Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath frontman, dies at 76
(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Ozzy Osbourne, the famed Black Sabbath singer-turned-solo act, has died at the age of 76.
A statement from his family read in part, "It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time."
Osbourne was born in 1948 in Birmingham, England.
Osbourne rose to fame in the 1970's as lead singer of Black Sabbath, with the band serving as the pioneers of the heavy metal genre with songs such as "Paranoid," "War Pigs" and "Iron Man."
However, in 1979, Osbourne was fired from the group for excessive drinking and drug use.
He would quickly rebounded, launching a long, successful solo career, with songs like "Crazy Train," "Bark at the Moon," "No More Tears," and the power ballad, "Mama, I'm Coming Home."
"What Rock and Roll has done for me is, you couldn't buy it, you know? It's changed everything for me. Because 20 years ago, I was just a nothing person living a nothing existence. I never had any excitement in my life," Osbourne said in a 1987 interview.
It was a career filled with accomplishments, winning Grammy Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the creation of "Ozzfest," a music festival which boosted up-and-coming bands.
But there were challenges, too as he was accused of being a negative influence on teens and of worshiping Satan, an allegation he roundly rejected.
"I have a big heart. All I wanna do is make people smile. But so many people think I'm the devil...You know, that's an act that I do, it's show business. It's all show business," Osbourne said in that 1987 interview.
There was the time he bit the head off a bat. He thought it was a toy that someone threw on stage.
"So I pick it up, bite the thing's head off and suddely everybody's freaking out because it's a real bat," Osbourne said in a 1982 interview.
It's a moment that would be parodied throughout his life.
He created even more memorable moments on the reality show "The Osbournes," a surprising hit for MTV that chronicled Osbourne, his wife Sharon and two of their kids, Jack and Kelly.
Osbourne did ultimately reunite with Black Sabbath, occasionally touring with the group.
Over the years, he dealt with health problems, including Parkinson's disease. Yet, he kept making music.
"It's what I do, you know, it's a passion. It's the greatest love affair I've ever had in my life," Osbourne expressed in an interview back in 2010.
Earlier this month, Osbourne, along with members of Black Sabbath, held a charity concert in Birmingham, which was titled, "Back to the Beginning," as it was billed as Osbourne's final concert performance.
