Ozzy Osbourne, 76, dies as tributes pour in for Black Sabbath singer after family

‘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’.

Rapper Flavor Flav shared his thoughts on the death of Ozzy Osobourne, writing: ‘Man… real heart broken over the passing of OZZY OSBOURNE… we go way back and it was a real honor to watch him get inducted into the @rockhall last year.

‘Sending my love and prayers to Sharon and his kids and whole family. RIP’

American rapper and actor Ice T wrote: ‘RIP Ozzy. Right after the recent huge Black Sabbath final concert.

‘Sad.. In my opinion the Creators of Heavy Metal’

Piers Morgan has shared a touching anecdote about Ozzy Osbourne’s love for his wife, Sharon.

The journalist interviewed the rockstar on many occasions throughout his dazzling music career and it appeared that the pair shared a professional admiration and respect for one another.

During one of the instances Mr Morgan spoke with Ozzy, he revealed that he asked the musician what the best moment of his life was, to which Ozzy replied: ‘Meeting Sharon.’

Sharing a picture of the three of them together, Mr Morgan added: ‘RIP Ozzy Osbourne. One of the greatest rock stars in history, and a wonderful character. Truly one of the funniest people I’ve ever known.

‘My heart breaks for [Sharon]’.

In a tribute on Instagram, Campbell says: ‘You didn’t just shape a culture, you defined it. You led from the front and never looked back.

‘My thoughts are with Sharon and the entire Osbourne family during this time’.

The American heavy metal band thanked Ozzy Osbourne for ‘all that you did for metal’ in a tribute posted on social media.

He posted on Instagram: ‘So sad to hear the news of Ozzy Osbourne passing away.

‘He was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods – a true legend.

‘He was also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. I will miss him dearly. To Sharon and the family, I send my condolences and love. Elton xx.’

Yungblud has shared an emotional tribute on his Instagram to the late Ozzy Osbourne, who he hailed as ‘the greatest of all time’.

The English singer-songwriter had a very strong relationship with Osbourne, who he first met in 2022, and it appeared that their relationship grew into an almost father-son type bond.

Sharing his heartbreak to Instagram, Yungblud, whose real name is Dominic Harrison, posted the tribute which had pictures of them together at Osbourne’s last gig in Birmingham.

He wrote: ‘I didn’t think you would leave so soon the last time we met you were so full of life and your laugh filled up the room. 

‘But as it is written with legends, they seem to know the things that we don’t. I will never forget you – you will be in every single note I sing and with me every single time I walk on stage.

‘Your cross around my neck is the most precious thing I own. You asked me once if there was anything you could do for me and as I said then and as I will say now for all of us the music was enough.’

You took us on your adventure – an adventure that started it all.‘I am truly heartbroken. You were the greatest of all time.’

The Rolling Stone posted on X: ‘I am so very sad to hear of the death of Ozzy Osbourne

‘What a lovely goodbye concert he had at Back To The Beginning in Birmingham.’

Alongside a clip of the late star, the band wrote: ‘We ‘love’ you too, Ozzy,’ in a post to X following the singer’s death.

Ozzy Osbourne was famed as a provocative and powerful performer on stage and a wild hedonist off it.

The Black Sabbath singer and successful solo artist was known for his controversial live shows.

Drug and alcohol use often fuelled manic behaviour in front of his adoring audiences, and also his most crazed moments in between shows.

These are some of the most memorable and infamous moments from the hell-raising life of the late heavy metal pioneer.

In 1982, Osbourne was wearing one of his wife’s dresses for a photoshoot close to The Alamo in Texas, the site of a heroic sacrifice by the Texan troops against the invading Mexicans.

The rock star drunkenly relieved himself on a cenotaph commemorating the dead, later donating thousands to the group which maintains The Alamo.

In the midst of an alcohol and drug haze, Osbourne said that he set about slaughtering 17 cats with a shotgun.

The rocker said he was found by his wife under a piano, armed with a knife in one hand and a shotgun in the other.

Osbourne toured with Motley Crue in the 1980s, and it was during this time that he is rumoured to have shocked his fellow rockers after ‘spotting’ a line of ants.

Bassist Nikki Sixx claimed that Osbourne took a straw and, as if snorting cocaine, hoovered the line of ants up his nose.

In 1982, Osbourne was on stage at a gig in Des Moines, Iowa, during a US tour.

A fan threw a bat on stage, and in the frenzy of performance Osbourne – believing it to be rubber – bit its head off. There remains debate as to whether the bat was alive or dead when it was thrown on stage.

Osbourne had history with the decapitation of winged creatures, beginning with an incident which stunned CBS Records executives.

Celebrating a new album in 1981, the Black Country-born rock star was intending to release two doves in a symbolic act at the record label. Instead, he grabbed a dove and bit its head off, before being thrown out of the building.

David Draiman, lead singer of American heavy metal band Disturbed, paid his respects to Ozzy Osbourne on X, calling the Black Sabbath icon his ‘teacher,’ ‘father,’ and ‘friend.’

‘I love you @OzzyOsbourne and I will miss you terribly,’ he wrote.

‘The saddest news this evening. All the Osbourne family have always been so kind to me. The loveliest people,’ he wrote in the caption.

Commenting on Ozzy’s most recent Instagram, the band wrote: ‘RIP Ozzy. Thank you for the music.

‘Much love to your family, friends and everyone else you have impacted in this world. You will be missed’.

In a post to X, Beatle’s singer John Lennon’s son Sean Ono Lennon wrote: ‘One of the greatest of all time. @OzzyOsbourne R.I.P.’

Following the news of Ozzy’s death, PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange said: ‘Ozzy Osbourne was a legend and a provocateur, but PETA will remember the ‘Prince of Darkness’ most fondly for the gentle side he showed to animals – most recently cats, by using his fame to decry painful, crippling declawing mutilations.

‘Ozzy may have been the singer, but his wife, Sharon, and his daughter, Kelly, were of one voice when it meant protecting animals. Ozzy will be missed by animal advocates the world over.’

Legendary heavy metal band Metallica have responded to the news of Ozzy Osbourne’s death.

Posting on X, the band shared an image of them with Osbourne from 1986 along with an emoji of a broken heart.

Coverdale, founder and lead singer of the rock band Whitesnake, who was reportedly once considered for the role of Black Sabbath frontman, has paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne on X.

In a post to X, singers Jedward paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne.

‘Rip Ozzy Osbourne sending love to Sharon and Kelly and Jack and the whole family,’ they wrote.

The final photo of Ozzy Osbourne before his death at the age of 76 has been released.

The star could be seen beaming on stage during a farewell concert at Villa Park Stadium, the home of his beloved Aston Villa, less than three weeks before his passing.

The rocker reunited with all his original Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the first time since 2005 to bid an emotional farewell to his decades of performing live on stage.

In the snap, Osbourne took in the adulation of a sell-out crowd while sitting in a black throne, dressed in all black.

Looking emotional, he told his adoring supporters: ‘You have no idea how I feel.’

In a statement following his death, Osbourne’s family said: ‘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.’

Ozzy Osbourne has died ‘surrounded by love’ at the age of 76, a statement from his family said.

The Black Sabbath frontman had performed from a throne on stage at Villa Park in Birmingham less than three weeks ago.

In a statement, his family said tonight: ‘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.’

The rocker was able to bid an emotional farewell to his fans on stage this month as he reunited with his original Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the first time since 2005.