Ozzy Osbourne – Prince of Darkness - dies!

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne, the famous musician and lead vocalist of Black Sabbath, passed away on July 22, 2025, at the age of 76, due to Parkinson's disease and other health issues. The title of his song "You Can't Kill Rock and Roll" reflects his indomitable spirit.

The Unruly Teenager and Heavy Metal

When Black Sabbath released their second album Paranoid in 1970, I bought it on cassette tape. The song "Paranoid" hit me like an electric bolt. I loved the power chords and riffs of Tony Iommi on his loose-stringed guitar, along with Ozzy's unique voice delivering the lyrics in a high pitch. I didn't stop listening to this album for quite some time. I recognized the raw emotions and they deeply affected me. This was one of the influences that inspired me to learn the electric guitar a little later. We, the fans of Black Sabbath, thought that we were cooler, more open-minded, wilder, and closer to each other compared to those who didn't understand Black Sabbath at all. Just like our parents, they didn't realize that we were forerunners of a new generation with a fresh perspective on the world. Music and its stars were a gateway for us to a different life, a new life.

Although no other Ozzy album had the same powerful effect on me, I kept up with what he was doing in his career and life. He was always a capable performer, not just a musician.

When he was kicked out of Black Sabbath due to excessive drug and alcohol use, Sharon Arden became his manager, and he began a new, very successful career. Sharon and Ozzy quickly became lovers, and they married in 1982.

I loved the song Crazy Train from his first solo album Blizzard of Ozz. He released about 25 solo albums, along with many singles and videos. He also sang on 10 Black Sabbath albums. His career lasted nearly sixty years.

“Crazy Train”

There was no order or organization in Ozzy's life. To tell the truth, Ozzy's life was out of control. In January 1982, he bit the head off a live bat on stage. Ozzy said he thought it was a toy. He had to undergo a rabies vaccination after that incident.

Later that year, Ozzy was arrested for urinating on the Alamo in Texas, and he was banned from performing on stage in San Antonio for 10 years.

In 1989, Ozzy was arrested for attempting, while drunk, to strangle his wife (and manager) Sharon. Although she didn't press charges, he had to spend six months in rehabilitation. He had a serious substance abuse problem for most of his life, cycling in and out of rehabilitation centers as he struggled to get clean. "I always abused drugs and alcohol as self-medication, as I never liked myself," Osbourne said in 2021. "I had great success in my life, but I never felt good about myself. And so, from a very young age, I was sniffing glue, all kinds of stuff, anything to get me out of my head." This struggle is clearly visible in various documentaries - such as God Bless Ozzy Osbourne (2009).

After No More Tears (1991), he announced he would be retiring from touring, but he returned to the stage again and again. He and Sharon created Ozzfest in the mid-1990s, and Ozzy became a heavy metal entrepreneur. He nearly died after an accident on an all-terrain vehicle in 2003. But he came back strong and he and his daughter Kelly topped the charts with the duet Changes. His dangerous ways were boundless, but he always found a way to keep going.

Ozzy also found success on television. When The Osbournes premiered on MTV in 2002, it showcased the chaotic life of Ozzy, Sharon, and their children. This show appealed to a new generation, showing them that although Ozzy's life was out of control, and despite being a rock star, the 'Prince of Darkness', as he was known, was a devoted father.

Extraordinary Royal Elder

Ozzy was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Black Sabbath in 2006.

Even in his sixties and seventies, Ozzy was working hard. He organized a 'comeback' tour for Black Sabbath in 2016. He sang Take What You Want with Post Malone, a song that was very popular in 2019. He often reflected on the impact his music had on his fans. "If I inspire a feeling in anyone else, my work is done." He also earned recognition from the music industry with a Grammy Award for the song I Don't Want to Change the World in 1994. Early in July 2025, he performed a farewell concert at Villa Park in Birmingham, ending the night with Paranoid alongside the other original members of Sabbath - Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. Less than three weeks later, Ozzy passed away. He revealed that he had a type of Parkinson's disease in 2020. Ultimately, this condition was the cause of his death.

Ozzy is survived by his wife Sharon and children from his marriages to Thelma Riley and Sharon. Beyond the incredible headlines and scandals, he leaves a musical legacy that had a massive impact on the world and shaped rock music forever. Black Sabbath created a new genre - heavy metal. Dave Navarro of Rolling Stone said Black Sabbath was the "Beatles of heavy metal." The influence of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne continues to this day.

I feel Ozzy's death is both overdue and too soon. Overdue because no one thought, not even him, that he would live this long, given his addiction problems. Too soon, as we always hope our icons will live forever. Although Ozzy's crazy train has finally reached the end of the line, his influence on music and fans will continue forever.