How Weird Was Too Weird for Ozzy Osbourne? Prince of Darkness, Rock’s Wildest Legend Dies

Asianet News English

Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic Black Sabbath frontman and godfather of heavy metal, has died at 76, just weeks after his final farewell concert. Known for his wild antics, from biting the head off a bat to tossing raw meat into crowds, Ozzy’s unpredictable stage presence defined a generation and earned him a cult following and controversy alike. Beyond music, he became a pop culture phenomenon with the reality show The Osbournes, showing a more personal side to the ‘Prince of Darkness.’ In this video, we delve into how weird and unforgettable Ozzy truly was, celebrating his legacy and remembering his lasting impact on rock and roll.&nbsp;

Transcript

00:00Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of heavy metal group Black Sabbath, died on 22 July

00:162025 at the age of 76, just weeks after he gave an epic farewell concert. The hell-raising singer,

00:24who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, passed away just over a fortnight after

00:30playing a final gig before a sold-out crowd in his home city of Birmingham in England.

00:37A family statement read,

00:39It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved

00:44Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love.

00:50We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time. Tributes poured in for the

00:56notorious figure nicknamed the Prince of Darkness, who once bit off the head of a bat while on stage.

01:04His original bandmates posted tributes on social media with guitarist Tony Iommi saying,

01:09There won't be another like him. And bassist Geezer Butler saying,

01:14So glad we got to do it one last time back in Aston.

01:17Drummer Bill Ward said,

01:20Ozzy Osbourne would forever be in his heart. And signed off his post with never goodbye.

01:26Thank you forever.

01:27Music icon Elton John praised Osbourne as a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon

01:33of rock gods, a true legend. He wrote on Instagram,

01:37He was also one of the funniest people I've ever met. I will miss him dearly.

01:42Rolling Stones member Ronnie Wood said, He was very sad to learn of Osbourne's death.

01:48Osbourne was instrumental in pioneering heavy metal, an offshoot of hard rock,

01:54as Black Sabbath enjoyed huge commercial success in the 1970s and 80s after forming in Birmingham in 1968.

02:03Black Sabbath's eponymous 1970 debut album made the UK top 10 and paved the way for a string of hit records,

02:12including their most famous song, Paranoid.

02:16Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready posted on X,

02:19When I was in high school, I discovered Sabbath.

02:22It was Ozzy's voice that took me away to a dark universe, a great escape.

02:28Thanks for the music, Ozzy. It makes our journey in life better.

02:33Black Sabbath went on to sell more than 75 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

02:43Osbourne was added for a second time last year as a solo artist.

02:47He gained huge notoriety along the way for his outlandish stunts,

02:55many of them fuelled by a hedonistic lifestyle involving the lavish use of drugs and alcohol.

03:03His live performances at the height of his hedonism have gone down in rock folklore,

03:09particularly a 1982 gig in Des Moines, in Iowa, when he bit the head of a bat on stage.

03:17Osbourne said he thought a fan had thrown a fake rubber bat on stage

03:21and it was not until he took a bite that he realised it was real.

03:26He told a US TV host in 1982,

03:30I can assure you the rabies shots I went through afterwards are not fun.

03:35Osbourne is also rumoured to have snorted a line of ants up his nose

03:40and once urinated on a structure commemorating Wall Dead.

03:44His public persona took a new turn with the reality television series The Osbournes in the 2000s,

03:51which followed the ups and downs of his family life alongside wife Sharon,

03:56whom he married in 1982, and their three children.

04:00Born John Michael Osbourne on 3 December 1948 in Birmingham,

04:05he left school at 15 and did odd jobs including factory work,

04:09before teaming up with school friend Butler in several bands,

04:13and before finding success with Black Sabbath.

04:16He paused touring in 2023 after extensive spinal injury.

04:21Osbourne suffered a fall at home in 2019,

04:25which aggravated injury from a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003.

04:29He released his 12th studio album Ordinary Man in 2020,

04:35followed by Patient No. 9 in 2022,

04:38which went to No. 3 and 2 in the UK charts, respectively.

04:43Osbourne brought the curtain down on a wild career on 5th July,

04:47when Black Sabbath rattled through their most iconic songs

04:50in front of 40,000 adoring fans in Villa Park,

04:54home of Premier League football club Aston Villa.

04:57He was joined by original bandmates Butler, Iommi and Ward for the concert,

05:03dubbed Back to the Beginning, their first gig together in 20 years.

05:08Osbourne, stylish to the very end, held coat from a giant leather throne topped with a bat.

05:15Osbourne told the crowd after finishing the set with Paranoid,

05:19it's the last song ever.

05:21Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle.

05:24Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

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