Ozzy Osbourne the gloomy demon invoking lead singer of band Black Sabbath who became throaty druga and alcohol ravaged id of heavy metal die Tuesday weeks after his fareweel show.
He was 76.
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“It is with more sadness mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzzy Osbourne has passed away this morning.
He was with family and surrounded by love.
We aske everyone to repsect family privacy at this time a family statement from Briminghan England said.
In 2020 he announced he had Parkinso disease after suffering fall.
The Big Bang of heavy metal
Black Sabbath 1969 self title debut LP has been likened to Big Bang of heavy metal.
It came during height of Vietnam War and crashed hippie party dripping menace and foreboding.
The cover of record was spooky figure against stark landscape.
The music was angry dense and loud and marked a shift in rock n roll.
The band second album “Parnoid included classic metal tunes as War Pigs Iron Man and fairies Wear Boots. The Song Paranoid reached No 61 on Billboard Hot 100 but bacame in the band signature song.
Albums were voted among top 10 greatest heavy metal albums of all time by readers of Rolling Stone magazine.
Sabbath fired Osborne in 1979 for legendary excesses like showing up late for rehearsals and missing gigs.
“We knew we did not really have choice but to sack him because he was just so out of control. we were all down about the situation.”
“Black Sabbath are Beatles of heavy metal.Anybody who is serious about metal will tell you it all comes down to Sabbath”
“There is a direct lien you can draw back from today metal through Eighties bands like Iron Maiden back to Sabbath”
Osbourne reemerged next year as solo artist with Blizzard of Ozz and the following year Diary of a Madman both hard rock classic that went multiplatinum and spawned enduring favorites like Crazy Train GoodBye to Romance Flying High Again and You Can not Kill Rock and Roll was twice inducted to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame once with Sabbath in 2006 and again in 2024 as artist.
The Sabbath lineup reutied for first time in 20 years in July what Osbourne said would be final concert.
“Let the madness start” he told 42,000 fans in Birmingham.
Metallica, Guns N Roses, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Anthrax, Rival Sons and Mastodon all did sets.
Tom Morello, Aersomith Steven Tyler, Billy Corgan, Ronnie Wood made appearance.
Actor Jason Momoa was host for festivities.
Black Sabbath we would all be different people without them that is the truth said Pantera singer Phil Anselmo.
“I know I would not be up here with a microphone in my hand without Black Sabbath.”
Courting controversy — and wholesomeness
Obsourne was not likely to back down from controversy. He had last laugh when TV eveangelist the Rev. Jimmy Swaggart in 1986 various rock groups and rock magazines as new pornography prompting retailers to pull Osbourne album.
A whole new Osbourne would be announced when The Osbournes which ran on MTV from 2002-2005 showed self proclaimed madman drinking Diet Cokes as he struggle to find History Channel on new satellite tv or warning his children not to smoke or dring before they embarked on night on town.
Thelma Riley and Osbourne married in 1971 Osbourne adopted her son Elliot Kingsley and they had two more kids Jessica and Louis.
Osbourne met his wife then Sharon Levy who became her own celebrity persona when she was running her father Los Angeles Office.
Her father was Don Arden a tope concert promoter and manager.
She went to Osbourne hotel in Los Angeles to collect money which Osbourne had spent on drugs.
The beginnings of Black Sabbath
John Michael Osbourne was raised in gritty city of Brimingham. Kids in school nicknamed his Ozzy.
As a boy he loved the Four Seasons, Chuck Berry and Little Richard.
“They came from Liverpool which was 60 miles north of where I come from” he told Billboard.
“So all of sudden it was in my grasp but i never thought it would be as succesful as it became”
In late 1960 Osbourne had teamed up with Butler guitarist Tony lommi and drummer Bill Ward as the Polka Tulk Blues Band.
They decided to rename the band Earth, but found to dismay there was another band with that name. So they change the name to American title of the classic Italian horror movie “I Tre Volti Dlla Paura” starring Boris Karloff Black Sabbath.
Once they foud sludgy ominous groove the band was productive putting out their self title debut and Paranoi in 1970, “Master of Reality” in 1971 “Vol 4” in 1972 and “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” in 1973.
The music was about industrial guitar riffs and disorienting changes in time signatures along with lyrics that spoke doom and alienation.
“People think I am insane because I am frowining all time”
“All day long I thin of things but nothing seems to satisfy/Think I shall lose my mind if i do not find something to pacify”.
The Guardian newspaper in 2009 added the band introduced working class anger stoner sludge grooves and witchy horror rock to flower power.
Black Sabbath empty platitudes of 1960s and along with Altamont and Charles Manson cetrainyl helped kill of hippy counterculture.
After Sabbath Osbourne had uncanny knack for calling some of young guitarists of his side.
When he went solo he hired brilliant innovator Rhoads who played on two of Osbourne finest solo albums Blizzard of Ozz.