Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (3 December 1948 – 22 July 2025) was an English heavy metal singer.
Ozzy Osbourne | |
|---|---|
 Osbourne in 2010 | |
| Born | John Michael Osbourne 3 December 1948 Marston Green, England |
| Died | 22 July 2025 (aged 76) Birmingham,[1] England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation |
|
| Spouse(s) | Thelma Riley
(m. 1971; div. 1982) |
| Children | 6, including Aimee, Kelly and Jack |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Heavy metal[2] |
| Instruments | Vocals, Harmonica |
| Years active | 1967–2025 |
| Labels | Epic, CBS, Jet |
| Associated acts | Black Sabbath |
| Website | ozzy |
| Signature | |
 | |
Early life
Osbourne was born in Marston Green Hospital in Marston Green, England.[3] He grew up in Aston, Birmingham, England. He has dyslexia.[4] He was convicted of burglary when he was a teenager,[4] for which he was fined. He was sent to prison for not paying the fine.
Career
Osbourne was the lead singer for Black Sabbath between 1968 and 1978. He joined again in 1997 for occasional tours. Osbourne and Bob Daisley wrote a song called 'Suicide Solution', which was released on Blizzard of Ozz. It was heavily ridiculed claiming it was about suicide, which coincided with the words "shoot, shoot" whispered in the song.[5] Osbourne was replaced by former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio in June 1979. However, Daisley states it's about Osbourne’s substance and alcohol abuse. He bit the head off of a bat on stage while on a solo tour in Des Moines, Iowa supporting the Bark at the Moon album.
Osbourne released his first solo album, Blizzard of Ozz in 1980.
On 5 July 2025, Osbourne performed his final show at the Back to the Beginning concert event, having announced earlier in the year that this would be his last live performance due to his health.[6]
Personal life
He and his wife Sharon had three children together: Aimee, Kelly and Jack. He also has three children from his first marriage to Thelma Riley:[7] Elliot, Jessica, and Louis.
Health and death
Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2000, which he publicly revealed in January 2020.[8]
In 2020, Osbourne also revealed that he had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema.[9]
Osbourne died on 22 July 2025 at the age of 76, after years of battling Parkinson's disease.[10][11]
Solo albums
- Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
- Diary of a Madman (1981)
- Bark at the Moon (1983)
- The Ultimate Sin (1986)
- No Rest for the Wicked (1988)
- No More Tears (1991)
- Ozzmosis (1995)
- Down to Earth (2001)
- Under Cover (cover album, 2005)
- Black Rain (2007)
- Scream (2010)
- Ordinary Man (2020)
- Patient Number 9 (2022)
Filmography
- Yakety Yak, Take it Back (1991) ... Himself
Ozzy Osbourne Media
Trade ad for Black Sabbath's album Black Sabbath (1970). From left to right: Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, Ozzy Osbourne.
Osbourne (bottom left) with Black Sabbath in 1972
British heavy metal band Black Sabbath.
Osbourne performing at California Jam in Ontario, California, 1974
Osbourne singing at Black Sabbath's The End performance in Birmingham in February 2017
Osbourne performing in Cardiff in 1981
Osbourne's Diary of a Madman LP (bottom) on display at the Home of Metal Exhibition at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in Birmingham, his hometown
Osbourne on tour in Japan in April 1999
Osbourne with the Mayor of Birmingham (right), his home city
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References
- ↑ Flanagan, Andrew; Limbong, Andrew (22 July 2025). "Ozzy Osbourne, heavy metal icon, dies at 76". NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/07/22/833512508/ozzy-osbourne-black-sabbath-obituary. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ↑ "Black Sabbath". AllMusic.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- ↑ Cannon, Matt (2018-08-07). "Ozzy Osbourne's first home revealed - and it's not in Aston". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Beverly Hills' batty Brit
- ↑ VH1: Behind The Music--Ozzy Osbourne, VH1. Paramount Television, 1998.
- ↑ "Ozzy Osbourne Backs Out Of Retirement?". AlternativeNation.net. 3 July 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ↑ "Ozzy Osbourne and Thelma Riley". Archived from the original on 2012-01-11. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
- ↑ "Ozzy Osbourne reveals Parkinson's diagnosis" (in en-GB). BBC News. 2020-01-21. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-51191615. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
- ↑ "Ozzy Osbourne: 'If I'd have gone to church I'd still be there now, confessing all my sins!'". GQ. 26 November 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
- ↑ Peplow, Gemma (2025-07-22). "Ozzy Osbourne dies just weeks after farewell show". Sky News. https://news.sky.com/story/ozzy-osbourne-dies-just-weeks-after-farewell-show-13400248. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ↑ "Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76". ITV News Central (ITV). 22 July 2025. https://www.itv.com/news/central/2025-07-22/black-sabbath-frontman-ozzy-osbourne-has-died-at-the-age-of-76. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
Other websites
- The Official Ozzy Osbourne Website
- Ozzy Osbourne - Discography
- Metal Storm - Ozzy Osbourne - Discography