Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath singer and godfather of heavy metal, dead at 76

Ozzy Osbourne, the hellraising frontman of Black Sabbath and reality TV star, died Tuesday, his family shared.

Ozzy Osbourne, the hellraising frontman of Black Sabbath and reality TV star, died Tuesday, his family shared. He was 76. “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,” Osbourne’s family said in a statement to CNN. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.” No details surrounding cause of death were immediately available. The news comes just weeks after Osbourne performed with Black Sabbath in his hometown of Birmingham, England, where he reunited with bandmates, including bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and guitarist Tony Iommi. The show was a concert event called Back to the Beginning and marked Black Sabbath’s first performance in two decades. It was billed as Osbourne’s “final bow,” according to Black Sabbath’s official website. Famed for his outrageous antics on stage, including once biting the head off a bat and throwing raw meat onto concertgoers – along with repeated bouts of alcohol and substance abuse – Osbourne was respected by the rock establishment and reviled by the religious right, who believed him to be a devil-worshipper.