Legendary heavy metal artist Ozzy Osbourne has passed away at 76, weeks after performing what was described as his farewell concert at Villa Park in Birmingham.

 

 

His family issued a statement confirming his death on Wednesday morning. "It is with profound sadness that we announce our dear Ozzy Osbourne has departed this morning. He was with his family and enveloped in love," the statement read. 

 

 

Earlier this month, Osbourne performed at Villa Park in front of 42,000 fans, during which he expressed his gratitude to the audience, saying: “You can’t imagine how I feel – thank you from the depths of my heart.” 

 

 

The event, titled 'Back to the Beginning,' was described as Osbourne’s “final farewell” and featured performances by Metallica and Guns N’ Roses. For the first time in two decades, Osbourne reunited with original Black Sabbath members, Tony Iommi, Terence “Geezer” Butler, and Bill Ward, concluding the electrifying event on July 5.

 

 

Fellow musicians have paid tribute on social media. Metallica shared a photo with Osbourne on X, accompanied by a broken heart emoji.

 

 

Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones remarked that it was “a lovely farewell concert.” Black Sabbath’s official account shared a photo from the Villa Park performance with the message: “Ozzy Forever.” UB40’s Ali Campbell said Osbourne “shaped a culture” and called him “a true Birmingham legend.” Elton John described him as a “trailblazer” and noted that he was “one of the funniest individuals” he had ever met.

 

 

Ozzy Osbourne, born John Michael Osbourne in Aston, Birmingham, on December 3, 1948, co-founded Black Sabbath in 1968. The band’s debut album, Black Sabbath, entered the UK Top 10 in 1970, followed by iconic tracks such as Paranoid, Iron Man, and War Pigs. Over the years, the band sold more than 75 million records worldwide.

 

 

Osbourne was dismissed from Black Sabbath in 1979 due to struggles with substance abuse, but he made a successful solo comeback with Blizzard of Ozz in 1980 and Diary of a Madman in 1981, both achieving multi-platinum status. He was later inducted into both the UK Music Hall of Fame and the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a solo artist and as a member of Black Sabbath.

 

 

In recent years, Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and suffered injuries from a fall in 2019, which forced him to cancel multiple tours. He is survived by his wife, Sharon, their children Aimee, Kelly, and Jack, two older children, Jessica and Louis, and several grandchildren.