Sunday Musings - Farewell, Prince
John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne (3 Dec 1948 – 22 Jul 2025)
The world dimmed a little more today.
At 76, surrounded by loved ones, Ozzy Osbourne, the “Prince of Darkness” closed his final chapter.
From his humble beginnings in Marston Green, Warwickshire, to the dizzying heights of rock’s pantheon, Ozzy lived as fiercely as he sang—with raw edges, unabashed vulnerability, and an irrepressible spirit
He emerged in the late ’60s as the improbable voice of Black Sabbath—spooky, soulful, and seismic. Albums like Paranoid, Master of Reality, and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath didn’t just shake teenagers speakers; they shook foundations, birthing a genre and giving voice to rebellion.
Though famously dismissed in 1979, Ozzy returned with a solo career that thundered through heavy metal history: Blizzard of Ozz, Crazy Train, No More Tears—solidifying a tale now etched into cultural DNA.
He was no stranger to controversy. Curious tales and scandelous stories rounded out the legend. But behind the mythology lies the man, the theatrics lay a man of profound humanity: a husband, a father, and a unapologetically, honestly flawed human.
In 2020, Ozzy revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis. Yet, he refused a quiet exit. On 5 July 2025, at Villa Park in Birmingham, he returned for a final bow—Back to the Beginning—seated on a throne, his voice echoing across generations, shared with Black Sabbath’s original lineup and a starry cast, benefiting Parkinson’s charities and children’s hospices.
Just days later, he celebrated his daughter's engagement backstage, a tender moment that shone brighter than any stage light. If life is defined by final acts, Ozzy’s last weeks are a microcosm of his life. Theatrics punctuated by humanity.
He was awarded countless honors: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice (with Sabbath in 2006, solo in 2024), a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—and more than trophies, he leaves behind a soundscape that shaped heavy metal’s very identity, and a blueprint for survival: authenticity above all.
Ozzy found a light that outshone any stage. He taught us that monsters can be poetry, that pain can birth art, and that even in decline, music still can shake the pillars of the world. In our playlists, podcasts, and quiet car rides, his is a voice will tremble and thrum—a reminder that life, even lived on the edge, is still worth every decibel.
Thank you, Ozzy. We’re not just mourning a legend—we’re honoring a life lived.
And in the hush after the final chord fades away, we hear you still, and we thank you for all you gave.