbourne released what would be his last studio recording—”Gods of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” an orchestral collaboration with Billy Morrison—offering one more piece of his artistry to fans before his passing.
Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy is carved into the heart of rock history: a career spanning five decades, over 100 million albums sold and a cultural impact that will outlive the man himself.
The “Prince of Darkness” has taken his final bow, but his voice, his chaos, and his music will echo forever.
