Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath Vocalist, Dead at 76

July 22, 2025

After a long 76 years of holding the title of the "Prince of Darkness," Ozzy Osbourne has sadly passed away. The rockstar maintained an outstanding legacy from leading Black Sabbath to becoming the godfather of metal. A loving father, and bandmate, Ozzy brought a whole new meaning to the genre of metal.

Fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 due to severe substance abuse, Ozzy went solo, creating his own music starting with "Crazy Train" in 1980. He later went on to create the albums "Bark at the Moon" and "The Ultimate Sin." In 1991, Ozzy created the album "No More Tears," and manufactured one of his best songs, "Mama I'm Coming Home."

Ozzy had several 'final' tours, all marking the supposed end of his reign as the "Prince of Darkness." His ACTUAL final performance took place on July 5, 2025, at the Villa Park in Birmingham, England. Ozzy was joined by several familiar faces in the rock and metal scene, including Metallica, Pantera, and Guns N' Roses. Ozzy and Black Sabbath took the stage one final time to wow the audience with Black Sabbath's "Paranoid," "War Pigs," "Iron Man, " and "N.I.B." Ozzy performed some of his own music as well, including "Mama I'm Coming Home," "I Don't Know," "Suicide Solution," "Mr. Crowley," and "Crazy Train."

Ozzy lived an eventful and chaotic life, but he was the Prince of Darkness, what else could you expect? Several artists in the metal and rock industry will carry on Ozzy's long and impactful legacy, but the pain that fills some metal enthusiasts' hearts today may take time to go away.

Matt Weed

News Director at 88.3 FM / WXOU