Legendary frontman Ozzy Osbourne has passed away at age 76 on July 22, 2025, weeks after his farewell performance. The Osbourne family announced, “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.”
The “Prince of Darkness” performed his final show, Back to the Beginning, on July 5, 2025, at Birmingham’s Villa Park, reuniting with Black Sabbath’s original lineup—Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—for the first time since 2005. Seated on a bat-winged throne due to Parkinson’s disease, Osbourne told 40,000 fans, “You’ve no idea how I feel – thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
The star-studded event, featuring Metallica, Slayer, Mastodon, Guns N’ Roses, and others, was hailed by Metal Hammer as the “heavy metal Live Aid.” Osbourne’s pioneering work with Black Sabbath on albums like Paranoid and Master of Reality defined heavy metal, while his solo career, launched with Blizzard of Ozz (1980), produced hits like Crazy Train.
As a fan, I’m still in disbelief I got to see Black Sabbath and then Ozzy live. Thank you for the legacy, the music, the emotions and for changing the world!