Ozzy Osbourne, the lead singer of Black Sabbath, has died at the age of 76

London,  (EFE).– Ozzy Osbourne, the lead singer of Black Sabbath, has died at the age of 76 “surrounded by love,” his family announced in a statement on Tuesday.

“It is with indescribable sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Ozzy Osbourne this morning. He was with his family, surrounded by love. We ask that the family’s privacy be respected,” his loved ones said in the statement.

The self-proclaimed ‘Prince of Darkness,’ who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019, gave his final performance with the band earlier this month in Birmingham (central England), near his birthplace, accompanied by other music stars.

Osbourne and his original Black Sabbath bandmates — Tony Iommi, Terence ‘Geezer’ Butler, and Bill Ward — were the last to appear on stage for that farewell titled Back to the Beginning.

Among the bands that performed were Anthrax, Metallica, and Guns N’ Roses, and there were messages of tribute from other celebrities such as Jack Black, Ricky Gervais, and Dolly Parton.

As the frontman of Black Sabbath, which he founded in 1968, Osbourne was at the forefront of the heavy metal scene — a deeper, darker branch of hard rock — and is considered one of its pioneers.

Among his most memorable performances was the time he bit the head off a bat, and he was also famous for his dark image, with long black hair and dark glasses.

Born as John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948, in Aston, Birmingham, he left school at age 15 and did odd jobs before joining his school friend Geezer Butler in several bands.

The singer, who lived in the United States, also rose to fame as the star of the reality show The Osbournes, which documented his family life from 2002 to 2005.