The Late Great Ozzy Osbourne

There are those eulogies on this blog that are harder to write than others. This is one of those eulogies. Black Sabbath has been a part of my life since I was a lad and I was a fan of Ozzy Osbourne's solo career from the beginning. Black Sabbath has always been my favourite heavy metal band of all time and one of my favourite rock bands, period. While he had his share of problems in his life, there can be no doubt that Ozzy Osbourne was a talented singer and songwriter, and a true pioneer in rock music. Sadly, Ozzy Osbourne died on July 22 2025 at the age of 76. In 2003 he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and he had health problems the past several years. He died seventeen days after Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning Concert in Birmingham, West Midlands.

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne was born on December 3 1948 in Marston Green, Warwickshire. His father was a toolmaker and his mother worked in a factory. He had three older sisters and two younger brothers. It was while he was in primary school that he picked up the nickname "Ozzy." At school he took part in plays. He was 14 when he became a Beatles fan, and it was their single "She Loves You" that inspired him to become a musician. 

Ozzy Osbourne left school when he was 15 years old. He worked a series of jobs, including construction worker, a plumber trainee, an apprentice toolmaker,a car horn tuner, and a slaughterhouse worker. He was 17 when he burglarized a clothing shop. Unable to pay the fine, he spent six weeks in Winson Green Prison. It was upon Ozzy Osbourne's release that his father took out a loan to buy him a sound system. Afterwards Ozzy Osbourne put an ad up in the window of Ringway Music that read, "Ozzy Zig Needs Gig--has own PA."

The ad attracted the attention of guitarist Terence "Geezer" Butler. who recruited Ozzy Osbourne as the lead vocalist for his band The Rare Breed. The Rare Breed lasted only briefly, but Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler later joined guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward in the Polka Tulk Blues Band, which also included  slide guitarist Jimmy Phillips and saxophonist Alan "Aker" Clarke. The band's name was shortened to "Polka Tulk" and then 'Earth" and Jimmy Phllips and Aker Clarke were dropped from the lineup. That name was dropped when it was learned there was already a band in England by that name. It was Geezer Buttler who suggested the name "Black Sabbath" in early 1969, taken from the 1963 movie of the same name, directed by Mario Bava and starring Boris Karloff. Along with the change in name, there was also a change in subject matter, with Black Sabbath drawing upon imagery from horror movies, fantasy, and science fiction. Geezer Butler, who had played rhythm guitar, switched to bass when Black Sabbath was formed.

It was in November 1969 that Black Sabbath was signed to Phillips Records in November 1969. Their first single, a cover of Crow's song "Evil Woman," was released on January 2 1970 in the UK. Their debut album, Black Sabbath, was released on Friday, February 13 1970 in the UK. While their debut single failed to chart, their debut album went to no. 8 on the UK album chart and no. 23 on the Billboard  album chart. Their second album, Paranoid, proved even more successful. It went to no. 1 on the UK album chart and no. 12 Billboard album chart. The first single from the album "Paranoid," went to no. 4 on the UK singles chart.  

Black Sabbath continued to see success in the Seventies. Their albums Master of Reality, Vol. 4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and Sabotage all peaking near the top of the charts in the United Kingdom and the United States. While Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die! both performed well in the United Kingdom, they ranked a little bit lower on the Billboard album chart than previous albums. Behind the scenes things were not always moving smoothly. In 1977, while Black Sabbath was in rehearsal for their next album, Ozzy Osbourne abruptly quite the band. Initially he planned on a solo project, but he had a change of heart and rejoined Black Sabbath in January 1978. They recorded Never Say Die!, which was released on September 29 1978.

Following the tour for Never Say Die!, Black Sabbath rented a house in Bel Air in Los Angeles, where they intended to work on their next album. Unfortunately at this point there was friction within the band, particularly between Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi. Ultimately, Ozzy Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath. He was replaced by Ronnie James Dio, formerly of Elf and Rainbow.

It was in late 1979 that Ozzy Osbourne formed a new band, the Blizzard of Ozz, which consisted of former Uriah Heep drummer Lee Kerslake, former Rainbow bassist Bob Daisley, former Rainbow keyboardist Don Airley, and former Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoads. Ozzy Osbourne's first solo album was named for the band,  Blizzard of Ozz. It was released on September 12 1980 and did well on both sides of the Atlantic. 

The Eighties would arguably the height of Ozzy Osbourne's solo career. His albums Diary of a Madman, Bark at the Moon, The Ultimate Sin, and No Rest for the Wicked all did well on the charts. In 1985 he reunited with the original members of Black Sabbath for a performance at Live Aid. It was in 1982 that Ozzy Osbourne experienced one of the great tragedies of his life when guitarist Randy Rhoads was killed in a plane crash. Ozzy Osbourne grieved heavily and their tour was cancelled for two weeks. 

Ozzy Osbourne would continue to see success in the Nineties. It was in 1996 that he launched the annual music festival Ozzfest. The festival proved to be successful and took place until 2018. Ozzfest would see original members of Black Sabbath reunite. Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and Tony Iommi reunited for the Ozzfest in 1997 and all four original members in 1999. The original members of Black Sabbath also recorded another album together, the live album Reunion. They toured together from 1997 to 1999. Ozzy Osbourne's solo career also continued to do well, with his albums No More Tears and Ozzmosis both doing well.

The Naughts would also be a busy decade for Ozzy Osbourne. The reality show The Osbournes, focused on the domestic life of Ozzy Osbourne and his family, debuted in 2002 on MTV and ran for four seasons. His albums continued to do well on the charts. The Teens would also see Ozzy Osbourne continue to be busy. He reunited with Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi for another world tour in 2011. The three of them recorded the final Black Sabbath studio album, 13, released on June 10 2013. It was in 2016 that they began a tour called "The End," which was meant to be the final tour of Black Sabbath. Ozzu Osbourne's penultimate album, Ordinary Man, was released in 2020.

It was in 2022 that Ozzy Osbourne's final album, Patient Number 9, was released. It was this year, on February 5, that Ozzy Osbourne's wife Sharon Osbourne announced a final concert featuring the original members of Black Sabbath. The benefit concert called Back to the Beginning took place in Black Sabbath's hometown of Birmingham on July 5 2025. It was the first time since 2005 that all four original members performed together. In addition to Black Sabbath, Back to the Beginning had an all-star lineup that included Anthrax, Halestorm, Alice in Chains, Pantera, Tool, Slayer, and Metallica. 

The word "legend" is often tossed about these days, but it is entirely applicable to Ozzy Osbourne. Along with the other members of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne pioneered the genre of heavy metal. Some might even argue that Black Sabbath invented heavy metal. Their influence can be seen in a number of bands, including Judas Priest, Black Flag, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Monster Magnet, and others.  Black Sabbath's influence on heavy metal can be seen in everything from the music itself to the often fantastic imagery of its lyrics.

Of course, Ozzy Osbourne would have an enormous impact as a vocalist. While he did not necessarily have a wide vocal range, Ozzy Osbourne was capable of powerful vocals and he could relay emotional states and situations from despair to fear. And while Ozzy Osbourne was known for his often intense vocals, he could also deliver softer, more melodic vocals. As a vocalist Ozzy Osbourne was utterly unique, and he would have a lasting influence on heavy metal and hard rock.