Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76.

The BLACK SABBATH frontman's family confirmed his passing in a statement earlier today, sharing that he died this morning (Tuesday, July 22).

The message, from his wife Sharon Osbourne and their three children — Kelly, Jack and Aimee — read: "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. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis."

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne has battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Ozzy played his final show less than three weeks ago at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom. At the time he told fans: "You've no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

From Birmingham, England, Ozzy rose to fame in the 1970s as the lead singer of BLACK SABBATH, earning the title "Prince of Darkness." His solo career took off like a rocket in the 1980s with albums like "Blizzard Of Ozz", "Diary Of A Madman" and "Bark At The Moon" featuring classics such as "Crazy Train", "Mr. Crowley" and "Flying High Again". The 1990s and 2000s saw him release his landmark five-times-platinum album "No More Tears", start his own festival tour, Ozzfest, and create a ground-breaking Emmy-winning television show, "The Osbournes". In 2022 Ozzy released his Grammy-winning "Rock Album Of The Year" "Patient Number 9". With over 100 million records sold, seven multi-platinum solo albums, and more than 2,500 concerts worldwide, Ozzy's impact on rock and metal is unparalleled. He remained a fixture in music history, earning five Grammy Awards and having one of the rare honors of being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame twice.

"I have never, ever, ever been able to attach myself to the word 'heavy metal' — it has no musical connotations," Osbourne told CNN in a 2013 interview. "If it was heavy rock, I could get that, but the '70s was kind of like a bluesy thing, the '80s was kind of bubblegum-frosted hair, multi-colored clothes, and the '90s was kind of grungy."

Ozzy's final concert saw him and his fellow original SABBATH bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward perform four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. The festival titled "Back To The Beginning" served as a tribute to the legendary heavy metal act, including additional performances from such other groups as METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES, SLAYER, TOOL, PANTERA and ALICE IN CHAINS. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

In a 2023 interview with Rolling Stone, Osbourne said he would "die a happy man" if he could perform one more show to express his gratitude to his fans from the stage.

"If I can't continue doing shows on a regular basis, I just want to be well enough to do one show where I can say, 'Hi, guys. Thanks so much for my life.' That's what I'm working towards, and if I drop down dead at the end of it, I'll die a happy man," he said at the time.

When Ozzy announced that he was retiring from touring in 2023, he said in a statement: "In all good conscience, I have now come to the realization that I'm not physically capable of doing my upcoming European/U.K. tour dates, as I know I couldn''t deal with the travel required. Believe me when I say that the thought of disappointing my fans really fucks me up, more than you will ever know. Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way."

Osbourne leaves behind his wife, Sharon, and their children, Aimee, Kelly and Jack, as well his two older children, Jessica and Louis, from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, and grandchildren.

---