British rocker Ozzy Osbourne has died aged 76

LONDON - Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76, his family announced in a statement quoted by Sky News television.

"It is with great sadness beyond words that we must announce that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect the privacy of our family at this time," the statement said.

Osbourne died just 16 days after a farewell concert in Birmingham. The concert was the first in twenty years to feature all the original members of Black Sabbath: guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward.

First, the 76-year-old Osbourne, who couldn't walk due to a spinal injury and sat on an improvised throne, played five of his most popular solo songs - I Don't Know, Mr. Crowley, Suicide Solution, Crazy Train and Mama, I'm Coming Home. Then, classic Black Sabbath hits such as War Pigs, N.I.B., Iron Man and Paranoid were performed. As the publication noted, Osbourne was presented with a cake at the end of the show and fireworks were set off.

The farewell concert, Back to the Beginning, which took place in his hometown of Birmingham, lasted about ten hours. The musical director of the event was Tom Morello, guitarist of Rage Against the Machine. The concert featured Metallica, Slayer, Guns N' Roses, Anthrax, Alice in Chains, Pantera, Halestorm, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Rival Sons, Tool and Gojira.

Black Sabbath was formed in Birmingham in 1968. The band, which has won three US Grammy Awards, has sold over 75 million albums worldwide. In 2006, Black Sabbath was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 1980, Osbourne launched his solo career and quickly became a rock star. His albums Blizzard of Ozz and No More Tears went quadruple platinum in the United States. The musician, nicknamed the Prince of Darkness, was inducted back into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2024. His last album, Patient 9, was released in 2022 and won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Compilation Album.

In 2023, Osbourne stopped touring due to ill health caused by a spinal injury he suffered in 2019. In 2020, Osbourne publicly announced that he was suffering from Parkinson's disease. Over the course of his more than half-century career, Osbourne has played a total of more than 2,500 concerts worldwide, including the Czech Republic.

Sky News/gnews.cz - GH