Ozzy Osbourne helped invent heavy metal with Black Sabbath. He then dragged the genre out of its doom-laden early days and into the glitz and glamour of the 1980s arena rock era, becoming a staple of MTV. Along the way, he struggled with demons, including alcohol and drugs, while batting away accusations of being a Satanist.
Yet his “never say die” attitude always kept him in the spotlight, even during the years when rock was proclaimed dead. He and his wife (and manager), Sharon, turned their rock ‘n’ roll life into the stuff of a reality TV sitcom called “The Osbournes.” He also helped establish scores of music stars through his Ozzfest music festival of the 1990s and 2000s.
He saved what might have been his grandest performance for last. Just weeks before his death at 76, Osbourne headlined “Back to the Beginning.” The all-star heavy metal concert in hometown Birmingham, England, featured sets from the likes of Metallica and Guns n’ Roses before culminating with performances by Ozzy’s band and Black Sabbath.
“You’ve got no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” he told the crowd of thousands.
Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath in 1970.Chris Walter / WireImageBill Ward, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath with gold discs in London in 1973.Michael Putland / Getty ImagesOzzy Osbourne in 1973. Michael Putland / Getty ImagesOzzy Osbourne at the Odeon in London in 1976. Erica Echenberg / Redferns via Getty ImagesTony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath on the “Never Say Die” tour in London in 1978.Peter Still / RedfernsRock musician Ozzy Osbourne with his then-fiancée, Sharon Arden, in Los Angeles in 1981. Douglas Pizac / APOzzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads at the Rosemont Horizon, in Rosemont, Ill., in 1982.Paul Natkin / Getty ImagesOzzy Osbourne at home two weeks after the birth of his boy Jack in 1985.Mike Maloney / Mirrorpix via Getty ImagesOzzy Osbourne with his mother, Lilian, in 1986. Mirrorpix / Getty ImagesOzzy Osbourne at home with his family, from left, Kelly, Jack, Sharon and Aimee.Dave Hogan / Getty ImagesDavid Klein, right, of Los Angeles, was one of several hundred fans who showed up to meet rock star Ozzy Osbourne at the Golden Apple comic book store in West Hollywood in 1994.Brennan Linsley / APOzzy Osbourne performs onstage at the Brixton Academy in London in 1997.Martyn Goodacre / Getty Images fileOzzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly on “The Osbournes” season one in 2002.Michael Yarish / MTV / Getty ImagesOzzy Osbourne during a ceremony unveiling his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, Calif., in 2002.Lee Celano / AFP – Getty ImagesOzzy Osbourne films the video for his single “In My Life” in Battersea Park in London in 2004. Dave Hogan / Getty ImagesBritain’s then-Prince Charles with Ozzy Osbourne and British “X Factor” contestant Chico at a reception at Clarence House in London in 2006.Cathal McNaughton / APOzzy Osbourne, wife Sharon and daughter Kelly at their home in Buckinghamshire, England, in 2006.Dave Hogan / Getty ImagesOzzy Osbourne in London in 2010. Mick Hutson / RedfernsOzzy Osbourne during an “Ozzy & Friends” concert in Prague in 2012.Tomas Krist / isifa/Getty Images fileTony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath in the press room at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 2014.Jason LaVeris / FilmMagicTommy Clufetos, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi during “The End Tour” at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, N.Y., in 2016.Kevin Mazur / WireImageOzzy Osbourne at the “No More Tours 2” final world tour news conference at his Los Angeles home in 2018.Kevin Winter / Getty Images for Live NationOzzy Osbourne during the 2019 American Music Awards in Los Angeles.Kevin Mazur / AMA2019 / Getty Images for dcpKelly Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne at the Pre-Grammy Gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., in 2020.Steve Granitz / WireImage fileOzzy Osbourne at the “Back to the Beginning” concert by Black Sabbath at Villa Park in Aston, Birmingham, U.K., on July 5.Ross Halfin via Live Nation
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