LONDON: Ozzy Osbourne, the heavy metallic icon and frontman of British rock band Black Sabbath, has died on the age of 76, the BBC reported on Tuesday (Jul 22), citing a press release from his household.
Nicknamed the “Prince of Darkness” and the “Godfather of Heavy Metallic”, Osbourne rose to fame within the Nineteen Seventies with hits reminiscent of Paranoid, Warfare Pigs and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Recognized for his distinctive voice, theatrical performances and darkish, riff-driven sound, he bought greater than 100 million data worldwide throughout his profession.
Osbourne earned notoriety in 1982 after biting the top off a bat thrown on stage by a fan – an incident he mentioned he mistook for a toy earlier than speeding to hospital for a rabies shot. He later embraced the second, promoting bat-themed merchandise together with plush toys with detachable heads.
His wild way of life, fuelled by years of drug and alcohol abuse, made him a goal for conservative and spiritual teams, who accused him of selling dangerous messages. Osbourne denied accusations of satan worship, saying in his 2010 biography: “I’ve performed some dangerous issues in my time. However I ain’t the satan. I am simply John Osbourne: a working class child from Aston who stop his job within the manufacturing unit and went searching for a great time.”
Born John Michael Osbourne, he grew up within the working-class neighbourhood of Aston in Birmingham, England, the fourth of six youngsters. He struggled with dyslexia, left faculty at 15, and cycled by means of a collection of jobs earlier than serving a quick jail sentence for housebreaking. His life modified when he joined Black Sabbath in 1969.
“I wouldn’t have put cash on me making it to 60,” he mentioned later. “No means.”
A brand new technology got here to know Osbourne within the 2000s by means of the truth TV present The Osbournes, which chronicled his home life with spouse Sharon and youngsters Jack, Kelly and Aimee. The present, which premiered in 2002, portrayed the rock star in a softer mild and gained a big following.
He’s survived by Sharon, their youngsters, and several other grandchildren.
