Ozzy Osbourne, who has died at the age of 76, helped forge the sound that became known as heavy metal - and on top of that, the frontman practically invented the image of the wild rock star. Music was Osbourne’s only passion, but even the invention of heavy metal was a combination of accident and opportunism. He teamed up with local band Earth, featuring guitarist Tommy Iommi, who After Sabbath, Ozzy enjoyed a fruitful solo career, and his short period of collaboration with American guitar hero Randy Rhodes, which was halted by his tragic death, produced some of heavy metal’s other most cherished pieces. His debut solo album, 1980’s Blizzard of Ozz, featured cuts such as ‘Crazy Train’ and ‘Suicide Solution’, confirming that he was going nowhere after being Ozzy’s rise to prominence began as the charismatic frontman of Black Sabbath, a band that pioneered the heavy metal genre. Formed in 1968 alongside Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, Black Sabbath’s raw sound and dark themes set them apart from other rock acts of the time. Ozzy Osbourne, who rose to fame with Black Sabbath, died in July 2025 at the age of 76. PHOENIX — Depending on who you ask, Ozzy Osbourne and his band Black Sabbath invented heavy metal music. And Ozzy, the "Prince of Darkness," was its biggest ambassador, the driver of the "Crazy Ozzy Osbourne: The Reason Why He Wasn’t Comfortable Being Labeled as ‘Metal’ Ozzy Osbourne is considered a heavy metal icon due to fronting Black Sabbath and his solo career. However, The Prince of Darkness isn’t very comfortable being referred to as “metal.” John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne has passed away at the age of 76. Known to most as the frontman of Black Sabbath and a solo force of nature, Ozzy wasn’t just the godfather of heavy metal — he was Ozzy Osbourne, the singular metal legend whose Black Sabbath virtually invented heavy metal and in later years became a reality-TV pioneer, died on Tuesday at the age of 76. Osbourne’s family Ozzy Osbourne, the unmistakable voice of metal, passed away on July 22, 2025, at the age of 76. But death isn’t the end of a myth—it’s a deeper engraving into history. Ozzy wasn’t just a frontman. He was the spirit of rebellion, the howling wind behind a cultural revolution, and the wild Yesterday, Ozzy Osbourne died at age 76. He is best known as the frontman of Black Sabbath and godfather of heavy metal, but he later became a solo artist and a reality TV star. Ozzy Osbourne who also the founder of BLACK SABBATH, and talked about who started the heavy metal genre. He also reveals what he thinks about THE BEATLES. As a member of Black Sabbath, Ozzy helped pioneer the sound we now know as heavy metal in the 1970s, creating a genre that has banged heads for decades. As a solo artist, Ozzy flew the metal flag For these reasons and so many more, the metal community has always shared a deep love and reverence for Ozzy Osbourne. The outpouring of love showcased from fans and fellow musicians since Heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne has died at 76, just weeks after Black Sabbath’s final show. His family says he passed peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. If the Beatles created Merseybeat and defined the sound of the 1960s, Ozzy Osbourne and his band Black Sabbath allied the industrial noise of Birmingham to music and invented an entirely new genre If Ozzy Osbourne had never existed, rock music from the ‘70s onward would have sounded drastically different. As Black Sabbath ’s vocal avatar (“singer” seems an inadequate description), he helped invent heavy metal. And as a solo artist, Ozzy commanded a massive audience as the living embodiment of the wild child in the heart of every metalhead. When Black Sabbath debuted in 1970 Without Ozzy Osbourne, there would be no heavy metal. It’s quite the statement, isn’t it? And usually when statements are as gargantuan as this, there are plenty of holes ready and waiting to be poked in it. However, when it comes to the correlation between Ozzy Osbourne and the history of Along the way, singer Ozzy Osbourne, who has died at the age of 76, became one of rock's most influential figures, with an electrifying and unpredictable stage presence and an almost mythological
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