{"id":266949,"date":"2025-07-23T12:29:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T10:29:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnuus\/tributes-flood-in-for-black-sabbath-frontman-ozzy-osbourne\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T16:31:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T14:31:10","slug":"tributes-flood-in-for-black-sabbath-frontman-ozzy-osbourne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/tributes-flood-in-for-black-sabbath-frontman-ozzy-osbourne\/","title":{"rendered":"Tributes flood in for Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LONDON<\/strong> – Tributes poured in Wednesday for hell-raiser singer Ozzy Osbourne as tearful fans laid flowers in his hometown and his Black Sabbath bandmates mourned the death of their legendary heavy metal frontman, just weeks after he played an epic farewell concert in their Birmingham hometown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Osbourne, nicknamed the “Prince of Darkness” who famously once bit off the head of a bat while on stage, died on Tuesday at the age of 76, his family said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The star, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019, passed away just over a fortnight after playing a final gig before a sold-out crowd in his home city of Birmingham, England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fans in the central city laid floral tributes in memory of the singer at a mural honouring the band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There are no words, truly. Thank you for everything, for all the music,” read one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Even recently at your last gig you brought us so much happiness, it’s unreal,” added another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ozzy
People gather at a makeshift memorial at Ozzy Osbourne’s Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame after the news broke of the legendary frontman of heavy metal group Black Sabbaths death on Tuesday. PHOTO: Patrick T. Fallon \/ AFP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Original bandmates led the tributes on social media, with guitarist Tony Iommi saying, “there won’t be another like him”, and bassist Geezer Butler adding “so glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drummer Bill Ward said Osbourne would forever be in his heart and signed off his post with “Never goodbye. Thank you forever”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Band co-founder Iommi said Osbourne’s death so soon after the well-received musical reunion – their first in 20 years – had been a “terrible shock”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The concert had been “brilliant for Ozzy because he really wanted to do that, you know, he felt at home there (in Birmingham) and it was really good for him”, he told BBC radio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It was good for all of us…  we didn’t realise it was going to be this final,” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So much more than metal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

US rocker Alice Cooper hailed Osbourne on Instagram as “an unmatched showman and cultural icon”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Music icon Elton John praised him as “a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods \u2013 a true legend”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He was also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. I will miss him dearly,” John wrote on Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rock musician Rick Wakeman, best known as a member of the band Yes, said Osbourne was “a lot cleverer musically than people ever gave him credit for”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There was so much more to him musically than just being the front man in a heavy metal band,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Osbourne was instrumental in pioneering heavy metal – an offshoot of hard rock – as Black Sabbath enjoyed huge commercial success in the 1970s and 80s after forming in Birmingham in 1968.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Sabbath’s eponymous 1970 debut album made the UK top 10 and paved the way for a string of hit records, including their most famous song “Paranoid”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Sabbath went on to sell more than 75 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Osbourne was added for a second time last year as a solo artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WATCH – Video may offend sensitive viewers<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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