John Michael "Ozzy"Osbourne (3 December 1948 – 22 July 2025), also known as the "Prince of Darkness",[1][2] was an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He co-founded the pioneeringheavy metal bandBlack Sabbath in 1968, and rose to prominence in the 1970s as their lead vocalist. He performed on the band'sfirst eight studio albums, includingBlack Sabbath,Paranoid (both 1970) andMaster of Reality (1971), before he was fired in 1979 due to his problems with drugs and alcohol.
Osbourne began a solo career in the 1980s and formed his band withRandy Rhoads andBob Daisley, with whom he recorded the albumsBlizzard of Ozz (1980) andDiary of a Madman (1981). Throughout the decade, he drew controversy for his antics both onstage and offstage, and was accused of promotingSatanism by theChristian right. Overall, Osbourne releasedthirteen solo studio albums, the first seven of which were certifiedmulti-platinum in the United States. He reunited with Black Sabbath on several occasions. He rejoined from 1997 to 2005, and again in 2012; during this second reunion, he sang on the band's last studio album,13 (2013), before they embarked ona farewell tour that ended in 2017. On 5 July 2025, Osbourne performed his final show at theBack to the Beginning concert inBirmingham, having announced that it would be his last due to health issues. Although he intended to continue recording music as a solo artist, he died 17 days later.
Osbourne's wife and managerSharon founded the heavy metal touring festivalOzzfest, which was held yearly from 1996 to 2010. In the early 2000s, he became a reality television star when he appeared in theMTV reality showThe Osbournes (2002–2005) alongside Sharon and two of their children,Kelly andJack. He co-starred with some of his family in the television seriesOzzy & Jack's World Detour (2016–2018) as well asThe Osbournes Want to Believe (2020–2021).
Early life
John Michael Osbourne was born at the maternity hospital inMarston Green (then inWarwickshire) on 3 December 1948,[8] and grew up in theAston area ofBirmingham (also then in Warwickshire).[9][10] His mother, Lilian (née Unitt; 1916–2001), was anon-observant Catholic who worked at aLucas factory.[11][12][13] His father, John Thomas "Jack" Osbourne (1915–1977), worked night shifts as atoolmaker at theGeneral Electric Company.[14][15] Osbourne had three older sisters named Jean, Iris and Gillian, and two younger brothers named Paul and Tony.[16] The family lived in a small two-bedroom home at 14 Lodge Road in Aston. Osbourne gained the nickname "Ozzy" as a child.[17] He dealt withdyslexia at school.[18] His accent was described as "hesitantBrummie".[19]
At the age of 11, Osbourne suffered sexual abuse from school bullies.[20] He said he attempted suicide multiple times as a teenager.[21][22] He participated in school plays, includingGilbert and Sullivan'sThe Mikado andH.M.S. Pinafore.[23] Upon hearing the first hit single ofthe Beatles at age 14, he became a fan of the band and credited their 1963 song "She Loves You" with inspiring him to become a musician.[15][24] In the 2011 documentaryGod Bless Ozzy Osbourne, Osbourne said that the Beatles made him realize that "[he] was going to be a rock star the rest of [his] life".[25]
Osbourne left school at the age of 15 and was employed as a construction site laborer, trainee plumber, apprentice toolmaker, car factory horn-tuner andslaughterhouse worker.[26] At the age of 17, he was convicted of robbing a clothes shop, but was unable to pay the fine; his father also refused to pay it to teach him a lesson, resulting in Osbourne spending six weeks inWinson Green Prison.[14][26]
In late 1967,Geezer Butler formed his first band, Rare Breed, and recruited Osbourne to be the singer.[17] The band played two shows and broke up.[27] Osbourne and Butler reunited in another band, Polka Tulk Blues, which included guitaristTony Iommi and drummerBill Ward, whose bandMythology had recently broken up.[28] They renamed the band Earth, but after being accidentally booked for a show instead of a different band with the same name, they decided to change the band's name again, settling on the nameBlack Sabbath in August 1969.[29] The band's name was inspired bythe film of the same title.[29] Black Sabbath noticed how people enjoyed being frightened during their appearances, which inspired their decision to play a heavyblues style of music laced with gloomy sounds and lyrics.[9] While recording their first album, Butler read anoccult book and woke up seeing a dark figure at the end of his bed.[30][31] Butler told Osbourne about it, and together they wrote the lyrics to "Black Sabbath", their first song in a darker vein.[30][31]
The band's US record label,Warner Bros. Records, invested only modestly in it, but Black Sabbath achieved swift and enduring success. Built around Tony Iommi's guitar riffs, Geezer Butler's lyrics, Bill Ward's dark tempo drumbeats, and topped by Osbourne's eerie vocals, theirdebut album,Black Sabbath, and second,Paranoid, were commercially successful and also gained considerable radio airplay. Osbourne recalled, however, that, "in those days, the band wasn't very popular with the women".[17] At about this time, Osbourne first met his future wife,Sharon Arden.[17] After the unexpected success of their first album, Black Sabbath were considering her father,Don Arden, as their new manager, and Sharon was at that time working as Don's receptionist.[17] Osbourne admitted he was attracted to her immediately but assumed that "she probably thought I was a lunatic".[17] Osbourne later recalled that the best thing about eventually choosing Don Arden as manager was that he got to see Sharon regularly, though their relationship was strictly professional at that point.[17]
Five months after the release ofParanoid, the band releasedMaster of Reality. The album reached the top ten in both the United States and UK, and was certified gold in less than two months.[32] In the 1980s, it received platinum certification[32] and went Double Platinum in the early 21st century.[32] Reviews of the album were unfavourable.Lester Bangs ofRolling Stone famously dismissedMaster of Reality as "naïve, simplistic, repetitive, absolutedoggerel", although the very same magazine would later place the album at number 298 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, compiled in 2003.[33]
In September 1972, Black Sabbath releasedBlack Sabbath Vol. 4. Critics were dismissive of the album; however, it reached gold status in less than a month and was the band's fourth consecutive album to sell more than one million copies in the United States.[31][34][35] In November 1973, Black Sabbath released the critically acclaimedSabbath Bloody Sabbath. For the first time, the band received favourable reviews in the mainstream press. Gordon Fletcher ofRolling Stone called the album "an extraordinarily gripping affair" and "nothing less than a complete success".[36] Decades later,AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia called the album a "masterpiece, essential to any heavy metal collection", while also claiming the band displayed "a newfound sense of finesse and maturity".[37] The album marked the band's fifth consecutive platinum selling album in the United States.[38]Sabotage was released in July 1975. Again, there were favourable reviews.Rolling Stone stated, "Sabotage is not only Black Sabbath's best record sinceParanoid, it might be their best ever."[39] In a retrospective review, AllMusic was less favourable, noting that "the magical chemistry that made such albums asParanoid andVolume 4 so special was beginning to disintegrate".[40]Technical Ecstasy, released on 25 September 1976, was also met with mixed reviews. AllMusic gives the album two stars, and notes that the band was "unravelling at an alarming rate".[41]
Between late 1977 and early 1978,[42] Osbourne left the band for three months to pursue a solo project calledBlizzard of Ozz,[43] a title which had been suggested by his father.[44] Three members of the bandNecromandus, who had supported Sabbath in Birmingham when they were calledEarth, backed Osbourne in the studio and briefly became the first incarnation of his solo band.[45]
At the request of the other band members, Osbourne rejoined Sabbath.[46] The band spent five months at Sounds Interchange Studios inToronto, where they wrote and recorded their next album,Never Say Die! "It took quite a long time", Iommi said ofNever Say Die! "We were getting really drugged out, doing a lot of dope. We'd go down to the sessions, and have to pack up because we were too stoned; we'd have to stop. Nobody could get anything right; we were all over the place, and everybody was playing a different thing. We'd go back and sleep it off, and try again the next day."[47]
In May 1978, Black Sabbath began theNever Say Die! Tour withVan Halen as an opening act.[48] Reviewers called Sabbath's performance "tired and uninspired" in stark contrast to the "youthful" performance of Van Halen, who were touring the world for the first time.[49] The band recorded their concert atHammersmith Odeon in June 1978, which was released on video asNever Say Die. The final show of the tour and Osbourne's last appearance with Black Sabbath for another seven years, until 1985, was inAlbuquerque, New Mexico on 11 December.[50]
In 1979, Black Sabbath returned to the studio, but tension and conflict arose between band members. Osbourne recalled being asked to record his vocals over and over, and tracks were manipulated endlessly by Iommi.[51] The relationship between Osbourne and Iommi became contentious. On 27 April 1979, at Iommi's insistence but with the support of Butler and Ward, Osbourne was ejected from Black Sabbath.[17] The reasons provided to him were that he was unreliable and had excessivesubstance abuse issues compared to the other members. Osbourne maintained that his use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs at that time was similar to that of the other members.[52]
The band replaced Osbourne with formerRainbow singerRonnie James Dio.[31] In a 21 August 1987 interview withTommy Vance onBBC Radio 1'sFriday Rock Show, Dio said, "I was not, and never will be, Ozzy Osbourne. He was the vocalist and songwriter in that era who helped create that band and make it what it was, and what it is in its classic form."[53]
The conflict between Iommi and Osbourne commenced almost immediately in their working collaboration. Responding to a flyer that read, "Ozzy Zig Needs Gig- has own PA",[54] which was posted by Osbourne in a record store, Iommi and Ward arrived at the listed address to speak with Ozzy Zig, as he then called himself.[17] When Iommi saw Osbourne emerge from another room of the house, he recalled that he knew him as a "pest" from their school days.[17] Iommi recalls one incident in the early 1970s in which Osbourne and Butler were fighting in a hotel room. Iommi pulled Osbourne off Butler in an attempt to break up the drunken fight, and the vocalist proceeded to turn around and take a wild swing at him. Iommi responded by knocking Osbourne unconscious with one punch to the jaw.[55]
After leavingBlack Sabbath, Osbourne recalled, "I'd got £96,000 for my share of the name, so I'd just locked myself away and spent three months doingcoke and booze. My thinking was, 'This is my last party, because after this I'm going back toBirmingham andthe dole."[56] However,Don Arden signed him toJet Records with the aim of recording new material.[57] Arden dispatched his daughter Sharon to Los Angeles to "look after Ozzy's needs, whatever they were", to protect his investment.[57] Arden initially hoped Osbourne would return to Sabbath, who he was personallymanaging at that time, and later attempted to convince the singer to name his new band "Son of Sabbath", which Osbourne hated.[17] Sharon attempted to convince Osbourne to form asupergroup with guitaristGary Moore.[17] "When I lived in Los Angeles", Moore recalled, "[Moore's band]G-Force helped him to audition musicians. If drummers were trying out, I played guitar, and if a bassist came along,my drummer would help out. We felt sorry for him, basically. He was always hovering around trying to get me to join, and I wasn't having any of it."[58]
Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
In late 1979, under the management of the Ardens, Osbourne formed the Blizzard of Ozz,[59] featuring bassist-lyricistBob Daisley (ofRainbow and, later, Uriah Heep), guitaristRandy Rhoads (ofQuiet Riot), drummerLee Kerslake (ofUriah Heep), and keyboardistDon Airey (of Rainbow and, later,Deep Purple) as a session musician. The record company eventually titled the group's debut albumBlizzard of Ozz, credited simply to Osbourne, thus commencing his solo career. Co-written with Daisley and Rhoads, it brought Osbourne considerable success on his first solo effort. Though it is generally accepted that Osbourne and Rhoads started the band, Daisley later claimed that he and Osbourne formed the band in England before Rhoads officially joined.[60]
Blizzard of Ozz is one of the few albums among the 100 best-sellers of the 1980s to have achieved multi-platinum status without the benefit of a top-40 single. As of August 1997, it had achieved quadruple platinum status, according toRIAA.[61] "I envied Ozzy's career..." remarked former Sabbath drummerBill Ward. "He seemed to be coming around from whatever it was that he'd gone through, and he seemed to be on his way again; making records and stuff... I envied it because Iwanted that... I was bitter. And I had a thoroughly miserable time."[62]
Diary of a Madman (1981) andSpeak of the Devil (1982)
Osbourne performing in 1982
Osbourne's second album,Diary of a Madman, featured more songs co-written with Lee Kerslake. For his work on this album andBlizzard of Ozz, Rhoads[29] was ranked the 85th-greatest guitarist of all time byRolling Stone magazine in 2003.[63] This album is known for the singles "Over the Mountain" and "Flying High Again" and, as Osbourne explained in his autobiography, was his personal favourite.[17]Tommy Aldridge andRudy Sarzo soon replaced Kerslake and Daisley. Aldridge had been Osbourne's original choice for drummer, but a commitment toGary Moore had made him unavailable.[57]
On 19 March 1982, the band was inFlorida for itsDiary of a Madman tour, a week away from playingMadison Square Garden in New York City. A light aircraft piloted by Andrew Aycock, the band's tour bus driver, carrying Rhoads and Rachel Youngblood, the band's costume and make-up designer, crashed while performing low passes over the band's tour bus. The left wing of the aircraft clipped the bus, causing the plane to graze a tree and crash into the garage of a nearby mansion, killing Rhoads, Aycock, and Youngblood. The crash was ruled the result of "poor judgement by the pilot in buzzing the bus and misjudging clearance of obstacles".[64] Experiencing first-hand the horrific death of his close friend and bandmate, Osbourne fell into a deep depression. The tour was cancelled for two weeks while Osbourne, Sharon, and Aldridge returned to Los Angeles to take stock while Sarzo remained in Florida with family.[65]
Gary Moore was the first to be approached to replace Rhoads, but refused.[65] With a two-week deadline to find a new guitarist and resume the tour,Robert Sarzo, brother of the band's bassist Rudy Sarzo, was chosen to replace Rhoads. FormerGillan guitaristBernie Tormé, however, flew to California from England with the promise from Jet Records that he had the job. Once Sharon realised that Jet Records had already paid Tormé an advance, he was reluctantly hired instead of Sarzo. The tour resumed on 1 April 1982, but Tormé's blues-based style was unpopular with fans. After a handful of shows he informed Sharon that he would be returning to England to continue work on a solo album he had begun before coming to the United States.[66]
At an audition in a hotel room, Osbourne selectedNight Ranger'sBrad Gillis to finish the tour. The tour culminated in the release of the 1982 live albumSpeak of the Devil, recorded atThe Ritz in New York City.[67][68] Alive tribute album for Rhoads was also later released. Despite the difficulties, Osbourne moved on after Rhoads's death.Speak of the Devil, known in the United Kingdom asTalk of the Devil, was originally planned to consist of live recordings from 1981, primarily from Osbourne's solo work. Under contract to produce a live album, it ended up consisting entirely of Sabbath covers recorded with Gillis, Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge.[69] In 1982, Osbourne appeared as lead vocalist on theWas (Not Was) pop dance track "Shake Your Head (Let's Go to Bed)". Remixed and rereleased in the early 1990s for a Was (Not Was) hits album in Europe, it reached number four on theUK Singles Chart.[70]
Bark at the Moon (1983) andThe Ultimate Sin (1986)
In 1983,Jake E. Lee, formerly ofRatt andRough Cutt, joined Osbourne to recordBark at the Moon. The album, cowritten with Daisley, featured Aldridge and formerRainbow keyboard player Don Airey. The album'stitle track, whose video was partially filmed at Holloway Sanitorium outside London, became a fan favourite. Within weeks the album became certified gold. It has sold three million copies in the United States.[71] 1986'sThe Ultimate Sin followed (with bassistPhil Soussan[72] and drummerRandy Castillo), and touring behind both albums with former Uriah Heep keyboardist John Sinclair joining prior to the Ultimate Sin tour. At the time of its release,The Ultimate Sin was Osbourne's highest-charting studio album. TheRIAA awarded the album Platinum status on 14 May 1986, soon after its release; it was awarded Double Platinum status on 26 October 1994.[73]
Jake E. Lee and Osbourne parted ways in 1987. Osbourne continued to struggle with chemical dependency. That year, he commemorated the fifth anniversary of Rhoads's death withTribute, a collection of live recordings from 1981.
No Rest For the Wicked (1988),No More Tears (1991) and No More Tours Tour
Osbourne's commercial success of the 1980s continued with 1991'sNo More Tears, featuring "Mama, I'm Coming Home". The album enjoyed much radio andMTV exposure. It also initiated a practice of bringing in outsiders (in this caseLemmy Kilmister ofMotorhead) to help write Osbourne's material, instead of relying on his recording ensemble. The album was mixed by veteran rock producerMichael Wagener. Osbourne was awarded a1994 Grammy for the track "I Don't Want to Change the World" fromLive & Loud, forBest Metal Performance.[77] Wagener also mixed the live albumLive & Loud released on 28 June 1993. Intended to be Osbourne's final album, it wentplatinum four times over,[78] and had a peak ranking of number 22 on theBillboard 200 chart.[79] In 1992, Osbourne expressed his fatigue with touring, and proclaimed his "retirement tour" (the retirement was to be short-lived), called "No More Tours", a pun onNo More Tears.[80]Alice in Chains'sMike Inez took over on bass and Kevin Jones played keyboards as Sinclair was touring withthe Cult.[81]
Ozzfest and intermittent Black Sabbath reunions
Ozzmosis (1995)
Osbourne on tour in Japan in April 1999
Osbourne's entire CD catalogue was remastered and reissued in 1995. The same year, Osbourne releasedOzzmosis and resumed touring, dubbing his concert performances "The Retirement Sucks Tour". The album reached number 4 on the US Billboard 200. The RIAA certified the album gold and platinum in that same year, and double platinum in April 1999.[82]
In 1996 Sharon Osbourne createdOzzfest after she was rebuffed byLollapalooza when she tried to get Ozzy on that festival circuit.[26] The tour was well-received, which prompted the festival to become a yearly occurrence.[86] The first Ozzfest was not a national tour, but rather a two-day festival held inPhoenix, Arizona, andDevore, California, on 25 and 26 October 1996 respectively.Ozzfest Live, a compilation of ten live tracks recorded during this festival, was released on April 29, 1997.
Ozzfest 1997 tour andReunion (1997)
Osbourne, Iommi and Butler formally reunited as Black Sabbath for the 1997Ozzfest shows with Osbourne also performing double duty as a solo act.[87] Ward was absent due to health issues.[87]
In December 1997, all four members of the band reunited to record the live albumReunion. Osbourne also toured with the band again from 1997 to 1999 for the album's concert tour.[31][89][90][91] The album proved to be a commercial success upon its release in October 1998.[90] During this period, Osbourne also sang guest vocals on Tony Iommi's 2000debut solo album. The reformed Black Sabbath would go on to perform at Ozzfest in 2001, 2004 and 2005,[92] before going on another hiatus due to a dispute between Osbourne and Iommi over the rights to the trademark "Black Sabbath."[93]
Down to Earth, Osbourne's first album of new studio material in six years, was released on 16 October 2001. A live album,Live at Budokan, followed in 2002.Down to Earth, which achieved platinum status in 2003, featured the single "Dreamer", a song which peaked at number 10 onBillboard'sMainstream Rock Tracks.[94] In June 2002, Osbourne was invited to participate in theGolden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, performing the Black Sabbath anthem "Paranoid" with Tony Iommi &Phil Collins at theParty at the Palace concert in the grounds ofBuckingham Palace.[95] In 2003, Osbourne recruited former Metallica bassistJason Newsted, though his time with Osbourne would be short. Osbourne's former bassist Robert Trujillo replaced Newsted in Metallica during this same period.[96]
On 8 December 2003, Osbourne was rushed into emergency surgery atSlough'sWexham Park Hospital following an accident with hisquad bike on his estate inJordans, Buckinghamshire.[97] Osbourne broke hiscollar bone, eight ribs, and aneck vertebra.[97] An operation was performed to lift the collarbone, which was believed to be resting on a major artery and interrupting blood flow to one of Osbourne's arms. Sharon later revealed that Osbourne had stopped breathing following the crash and was resuscitated by Osbourne's then personal bodyguard, Sam Ruston. While in hospital, Osbourne achieved his first ever UK number one single, a duet of the Black Sabbath ballad, "Changes" with daughterKelly.[98] In doing so, he broke the record of the longest period between an artist's first UK chart appearance (with Black Sabbath's "Paranoid", number four in August 1970) and their first number one hit: a gap of 33 years.[98] He recovered from the quad accident and went on to headline the 2004 Ozzfest, with the reunited Black Sabbath.[99]
In March 2005, Osbourne released a box set calledPrince of Darkness. The first and second discs are collections of live performances,B-sides, demos and singles. The third disc contained duets and other odd tracks with other artists, including "Born to Be Wild" withMiss Piggy. The fourth disc, is entirely new material where Osbourne covers his favourite songs by his biggest influences and favourite bands, includingthe Beatles,John Lennon,David Bowie and others.[100] In November 2005, Osbourne released the covers albumUnder Cover, featuring 10 songs from the fourth disc ofPrince of Darkness and 3 more songs.[101] Osbourne's band for this album includedAlice in Chains guitaristJerry Cantrell,[102] bassistChris Wyse[102] andFaith No More drummerMike Bordin.[102]
Osbourne also helped judge the 2005 UK series ofthe X-Factor where his wife Sharon was one of the main judges.[103] In March 2006, he said that he hoped to release a new studio album soon with longtime on-off guitarist,Zakk Wylde ofBlack Label Society.[104] In October 2006, it was announced thatTony Iommi, Ronnie James Dio, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler would be touring together again, though not as Black Sabbath but under the moniker "Heaven & Hell", the title of Dio's firstBlack Sabbath album.[105]
Osbourne's next album, titledBlack Rain, was released on 22 May 2007. His first new studio album in almost six years, it featured a more serious tone than previous albums. "I thought I'd never write again without any stimulation... But you know what? Instead of picking up the bottle I just got honest and said, 'I don't want life to go [to pieces]'", Osbourne stated toBillboard magazine.[106]
Osbourne revealed in July 2009 that he was currently seeking a new guitar player. While he stated that he had not fallen out withZakk Wylde, he said he felt his songs were beginning to sound likeBlack Label Society and fancied a change.[107] In August 2009, Osbourne performed at the gaming festivalBlizzCon with a new guitarist in his line-up,Gus G.[108] Osbourne also provided his voice and likeness to the video gameBrütal Legend character The Guardian of Metal.[109] In November,Slash featured Osbourne on vocals in his single "Crucify the Dead",[110] and Osbourne with wifeSharon were guest hosts onWWE Raw.[111] In December, Osbourne announced he would be releasing a new album titledSoul Sucka withGus G,Tommy Clufetos on drums, andBlasko on bass.[112] Negative fan feedback was brought to Osbourne's attention regarding the album title. In respect of fan opinion, on 29 March Osbourne announced his album would be renamedScream.[113]
On 13 April 2010, Osbourne announced the release date forScream would be 15 June 2010.[114] The release date was later changed to a week later. A single from the album, "Let Me Hear You Scream", debuted on 14 April 2010 episode ofCSI: NY.[115]
On 9 August 2010, Osbourne announced that the second single from the album would be "Life Won't Wait" and the video for the song would be directed by his sonJack.[116] When asked of his opinions onScream in an interview, Osbourne announced that he was "already thinking about the next album". Osbourne's current drummer,Tommy Clufetos, has reflected this sentiment, saying that "We are already coming up with new ideas backstage, in the hotel rooms and at soundcheck and have a bunch of ideas recorded".[117] In October 2014, Osbourne releasedMemoirs of a Madman, a collection celebrating his entire solo career. A CD version contained 17 singles from across his career, never before compiled together. The DVD version contained music videos, live performances, and interviews.[118]
Second Black Sabbath Reunion Tour,13 (2013) and The End Tour
By 2011, Osbourne had reconciled with Iommi, and the original line-up of Black Sabbath announced a second reunion world tour and new album.[119] They played their first concert of the tour in May 2012, at theO2 Academy withTommy Clufetos from Osbourne's solo lineup assuming touring duties after Ward dropped out for contractual reasons.[120]13 was released on 11 June 2013 withRage Against the Machine'sBrad Wilk stepping in on drums[121] and topped both theUK Albums Chart and the USBillboard 200.[122][123] In November of the same year, the band also released alive album.
In January 2016, Black Sabbath began a farewell tour, titled "The End", supposedly signifying the final performances of Black Sabbath.[124][125] The final shows of The End Tour took place at theGenting Arena in Birmingham and released as alive album.[126][127]
Return to solo career and No More Tours II
In April 2017, it was announced that guitarist Zakk Wylde would reunite with Osbourne for a summer tour to mark the 30th anniversary of their first collaboration on 1988'sNo Rest for the Wicked.[128] The first show of the tour took place on 14 July at the Rock USA Festival inOshkosh, Wisconsin.[129]
On 6 November 2017, Osbourne was announced as the headline act for the Sunday of the 2018Download Festival held annually atDonington Park in Leicestershire, England. Having previously graced the main stage in previous years fronting Black Sabbath, this would be his first-ever Download headline solo appearance. The Download Festival set came as part of Osbourne's final world tour announcement that morning.[130]
On 6 February 2018, Osbourne announced that he would embark on his final world tour dubbedNo More Tours II, a reference to his 1992 tour of the same name, with support fromStone Sour on the North American portion of the tour.[131] He later insisted that he would not retire, "It's 'No More Tours', so I'm just not doing world tours anymore. I'm still going to be doing gigs, but I'm not going on tour for six months at a time anymore. I'd like to spend some time at home."[132]
Originally planned as a multi-year odyssey, the tour came to an abrupt halt when Osbourne suffered an accident causing spinal damage in early 2019, which was then followed by theCOVID-19 pandemic rendering most international travel and large gatherings impossible. The last actual concert of the tour ended up being on New Year's Eve of 2018. Osbourne held out hope of resuming the tour for three years before finally declaring its permanent cancellation in January 2023, effectively marking his involuntary retirement from touring.[133][134]
Ordinary Man (2020),Patient Number 9 (2022) and Back to the Beginning
On 6 September 2019, Osbourne featured on the song "Take What You Want" byPost Malone. The song peaked on theBillboard Hot 100 charts at number 8, making it Osbourne's first US Top 10 single in 30 years since he was featured on Lita Ford's "Close My Eyes Forever".[135]
On 21 February 2020, Osbourne released his first solo album in almost ten years,Ordinary Man, which received positive reviews from music critics and debuted at number three on theUK Albums Chart.[136][137] A few days after the release, Osbourne toldiHeartRadio that he wanted to make another album withAndrew Watt, the main producer ofOrdinary Man.[138][139] One week after the release of the album, an 8-bit video game dedicated to Osbourne was released, calledLegend of Ozzy.[140] Following the release Osbourne then started working on his follow up album, once again with Andrew Watt.[141] In November 2021, Sony announced that Osbourne's album would be released within six months;[142] it was also announced that Zakk Wylde will have full involvement in the album following his absence onOrdinary Man.[143]
On 24 June 2022, Osbourne announced his thirteenth album would be titledPatient Number 9 and released the title track alongside an accompanying music video that same day. The album was released on 9 September 2022.[144] Osbourne then had his first live performances in three years with two brief concerts at sporting events: on 30 August, he performed "Iron Man" and "Paranoid" at the2022 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in Birmingham, joined by Iommi and former touring members of Black SabbathTommy Clufetos andAdam Wakeman;[145][146] and on 8 September, at the 2022NFL Kickoff held at Inglewood'sSoFi Stadium, Osbourne performed both "Patient Number 9" and "Crazy Train", with his backing band being Zakk Wylde, Tommy Clufetos,Chris Chaney and the album's producerAndrew Watt.[147]
On 8 August 2022, Osbourne and Iommi made a surprise appearance during the closing ceremony of the2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. This marked Osbourne's first live performance in three years, following a period of ill health.[148][149]
In September 2023, he revealed that he was working on a new album with a planned 2024 release while also preparing to go on the road following a successful spinal surgery earlier that month.[150]
In 2023,Rolling Stone ranked Osbourne at number 112 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[151]
AnOzzfest concert poster (middle) on a storefront door inPrague, Czech Republic, in Summer 2002
Osbourne's biggest financial success of the 1990s was a venture namedOzzfest, created and overseen by his wife and manager Sharon and assisted by his sonJack, after Ozzy was turned down by the organisers of theLollapalooza festival.[155][156] The first Ozzfest was held inYork, Pennsylvania, on 20 September 1996.[157] Ozzfest was an instant hit with metal fans, helping many up-and-coming groups who were featured there to broad exposure and commercial success.[158] Some acts shared the bill with a reformed Black Sabbath during the 1997 Ozzfest tour, with the first two shows inBristow, Virginia andWest Palm Beach, Florida.[159][160]
From its inception to 2005, more than four million people attended Ozzfest, and it grossed more than US$170 million over the same period.[161] The festival helped promote many new hard rock and heavy metal acts of the late 1990s and early 2000s.[162] Ozzfest helped Osbourne to become the first hard rock and heavy metal star to hit $50 million in merchandise sales.[163] In 2005, Osbourne and his wife Sharon starred in an MTV competition reality show entitledBattle for Ozzfest. A number of yet unsigned bands send one member to compete in a challenge to win a spot on the 2005 Ozzfest and a possible recording contract.[164][165] DuringOzzfest 2005, after having missed several shows due to ill health, Osbourne announced that he was retiring from the event.[166] He did in fact return to Ozzfest in 2006, but with a reduced schedule, leaving many of the concerts to be closed bySystem of a Down instead of himself.[167]
Tickets for the2007 tour were offered to fans free of charge, which led to some controversy.[clarification needed][168] In 2008, Ozzfest was reduced to a one-day event inDallas, where Osbourne played, alongsideMetallica andKing Diamond.[169] In 2010, the tour opened with aJersey Shore spoof skit starring Osbourne.[170] Osbourne appeared as the headliner closing the show after opening acts Halford andMötley Crüe. The tour, though small (only six US venues and one UK venue were played), generated rave reviews.[171][172][173][174]
Osbourne achieved greater celebrity status through the MTVreality television seriesThe Osbournes. Created by his wife Sharon, the show follows the home life of Ozzy Osbourne and his family (wife Sharon, children Jack and Kelly, occasional appearances from his son Louis, but eldest daughter Aimee did not participate). The programme became one of MTV's greatest hits. It premiered on 5 March 2002, and the final episode aired on 21 March 2005.[175]
The success ofThe Osbournes led Osbourne and the rest of his family to host the 30th AnnualAmerican Music Awards in January 2003.[176][177] The night was marked with constant "bleeping" due to some of the lewd and raunchy remarks made by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. PresenterPatricia Heaton walked out midway in disgust.[178] On 20 February 2008, Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack Osbourne hosted the2008 BRIT Awards held atEarls Court, London.[179] Ozzy appeared in a TV commercial forI Can't Believe It's Not Butter! which began airing in the UK in February 2006.[180]
Osbourne appears in a commercial for the online video gameWorld of Warcraft.[181] He was also featured in themusic video gameGuitar Hero World Tour as a playable character. He becomes unlocked upon completing "Mr. Crowley" and "Crazy Train" in the vocalist career. The 2002dark fantasycombat flight simulatorSavage Skies was initially developed under the titleOzzy's Black Skies and was to feature his likeness as well as songs from both his stint in Black Sabbath as well as his solo career,[182][183] but licensing issues forced developer iRock Interactive to re-tool the game and release it without the Osbourne branding.[184]
In October 2009, Osbourne publishedI Am Ozzy, his autobiography.[185] He said ghost writer Chris Ayres told him he had enough material for a second book. A film adaptation ofI Am Ozzy is also in the works,[needs update] and Osbourne said he hoped "an unknown guy from England" will get the role over an established actor, while Sharon stated she would choose established English actressCarey Mulligan to play her.[186]
A documentary film about Osbourne's life and career, entitledGod Bless Ozzy Osbourne, premiered in April 2011 at theTribeca Film Festival and was released on DVD in November 2011.[187] The film was produced by Osbourne's son Jack.[188] On 15 May 2013 Osbourne, alongside the current members of Black Sabbath, appeared in an episode ofCSI: Crime Scene Investigation titled "Skin in the Game". TheHistory Channel premiered a comedy reality television series starring Ozzy Osbourne and his sonJack Osbourne on 24 July 2016, namedOzzy & Jack's World Detour.[189] During each episode Ozzy and Jack visit one or more sites to learn about history from experts, and explore unusual or quirky aspects of their background.
Osbourne appeared in a November 2017 episode ofGogglebox alongside other UK celebrities such asEd Sheeran, formerOasis frontmanLiam Gallagher, and Labour Party leaderJeremy Corbyn as part of Channel 4 andCancer Research UK'sStand Up to Cancer fundraising campaign.[190] In November 2017, Osbourne signed on as an ambassador of the rock-themed online Metal Casino, founded by metal music fans in August 2017.[191] In February 2019, Osbourne's merchandising partner announced that Ozzy would have his own branded, online slots game as part of the NetEnt Rocks music-themed portfolio.[192]
In 2020, Osbourne voiced King Thrash, king of the rock trolls, for the animated movieTrolls World Tour.[193]
Ozzy announced his final autobiography in July 2025, titledLast Rites, scheduled to be released on October 7.[194]
Controversies
Public image
Osbourne in 1984
Ozzy Osbourne courted controversy throughout his career. He adopted the title "Prince of Darkness", took on a demonic stage persona, and portrayed himself as the "Madman of Rock".[195] Many Christian religious groups accused Osbourne of being aDevil worshipper, of promotingSatanism, and of being a harmful influence on teenagers.[195] He was demonised byProtestant fundamentalists such asJeff Godwin,[195] and byCatholics such asCardinal John O'Connor, who called his music "a help to the devil".[196] Osbourne denied being a Satanist and "responded with defiance by simply absorbing the charges into his stage persona".[195] He also struck back by mocking theChristian right in his lyrics, such as the song "Miracle Man", which targeted one of Osbourne's main detractorsJimmy Swaggart after his sex scandal.[195] Scholar Christopher M. Moreman compared the controversy to those levelled against the occultistAleister Crowley. Both were demonised by the media and Christian groups. Osbourne tempted the comparison with his 1980 song "Mr. Crowley".[195][197]
In 1981, after signing his first solo record deal, Osbourne bit the head off a dove during a meeting withCBS Records executives in Los Angeles.[198] Apparently, he had planned to release doves into the air as a sign of peace, but due to intoxication, he instead grabbed a dove and bit its head off. He then spat the head out,[198][199] with blood still dripping from his lips. As security was escorting Osbourne out of the building, he grabbed a second dove and also bit its head off. Due to its controversy, the head-biting act has been parodied and alluded to several times throughout his career and is part of what made Osbourne famous.[200]
—Osbourne describing himself in the British documentary,Hellraisers,Channel 4, 2000.[201]
On 20 January 1982, Osbourne bit the head off a bat[202] that he thought was rubber while performing at theVeterans Memorial Auditorium inDes Moines, Iowa. According to a 2004Rolling Stone article, the bat was alive at the time;[203] however, 17-year-old Mark Neal, who threw it onto the stage, said it was brought to the show dead.[198] According to Osbourne in the booklet to the 2002 edition ofDiary of a Madman, the bat was not only alive but managed to bite him, resulting in Osbourne being vaccinated againstrabies. On 20 January 2019, Osbourne commemorated the 37th anniversary of the bat incident by offering an "Ozzy Plush Bat" toy "with detachable head" for sale on his personal web-store. The site claimed the first batch of toys sold out within hours.[204]
On 18 February 1982, while wearing his future wife Sharon's dress for a photoshoot near theAlamo, Osbourne drunkenly urinated on theAlamo Cenotaph erected in honour of those who died at theBattle of the Alamo in Texas, across the street from theactual building.[205] A police officer arrested Osbourne,[200] and he was subsequently banned from the city ofSan Antonio for a decade.[206]
On 31 December 1983, Canadian teenager James Jollimore murdered a woman and her two sons inHalifax, Nova Scotia, reportedly after listening to "Bark at the Moon". A friend of Jollimore told the court: "Jimmy said that every time he listened to the song, he felt strange inside ... He said when he heard it on New Year's Eve, he went out and stabbed someone".[207]
In 1984, California teenager John McCollum committed suicide while listening to Osbourne's "Suicide Solution". His parents sued Osbourne (McCollum v. CBS),[208] alleging that the song encouraged their son to kill himself. The prosecutors highlighted the lyrics "Where to hide, suicide is the only way out", and claimed that the song also containedsubliminal andbackmasked messages encouraging suicide. The courts ruled in Osbourne's favour, saying there was no connection between the song and McCollum's suicide. In 1990, Osbourne was similarly sued over the suicides of two other young Americans, Michael Waller (1986) and Harold Hamilton (1988), who allegedly were listening to the song when they ended their lives.[209] The courts once again ruled in Osbourne's favour.[210] The lyrics of "Suicide Solution" were written by bandmateBob Daisley. Osbourne said that the song was about the alcohol-related death of singerBon Scott and was a warning against the slow suicide of alcoholism,[211] although Daisley stated the lyrics were referring to Osbourne himself and his drinking problems.[212]
In 1989 he personally apologized for homophobic remarks made byZakk Wylde at a concert in Long Beach, Los Angeles and reportedly donated to AIDS Walk Long Beach, a fundraising event dedicated toHIV/AIDS research.[213]
Osbourne admitted to shooting 17 of his own pet cats during a drug/alcohol-fuelled rampage in the 1980s, as well as slaughtering a henhouse full of chickens, snorting a line of ants, and tossing raw animal meat into the crowd at one of his concerts.[214][215]
Songwriting credits and trademark disputes
In lawsuits filed in 2000 and 2002 which were dismissed by the courts in 2003, former band members Bob Daisley,Lee Kerslake, andPhil Soussan stated that Osbourne was delinquent in paying themroyalties and had denied them due credit on albums they played on.[216][217] In November 2003, a Federal Appeals Court unanimously upheld the dismissal by theUS District Court for the Central District of California of the lawsuit brought by Daisley and Kerslake. TheUS Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Osbourne did not owe any royalties or credit to the former band members, who were let go in 1981.[218] To resolve further issues, Ozzy's manager and wife Sharon chose to replace Daisley and Kerslake's contributions on the original masters, replacing them withRobert Trujillo on bass andMike Bordin on drums. The albums were then reissued.[219] The original tracks were restored for the 30th anniversary of the albums.
In July 2010, Osbourne and Tony Iommi decided to discontinue court proceedings over ownership of the Black Sabbath trademark. As reported toBlabbermouth, "Both parties are glad to put this behind them and to cooperate for the future and would like it to be known that the issue was never personal, it was always business."[220]
Osbourne had more than 15 tattoos, the earliest of which were the letters O-Z-Z-Y across the knuckles of his left hand. He created this himself as a teenager with asewing needle andpencil lead.[14]
Osbourne suffered minor burns after a small house fire at his family home in Beverly Hills in January 2013.[223]
On his 65th birthday on 3 December 2013, he asked fans to celebrate his birthday by donating to theRoyal Marsden cancer charity in London.[224]
Relationships
Osbourne had six children; three from his first marriage and three from his marriage to Sharon Osbourne.[225][226]
In 1971, Osbourne met his first wife Thelma Riley at theRum Runner, theBirmingham nightclub where she worked.[17] They were married later that year and children Jessica and Louis were soon born. Osbourne also adopted Riley's five-year-old son Elliot from a previous relationship.[227] Osbourne later referred to his first marriage as "a terrible mistake".[17] His use of alcohol and other drugs, coupled with his frequent absences while touring with Black Sabbath, took their toll on his family life; his children later complained that he was not a good father. In the 2011 documentary filmGod Bless Ozzy Osbourne, produced by his son Jack, Osbourne admitted that he could not even remember when Louis and Jessica were born.[228] Louis later made cameo appearances inThe Osbournes.[225] He and Jessica are both actors.[225]
Osbourne began to date his managerSharon Arden. GuitaristRandy Rhoads predicted in 1981 that the couple would "probably get married someday" despite their constant bickering and the fact that Osbourne was still married to Thelma at the time.[66] Ozzy and Sharon married on 4 July 1982. He later confessed that theIndependence Day date was chosen so that he would never forget his anniversary. The couple had three children together:Aimee (born 2 September 1983),Kelly (born 27 October 1984), andJack (born 8 November 1985).[225] After Jack's birth, Osbourne had avasectomy.[229] Osbourne had many grandchildren.[230] During their relationship, Osbourne had many extra-marital affairs. After Ozzy's wife Sharon learned of his four-year extra-marital relationship with hairdresser Michelle Pugh, she attempted suicide.[231][232]
Osbourne wrote a song for his daughter Aimee, which appeared as a B-side on his seventh studio albumOzzmosis (1995). At the end of the song, she can be heard saying "I'll always be your angel", referring to the song's chorus lyrics. The song "My Little Man", which appears onOzzmosis, was written about his son Jack. He and his family divided time between homes inBuckinghamshire[233] and Los Angeles.[234]
Religion
Osbourne said in a 1986 interview, "I'm a Christian. I was christened as a Christian. I used to go to Sunday school. I never took much interest in it because...I didn't". In a later 1992 interview, he said "I believe in God. I don't go to church, but I don't think you have to go to church to believe in God."[235]The New York Times reported in 1992 that he was a member of theChurch of England and prayed before each show.[236]
In 2010, Osbourne expressed disgust at theWestboro Baptist Church when they sang a parody of the song "Crazy Train" for a picket they held during theSnyder v. PhelpsSupreme Court hearing with lyrics promoting their ideology, stating "I am sickened and disgusted by the use of 'Crazy Train' to promote messages of hate and evil by a 'church.'"[237]
Osbourne said in 2018, "I never talk religion. I don't understand organised religion. But I strive to be good, although it feels good to be bad, sometimes".[238] Certain Christian groups and ministers long denounced Osbourne as an immoralSatanist, which he always dismissed. He responded by mocking theChristian right in some of his lyrics, and parodiedChristian evangelists in the filmTrick or Treat where he portrayed a conservative minister.[195] In 2022, Osbourne said he felt like he had a "symbiotic" relationship with evangelists: "I've kept them in jobs".[238] He recalled that he once jokingly joined Christians who were protesting outside his gig: "I joined them at the end of the line with abroomstick, and stapled on 'Have a Nice Day' and a smiley face on it. They didn't know I was there".[238]
Political views
Osbourne wrote in his 2009 autobiography, "I'm not so comfortable with politicians". He recalled meeting former British Prime MinisterTony Blair at an awards show: "I couldn't get over the fact that our young soldiers were dying out in the Middle East and he could still find the time to hang around with pop stars".[239] Osbourne was critical ofDonald Trump. He said the US president was "acting like a fool" with his response toCOVID-19.[239] He added "If I wasrunning for president, I would try and find out a little bit about politics. Because the fuckingguy you've got in there now doesn't know that much about it".[239] In 2020, after Trump used Osbourne's song in his campaign, he issued a statement forbidding Trump, or any other campaign, from using his music without approval.[239] In 2024, Osbourne said "Donald Trump is a felon, right? Correct me if I'm wrong, felons can't own a gun. He can't own a gun, but he could startWorld War III on his own".[240]
In 2022, Osbourne expressed his support forUkraine followingRussia's full-scale invasion of the country. That year, he dedicated his albumPatient Number 9 to Ukraine, and pledged to donate all proceeds to the Third Wave Volunteers organisation.[241] Ozzy and his wife Sharon announced they planned to host two families of Ukrainian refugees at their Buckinghamshire estate.[242]
Osbourne's wife Sharon, who identifies as Jewish, said shortly after theOctober 7 attacks on Israel, "Ozzy is so confused by it all and just keeps asking me to explain why there is so much hatred of Jews".[243] Around this time, Osbourne said he did not want any association withKanye West, due to West's antisemitism.[244] In 2024, following calls for a cultural boycott of Israeli artists, he and Sharon were among those who signed an open letter byCreative Community For Peace, in "support of freedom of expression and against discriminatory boycotts".[245] In 2025, he and Sharon were among those who signed an open letter calling for an investigation into alleged anti-Israel bias in the BBC's coverage of theGaza war.[246][247][248]
Drug and Alcohol use
Osbourne abused tobacco, alcohol, street drugs, and prescription drugs for most of his adult life. He admitted toSounds in 1978, "I get high, I get fucked up ... what the hell's wrong with getting fucked up? There must be something wrong with the system if so many people have to get fucked up ... I never take dope or anything before I go on stage. I'll smoke ajoint or whatever afterwards."[249] Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi said that while all the band smoked tobacco, drank alcohol, and took other illicit drugs in the 1970s, Osbourne had the unhealthiest lifestyle of them all. Despite this, said Iommi, he was typically the only one left standing when the others were "out for the count".[55] Upon being fired from Black Sabbath in 1979, Osbourne spent the next three months locked in his hotel room drinking alcohol and taking vast amounts of drugs "all day, every day."[250][21][22]
Osbourne later commented on his former wild lifestyle, expressing bewilderment at his own survival through 40 years of misusing tobacco, alcohol, street drugs, and prescription drugs.[251] Longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde has attributed Osbourne's longevity in spite of decades of substance abuse to "a very special kind of fortitude that's bigger thanKing Kong andGodzilla combined... seriously, he's hard as nails, man!"[252]
Osbourne's first experience withcocaine was in early 1971 at a hotel inDenver, Colorado, after a show Black Sabbath had done withMountain.[17] He states that Mountain's guitarist,Leslie West, introduced him to the drug.[17] Though West was reluctant to take credit for introducing Osbourne to cocaine, Osbourne remembered the experience quite clearly: "When you come from Aston and you fall in love with cocaine, youremember when you started. It's like having your first fuck!"[17] Osbourne said that upon first trying the drug, "The world went a bit fuzzy after that."[17]
Osbourne claimed to have takenLSD everyday for two years while in Black Sabbath. During the end of his time with the band, he said he "got very drunk and very stoned every single day."[21][22]
Osbourne's substance abuse, at times, caused friction within his band.Don Airey, keyboardist for Osbourne during his early solo career, said that these issues were what ultimately caused him to leave the band.[253] In his memoirOff the Rails, former bassistRudy Sarzo detailed the frustrations felt by him and his bandmates as they coped with life on the road with Osbourne, who was in a state of near-constant inebriation and was often sohungover that he would refuse to perform. When he was able to perform, his voice was often so damaged from his smoking, drinking, and drug abuse that the performance suffered. Many shows on the American leg of the 1981–82Diary of a Madman tour were simply cancelled, and the members of his band quickly began to tire of the unpredictability, coupled with the often violentmood swings he was prone to when either drunk or high.[66]
Osbourne claimed that he would have died if Sharon had not offered to manage him as a solo artist.[254]
Osbourne claimed in his autobiography that he was invited in 1981 to a meeting with the head of CBS Europe in Germany. Intoxicated, he decided to lighten the mood by performing astriptease on the table and then kissing the record executive on the lips. According to his wife Sharon, he had actually performed agoose-step up and down the table and urinated in the executive's wine, but was too drunk to remember.[52]
In February 1982, Osbourne drunkenly fired his entire band, includingRandy Rhoads, after they had informed him that they would not participate in a planned live album of Black Sabbath songs. He also physically attacked Rhoads and Rudy Sarzo in a hotel bar that morning, and Sharon informed the band that she feared he had "finally snapped". Osbourne later had no memory of firing his band and the tour continued, though his relationship with Rhoads had not fully recovered before Rhoads's death in a plane crash a month later.[66] In May 1984, Osbourne was arrested inMemphis, Tennessee, again for public intoxication.[255] The most notorious incident came in August 1989, when Sharon claimed that Osbourne had tried to strangle her after returning home from theMoscow Music Peace Festival, in a haze of alcohol and other drugs.[256] The incident led Osbourne to six months in rehabilitation, after which time Sharon regained her faith in her husband and did not press charges.[257]
In 2003, Osbourne told theLos Angeles Times how he was nearly incapacitated by medication prescribed by aBeverly Hills doctor.[258] The doctor was alleged to have prescribed 13,000 doses of 32 drugs in one year.[259] However, after a nine-year investigation by the Medical Board of California, the Beverly Hills physician wasexonerated of all charges of excessive prescribing.[260]
Osbourne managed to remain clean and sober for extended periods in the late 2000s.[261]
In 2010, during an interview onThe Howard Stern Show, Osbourne said that it took him 19 attempts to get his driving licence because of his drug, alcohol, and tobacco use.[262]
At theTEDMED Conference in October 2010, scientists fromKnome, a Massachusetts human genome interpretation company, joined Osbourne on stage to discuss their analysis of Osbourne's whole genome, which shed light on how the famously hard-living rocker had survived decades of misusing alcohol, tobacco, street drugs, and prescription drugs.[263]
In April 2013, Osbourne revealed through Facebook that he had resumed smoking, drinking, and doing drugs for the past year and a half, stating he "was in a very dark place" but said he had been sober again since early March. He also apologised to Sharon, his family, friends, bandmates and his fans for his "insane" behaviour during that period.[264] In a February 2021 interview withVariety, Osbourne and his son Jack (who has been sober for 17 years) opened up about their recovery. He revealed he had been sober for about seven years.[265]
Osbourne experiencedtremors for some years and linked them to his continuous drug abuse. In 2003, he found out it was a genetic form ofParkinson's disease. Osbourne had to take daily medication for the rest of his life to combat the involuntary shudders associated with the condition.[268] He publicly revealed the Parkinson's diagnosis in January 2020, saying, "I'm not dying from Parkinson's. I've been working with it most of my life."[269] Osbourne also showed symptoms of mildhearing loss, as depicted in the television showThe Osbournes, where he often asked his family to repeat what they say.
On 6 February 2019, Osbourne was hospitalised in an undisclosed location on his doctor's advice due to flu complications, postponing the European leg of his "No More Tours II" tour. The issue was described as a "severe upper-respiratory infection" following a bout with the flu which his doctor feared could develop intopneumonia, given the physicality of the live performances and an extensive travel schedule throughout Europe in winter conditions.[270]
By 12 February 2019, Osbourne had been moved to intensive care. Tour promotersLive Nation said that they were hopeful that Osbourne would be "fit and healthy" and able to honour tour dates in both Australia and New Zealand in March.[271] Osbourne later cancelled the tour entirely, and ultimately all shows scheduled for 2019, after sustaining serious injuries from a fall in his Los Angeles home while still recovering from pneumonia.[272] In February 2020, Osbourne cancelled the 2020 North American tour, seeking treatment in Switzerland until April.[273] In 2020, Osbourne also revealed that he hademphysema.[274]
By 2025, he had lost his ability to walk due to Parkinson's disease.[275]
A number of public figures and musicians shared tributes.Elton John referred to him as "a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods – a true legend."[280]
On 30 July, his funeral cortege leftVilla Park, passing Osbourne's childhood home on Lodge Road, and proceeded toBroad Street, which was closed to traffic.[281][282] It stopped at the Black Sabbath Bridge where Osbourne's family viewed flowers and messages left by fans, and met with theLord Mayor.[281][283] The cortege then passed by the Black Sabbath mural on Navigation Street andThe Crown where Black Sabbath played their first concert.[281] Tens of thousands of people gathered along the route to observe.[281] That same day, theBand of the Coldstream Guards performed Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" during theChanging of the Guard ceremony atBuckingham Palace.[284] A private funeral was held the following day,[285] attended only by his family and a select gathering of close friends and rock stars, including Elton John,Marilyn Manson,Rob Zombie,Zakk Wylde,James Hetfield, and his Black Sabbath bandmates. In accordance with his wishes, Osbourne was interred on the grounds of his private family estate,Welders House, near a "beautiful" lake.[286][287]
Legacy
Osbourne was one of the founders ofheavy metal music through his work with Black Sabbath and was described byRolling Stone in 2020 as "hard rock's comeback kid".[288][289] He has been referred to as the "Godfather of Heavy Metal"[2] and the "Madman of Rock".[195] He disliked being categorised as metal, stating that while his band "plays heavy", other bands that are considered metal are "really heavy". "When you get pigeonholed with a certain [genre], it can be very difficult to do something a bit lighter or an acoustic track or whatever you want to do. Back in the day, it was always just rock music. It's still just rock music."[290][291]
Outside of music, Osbourne and his family's showThe Osbournes is regarded as a pioneering reality television programme which ushered in an era of shows focusing on celebrity family life.[292]
An exhibition on Osbourne's life was put on display atBirmingham Museum & Art Gallery on 25 June 2025 (prior to his death), featuring memorabilia, photographs, and tributes to his career and legacy. Originally scheduled to close on 28 September 2025, the exhibition was extended to 18 January 2026 following public demand and tributes after his death.[293]
Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home, aBBC documentary filmed over three years, aired on 2 October 2025 onBBC One andBBC iPlayer. It chronicles Osbourne's return to the UK, his health challenges, and his final live performance in Birmingham, held just over two weeks before his death.[294] The documentary filmOzzy Osbourne: No Escape from Now chronicles the final six years of Osbourne's life. It had been in development prior to his death, and was released onParamount+ on 7 October 2025.[295]
In 2007, Osbourne was honoured at the second annualVH1 Rock Honors, alongsideGenesis,Heart, andZZ Top. In addition, that year a bronze star honouring Osbourne was placed in theBirmingham Walk of Stars onBroad Street in the city centre.[301] He was presented the award by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham on 6 July.[301] "I am really honoured", he said, "All my family is here and I thank everyone for this reception—I'm absolutely knocked out".[301]
On 30 June 2025, one week before their farewell "Back to the Beginning" concert, Osbourne and the other original members of Black Sabbath were each madeFreemen of the City of Birmingham.[309]
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