Ozzy Osbourne, Legendary Singer of Black Sabbath, Dies at 76
According to CinemaDrame news agency, Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary singer of Black Sabbath, known as the “Prince of Darkness,” passed away at the age of 76. He won a Grammy Award in 1994 for Best Metal Performance.
Osbourne battled drug and alcohol addiction for years and was known for controversial antics such as biting the head off a bat during a live concert. In his later years, he faced increasing health issues, partly due to a car accident in 2003 and a fall in 2019. That same year, Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and later contracted COVID-19.
Born in Birmingham, Osbourne grew up in Aston with five siblings before working in a car factory and later a slaughterhouse as a teenager. After being accused of stealing clothes and his father refusing to pay the fine, he spent a brief period in jail.
Known as the “Godfather of Metal,” Osbourne turned to music in 1967 and became the lead singer of the band Rare Breed, but left after just two performances. He then formed the band Earth with Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward, which soon changed its name to Black Sabbath.
Black Sabbath’s debut album in 1970 received negative reviews but opened the doors to fame and later inspired countless metal bands. That same year, they released Paranoid, featuring popular songs like “Iron Man” and “War Pigs.”
Around that time, Osbourne met his future wife Sharon Arden but was previously married to Thelma Riley, with whom he had two children before divorcing in 1982. After starting a relationship with Sharon in 1989, Osbourne, under the influence of drugs, attempted to strangle her. In the documentary Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne, he reflected on that moment: “I’ve never been that calm in my life. Pure calm. But it’s not one of my greatest achievements.”
Thirty-five years later, Sharon experienced similar turmoil, including a public cheating scandal in 2016, claiming her husband had affairs with six different women. Their tumultuous life was portrayed in the MTV reality show The Osbournes from 2002 to 2005.
