Ozzy Osbourne, an iconic heavy metal singer and frontman for Black Sabbath, has died at age 76.
“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,” his family said in a statement.
Just weeks ago, Osbourne had reunited with his bandmates for a farewell show in Birmingham's Villa Park soccer stadium — his home city in England.
According to The Guardian, he was born John Michael Osbourne in 1948. His parents were factory workers, and he had a tough childhood — something he talked about in various interviews over his career.
Black Sabbath released its first, self-titled album in 1969. The band has long been considered the pioneers of the heavy metal genre. Their second album, titled “Paranoid,” included the notable tracks “War Pigs,” “Iron Man” and “Fairies Wear Boots.”
Osbourne began a successful solo career after getting kicked out of the band in 1979. His solitude spawned enduring hits like "Crazy Train" and "You Can’t Kill Rock and Roll."
In 1982, he gained even more notoriety — and cemented his nickname as the "Prince of Darkness" — when he bit the head off of a bat that he believed to be a stage prop while performing in Iowa.
Later, he secured his fame as a household name when he and his family starred in a reality TV show, "The Osbournes," in the early 2000s on MTV.
Osbourne was twice inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — once with Black Sabbath in 2006 and again as a solo artist last year.
He is survived by Sharon, and their three children — Kelly, Aimee and Jack — as well as his eldest son, Louis, from a previous marriage, The Associated Press stated.
