It was inevitable, following all the surgeries that his wife, Sharon, described as “life-altering,” and his 2020 diagnosis with Parkinson’s. Today (July 22, 2025), his family announced that Ozzy Osbourne had died, at age 76. The news arrived only weeks after the classic rock legend performed for the last time at Black Sabbath’s “Back to the Beginning” reunion concert on July 5 in Birmingham, U.K. The star conjured up one of rock’s greatest exits.
In the brief statement announcing his death, the family wrote, “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.”
It was signed Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.
In an odd twist, Osbourne had recently announced his final memoir, ironically titled Last Rites. The 320-page book, from Grand Central Publishing, arrives October 7. It’s available for pre-order in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here.
Watch Osbourne perform at the “Back to the Beginning” concert
On Feb. 1, 2023, Osbourne announced that he had retired from touring, noting that he’s “not physically capable.” The tour, originally announced in 2018, and set to finally resume five years later on May 3 with Judas Priest as the opening act, was called “No More Tours 2.” The classic rock legend turned 76 on Dec. 3, 2024. When he cancelled that tour, he wrote:
“This is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to share with my loyal fans. As you may all know, four years ago, this month, I had a major accident, where I damaged my spine.
“My one and only purpose during this time has been to get back on stage. My singing voice is fine. However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy sessions, and most recently groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) Treatment, my body is still physically weak.
“I am honestly humbled by the way you’ve all patiently held onto your tickets for all this time, but in all good conscience, I have now come to the realization that I’m not physically capable of doing my upcoming European/U.K. tour dates, as I know I couldn’t deal with the travel required. Believe me when I say that the thought of disappointing my fans really F**KS me up, more than you will ever know.
“Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way. My team is currently coming up with ideas for where I will be able to perform without having to travel from city to city and country to country.
“I want to thank my family……my band…….my crew……my longtime friends, Judas Priest, and of course, my fans for their endless dedication, loyalty, and support, and for giving me the life that I never ever dreamed I would have.
I love you all…”
Osbourne revealed on Jan. 21, 2020, that he was battling Parkinson’s Disease. Appearing in a taped interview on ABC-TV’s Good Morning America, he and his wife, Sharon, shared the news in an emotional interview with host Robin Roberts of his diagnosis of Parkin 2, a form of Parkinson’s.You can watch the GMA interview by clicking on the tweet.
.@ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE: “The hardest thing is watching someone you love suffer.” Rock legend @OzzyOsbourne’s kids @JackOsbourne and @KellyOsbourne open up about their family’s new normal after their father’s Parkinson’s diagnosis. https://t.co/tYd0K3rQet pic.twitter.com/8ayAFwOi9M
— Good Morning America (@GMA) January 21, 2020
Hailed as one of the pioneers of the genre that came to be called heavy metal, John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne was born Dec. 3, 1948, in Marston Green, Warwickshire, England. A founding member of Black Sabbath in 1968, which emerged from the ashes of several other bands including some or all of the future Black Sabbath musicians, he sang lead on such albums as Black Sabbath (1970), Paranoid (1970), Master of Reality (1971), Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973) and Sabotage (1975), taking on the nickname the “Prince of Darkness.”
In 1978, Osbourne left the band for the first time, rejoining but lasting only for another year, when the other members of Black Sabbath–guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward and bassist Geezer Butler–ejected him from the group. Osbourne began his solo career with Blizzard of Ozz in 1980 and released 13 studio albums in all, becoming one of the most successful hard-rock artists of all time. Although he reunited with Black Sabbath on several occasions in subsquent years, Osbourne spent most of his time from the ’80s onward as a solo artist and leader of his own bands. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006 and as a solo artist in 2024.
Beginning in 2002, and for the next three years, Osbourne became a reality TV star along with his family in the MTV series The Osbournes. His wife, Sharon Osbourne, was instrumental in guiding her husband’s career and attending to his well-publicized personal issues from the early days of his career, and was by his side when he died.
Related: Musician and celebrity deaths of 2025
No Comments so far
Jump into a conversationNo Comments Yet!
You can be the one to start a conversation.