Ozzy Osbourne

John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne (December 3, 1948 – July 22, 2025) was a legendary English singer, songwriter, and media icon known as the “Prince of Darkness.” As the frontman of the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, Ozzy helped shape the genre with groundbreaking albums like Paranoid, Master of Reality, and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. His distinct voice and dark, theatrical presence made him a cornerstone of metal music and a global rock legend.

After his departure from Black Sabbath in 1979, Osbourne launched a massively successful solo career beginning with the release of Blizzard of Ozz in 1980. His first seven solo albums went multi-platinum in the U.S., spawning iconic hits like “Crazy Train” and “Mr. Crowley.” Across both solo and Sabbath eras, Ozzy sold over 100 million records worldwide.

Osbourne’s cultural impact extended beyond music. In the early 2000s, he gained new fame as a reality TV star in the Emmy-winning series The Osbournes, which showcased the chaos and charm of his home life with wife Sharon and kids Kelly and Jack. He later co-starred in Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour and The Osbournes Want to Believe, blending supernatural curiosity with father-son bonding.

Honors flowed throughout his life: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (2006 with Black Sabbath, 2024 solo), UK Music Hall of Fame (2005, both solo and with Sabbath), Hollywood Walk of Fame, Birmingham Walk of Stars, and the MTV Global Icon Award. He also received the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2015.

Whether screaming across a stadium stage or bumbling through a kitchen on MTV, Ozzy Osbourne remained larger than life. His legacy lives on in every riff-heavy anthem, reality TV moment, and headbanger’s playlist.