Ozzy Osbourne’s final photo: Black Sabbath star snapped beaming on stage just days before death
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This is the final photo of Ozzy Osbourne before his death at the age of 76.
The star could be seen beaming on stage during a farewell concert at Villa Park Stadium, the home of his beloved Aston Villa, less than three weeks before his passing.
The rocker reunited with all his original Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the first time since 2005 to bid an emotional farewell to his decades of performing live on stage.
In the snap, Osbourne took in the adulation of a sell-out crowd while sitting in a black throne, dressed in all black.
Looking emotional, he told his adoring supporters: ‘You have no idea how I feel – thank you from the bottom of my heart.’
In a statement following his death, Osbourne’s family said: ‘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. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.’
Black Sabbath’s official X account said, ‘Ozzy Forever!’, adding the picture of him at Villa Park.
The final photo of Ozzy Osbourne before his death at the age of 76 has been released
Osbourne had a career that was defined by his antics both on and off-stage (Pictured: The star leaving hospital, left, on June 16, 2022, after a major back operation; Osbourne performing with Black Sabbath in 1978, right
Rockband Metallica led the tributes to metal icon, taking to X to post an old photo with Osbourne, captioning it with a broken heart emoji.
Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood took to social media to say: ‘I am so very sad to hear of the death of Ozzy Osbourne.
‘What a lovely goodbye concert he had at Back To The Beginning in Birmingham.’
He added a picture of him and Osbourne, along with Slash from AC/DC and guitarist Jeff Beck.
Elton John posted: ‘So sad to hear the news of @ozzyosbourne passing away.
‘He was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods – a true legend. He was also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. I will miss him dearly. To Sharon and the family, I send my condolences and love.
‘Elton xx’
Sir Rod Stewart also shared a moving tribute. In a statement, the Maggie May star said: ‘Bye, bye Ozzy. Sleep well, my friend. I’ll see you up there – later rather than sooner, ‘ before signing off ‘Sir Rod Stewart.’
His football team Aston Villa posted: ‘Aston Villa Football Club is saddened to learn that world-renowned rockstar and Villan, Ozzy Osbourne has passed away.
‘Growing up in Aston, not far from Villa Park, Ozzy always held a special connection to the club and the community he came from.
‘The thoughts of everyone at Aston Villa are with his wife Sharon, his family, friends, and countless fans at this extremely difficult time. Rest in peace, Ozzy.’
Sean Lennon, son of Beatles legend John, said: ‘One of the greatest of all time. @OzzyOsbourne R.I.P’
The Smashing Pumpkins X account posted: ‘We ❤️ you too, Ozzy’, along with a video of Sharon talking about her husband.
Tributes started pouring in for the heavy metal pioneer in the moments after his family announced his death
Rapper Ice T said: ‘RIP Ozzy. Right after the recent huge Black Sabbath final concert. Sad.. In my opinion the Creators of Heavy Metal’
Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready posted: ‘Sad to hear Ozzy died today. When I was in high school I discovered Sabbath. “War Pigs” was terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time. It was Ozzy’s voice that took me away to a dark universe. A great escape.
‘Then when The “Blizzard of Ozz” record came out I was instantly a fan. Randy Rhoads was an influence on me to play lead guitar. Luckily I got to play on the song “Immortal” on the last record.
‘Thanks for the music, Ozzy it makes our journey in life better. Mike McCready’
Pop duo Jedward added: ‘Rip Ozzy Osbourne sending love to Sharon and Kelly and Jack and the whole family.’
Hollywood star Jason Mamoa wrote on Instagram, ‘Love you @ozzyosbourne. All my aloha @sharonosbourne and ohana. So grateful. RIP’, adding a picture of him with Sharon and Ozzy.
Meanwhile, Leigh Francis said: ‘The saddest news this evening. All the Osbourne family have always been so kind to me. The loveliest people. Sending love and magical powers to @sharonosbourne @jackosbourne @kellyosbourne RIP @ozzyosbourne x’
Whether it was biting the head off both a bat and a dove, snorting a line of ants or urinating on a US war memorial whilst wearing one of his wife Sharon’s dresses, Osbourne was defined by his antics both on and off stage.
The star was a titan of music who somehow survived controversies that would end the careers of many others, and weathered health problems that would leave most of us on our backs.
The death of the man who invented headbanging ends the final chapter of a life that was marked by both dizzying success and fame but also scandal, abuse and even prison time.
The singer, who sold more than 100 million records, will forever be synonymous with the heavy metal band he formed in his home city of Birmingham with Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler in 1969.
With hits that included Iron Man, War Pigs and Paranoid, Black Sabbath’s pushing of occult themes proved both hugely popular and controversial, with a future pope even condemning Osbourne for his ‘subliminal satanic influence’.
Osbourne’s most infamous moment came when he bit the head off a bat that had been thrown on stage during a solo performance. He later claimed he thought it was made of rubber.
After being thrown out of the band in 1979 due to his drug-fuelled antics, Osbourne forged a hugely successful solo career, with hits that included Crazy Train and Hellraiser.
But his hellraising off stage continued. In 1989 he attempted to kill Sharon while high on drugs, and seven years before that he urinated on the treasured Alamo Cenotaph in Texas, an act that saw him banned from San Antonio for a decade.
He was also injured in a quad bike crash at his UK home in 2003, an episode that had a serious impact on his fragile health.
Yet there was also redemption for the troubled singer, who relaunched himself as a reality tv star in The Osbournes in the early 2000s, after getting clean from drink and drugs with the help of Sharon.
The singer, who sold more than 100million records, will forever be synonymous with the heavy metal band he formed in his home city of Birmingham with Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler in 1969. Above: Osbourne (far right) with Butler (left), Iommi (second from left) and Ward in the 1970s
Osbourne and his wife Sharon and their children Aimee, Kelly and Jack, are pictured at their US home in 1987. He and Sharon married in 1982
Osbourne relaunched himself as a reality tv star in The Osbournes in the early 2000s, after getting clean from drink and drugs with the help of Sharon. It saw two of his and Sharon’s children, Kelly and Jack, become stars in their own right, whilst their other daughter Aimee declined to appear. Above: Osbourne with Sharon, Jack and Kelly
Osbourne recovered from his drink and drug problems with the help of his wife Sharon. Pictured: The pair at the Grammy Awards in January 2020
It saw two of his and Sharon’s children, Kelly and Jack, become stars in their own right, whilst their other daughter Aimee declined to appear.
There was a return too to Black Sabbath in 1997, when the original line-up got back together.
Five years later, he and Iommi were an unlikely part of the star-studded lineup at the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace, where they performed Paranoid.
Two decades after what seemed like the band’s final appearance on stage, Sabbath got back together again for an emotional farewell in July in front of thousands at Villa Park in Birmingham.
Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948, the singer was raised by his parents Lilian and John with three older sisters and two younger brothers in a small two-bedroom home in Birmingham.
The family of eight grew up poor and Ozzy said it was difficult because his parents were always fighting about money.
Their strained marriage meant Ozzy did not speak to his parents after he was repeatedly sexually abused, aged 11, by two bullies.
He was a persistent truant from school and suffered from both attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia, whilst his violent streak made an early appearance when he once attacked a teacher with an iron bar.
Osbourne left education at 15 and found work as a labourer and abattoir worker. He admitted later that he ‘loved killing animals’.
However, Osbourne then turned to petty crime. After stealing a television and baby clothes just before his 18th birthday, he was arrested and spent six weeks behind bars because his father refused to pay his £40 fine.
Ozzy Osbourne is pictured as a child and during his early years with Black Sabbath, in 1973. The band quickly formed a reputation for their occult themes
Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948, the singer was raised by his parents Lilian and John with three older sisters and two younger brothers in a small two-bedroom home in Birmingham
Ozzy Osbourne is pictured in 1970, the year after he formed Black Sabbath. The band was initially named Earth but its name was changed to Black Sabbath soon after
Osbourne is seen above on his wedding day in 1982 with Sharon, her parents Hope (far left) and Don Arden and his mother Lillian (second from right) and sister Jean
After having daughter Aimee, now 38, in 1983, Osbourne and Sharon went on to have Kelly, 37, in 1984, and Jack, 36, in 1985. Above: The family are pictured shortly after the birth of Jack
A portrait of Ozzy Osbourne, dressed as a 1950s housewife, ironing his daughter Aimee in 1983. Aimee is now less high-profile than her siblings Jack and Kelly, after refusing to appear in reality TV hit The Osbournes
He formed his first band, Rare Breed, at 19 with bassist Geezer Butler.
When the pair fell out with their bandmates, they joined Iommi and Ward to set up Black Sabbath in 1968, which was first named Earth.
They renamed the band in 1969 in tribute to their favourite horror film. The move set Osbourne, Iommi and Ward on the path to heavy metal royalty.
The group quickly established a reputation for dabbling with satanic and occult themes. One early critic wrote: ‘His baroque prophesies of doom were uttered against a background of a uniquely heavy guitar sound.’
Black Sabbath’s second album, Paranoid, featured some of their biggest commercial hits, including Iron Man, War Pigs and the title track.
The band continued their success with five consecutive platinum-selling albums in the US in three years.
Black Sabbath’s impact on music itself was enormous. They brought a heavy metal genre that had been in its infancy when they began to the attention of millions of fans.
The band signed Don Arden as their manager after the unexpected success of Paranoid. The decision was a life changing one for Ozzy who who would go on to marry Sharon, Arden’s daughter, on July 4, 1982.
Osbourne has two older children from his marriage to first wife Thelma Riley. Above: Osbourne with son Louis in 2009
Prior to his union with Sharon, Osbourne had been married to first wife Thelma Riley for 11 years, from 1971 until 1982. The pair had children Jessica and Louis together, whilst Osbourne also adopted Thelma’s son Eliot (pictured right)
Osbourne with daughters Kelly and Aimee, wife Sharon and son Jack in 2002 – the year that the family’s show The Osbournes began
Kelly Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne and Jack Osbourne attend the Pride of Britain awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel on September 28, 2015 in London
After having daughter Aimee, now 38, in 1983, the couple went on to have Kelly, 37, in 1984, and Jack, 36, in 1985.
Prior to his union with Sharon, Osbourne had been married to first wife Thelma Riley for 11 years, from 1971 until 1982.
The pair had children Jessica and Louis together, whilst Osbourne also adopted Thelma’s son Elliot.
Osbourne later said that his first marriage had been a mistake because of his constant touring and drug abuse.
He also admitted to being ‘abusive’ to Thelma. He said later: ‘I was totally abusive to my first wife. Physical abuse, mental abuse – you name it, I did it.
‘I hit her big time and I was a complete idiot.’
As Black Sabbath became more popular, Ozzy’s drug problem became increasingly disruptive. He was fired in 1979 after the band decided his addiction made him too unreliable.
But Ozzy was offered a solo deal by his former manager, who tasked Sharon with looking after him. His first album, Blizzard of Ozz, was a commercial hit and included the single Crazy Train.
Ozzy wanted to release doves into the sky as a sign of peace after signing the deal. But, in typical Ozzy style, he was high at the meeting with record executives and instead bit a dove’s head off.
A year later, he was in the headlines for the wrong reasons again.
In an effort to stop him going on drunken walks, Sharon decided to hide Ozzy’s clothes but he was undeterred and wore her dress to go out.
Ozzy eventually needed the toilet and urinated on the Cenotaph at the Alamo, the site of a historic battle in Texas. He was quickly arrested and banned from San Antonio for a decade.
The infamous biting off the head of a bat came at the beginning of 1982, during a performance in Des Moines, Iowa.
A fan had thrown the dead creature on stage and Osbourne, believing it was fake, bit into it. He had to be treated with a series of painful rabies shots.
His troubles with alcohol and drugs reached crisis point in 1989, when Osbourne attempted to strangle Sharon.
He later said that Sharon would not just ‘sit down and take’ his physical abuse, but would ‘return it knock for knock’.
Osbourne with Butler (left) and Iommi in the 1970s. Black Sabbath revolutionised the heavy metal genre, making themselves popular with millions of fans
Osbourne with Black Sabbath bandmates Iommi, Butler and Ward in 1976, the year that the band released album Technical Ecstasy
Osbourne infamously bit the head off a bat during a performance in Iowa in 1982 (left). Right: The singer posing with a fake bat between his teeth
Osbourne during solo performances in 1985 (left) and 1990 (right). The singer forged a successful solo career after being turfed out of Black Sabbath
She agreed not to press charges after the strangling episode and the singer was released on the understanding that he entered rehabilitation for his addiction problems.
Sharon forgave her husband’s violent episodes and helped transform him from a pariah to a music legend.
One testament to her efforts was the creation of the annual Ozzfest festival in the 1990s, which proved hugely lucrative.
Sharon too came up with the idea for the fly-on-the-wall documentary about her family that was filmed at their Beverly Hills home.
It proved a major hit for US network MTV, running between 2002 and 2005. Aimee however refused to take part and criticised her parents for their antics, despite the fact that the show won an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Programme.
It covered major events including Sharon’s 2002 colon cancer diagnosis and Osbourne’s quad bike crash in 2003. Sharon survived the cancer battle despite a poor prognosis.
Osbourne admitted that he ‘fell apart’ during his wife’s treatment, whilst Jack tried to take his own life due to the impact of his mother’s condition on his mental health.
The quad bike crash happened at his UK home in Buckinghamshire. The star’s heart stopped beating and he also broke his collar bone, eight ribs and neck vertebra.
A Daily Mail article from 1984 delved into the singer’s antics at the time, including how he had been banned from six American cities
Osbourne’s troubles with alcohol and drugs reached crisis point in 1989, when Osbourne attempted to strangle Sharon and he was arrested
Sharon came up with the idea for the fly-on-the-wall documentary about her family that was filmed at their Beverly Hills home. It proved a major hit for US network MTV, running between 2002 and 2005. Aimee however refused to take part and criticised her parents for their antics, despite the fact that the show won an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Programme
The show covered the aftermath of Osbourne’s quad bike crash at his UK home in 2003. His heart stopped beating and he also broke his collar bone, eight ribs and neck vertebra
The Daily Mail’s original reporting of Osbourne’s quad bike crash, which was witnessed by his children, noted how he nearly lost his arm
Sharon has forged her own career as a TV star, most famously as a judge on hit talent show the X Factor. She now hosts chat show The Talk on Talk TV.
Osbourne rejoined Black Sabbath in 1997 after he and the band’s other members had performed together at Ozzfest that year.
Along with Iommi, Osbourne performed Paranoid – Black Sabbath’s most famous song – at the Queen’s Golden Jubliee concert at Buckingham Palace in 2002.
In 2013, he helped to record the group’s final studio album, 13, which was released in 2013, after the band’s original line-up had gotten back together in 2011.
Their farewell tour – titled The End – was brought to a close with a performance in Birmingham in 2017.
Afterwards, Osbourne continued performing as a solo act, with his most recent album release, Ordinary Man, coming in February 2020.
However, his health problems continued to haunt him. He had to cancel shows in 2019 after a fall left him needing surgery on his neck.
He began to experience numbness which he thought was connected to his accident but in January 2020 Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Along with Iommi, Osbourne performed Paranoid – Black Sabbath’s most famous song – at the Queen’s Golden Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace in 2002. Osbourne was shocked by the invitation to appear. ‘I hardly think of myself as royal material,’ he said. ‘My wife told me, and I thought ‘You’re pulling my leg.” Above: The star meeting The Queen during the event
Ozzy and Sharon are seen putting their love for each other on display at the Pride of Britain awards in 2017. The singer repeatedly said how his lifestyle would have killed him if it wasn’t for his wife’s help
Osbourne and Sharon turned themselves and their children into TV stars with their documentary The Osbournes. Above: The singer with Sharon and Kelly in 2020
Black Sabbath’s solo tour – The End – saw them perform in locations across the world. Above: Osbourne with Butler, Iommi and Tommy Clufetos, who filled in for original drummer Ward
Osbourne is pictured eating an ice cream in hospital after his June 2022 operation, which his wife Sharon would ‘determine the rest of his life’
The frail star is pictured in May 2022 shortly before he went into hospital for his major back operation
The star underwent major spinal surgery in June 2022, which Sharon later said had been a success.
To help him recover, the family lodged plans for a rehab wing at their Buckinghamshire mansion.
The extension was to feature a self-contained nurse’s flat as well as ‘discreet grab rails and aids’ and ‘an abundance of stopping and sitting spaces’.
The plans also included a ‘health and exercise studio’ as well as a ‘pool house orangery’ and ‘garden room’.
In September 2023, he had yet another operation, this time on his neck once again. He said afterwards that it was his ‘last procedure’.
