Tributes flood in for Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne

Tributes flood in for Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne

British singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne, who has died aged 76, was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2019

Tributes poured in Wednesday for hell-raiser singer Ozzy Osbourne as Black Sabbath bandmates mourned the death of their legendary frontman and tearful fans laid flowers in his hometown Birmingham, just weeks after he played an epic reunion concert there.

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.

The heavy metal star, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, passed away just over a fortnight after playing the final gig before a sold-out crowd in his home city of Birmingham, England.

Fans there laid floral tributes in memory of the singer at a mural honouring the band.

"There are no words, truly. Thank you for everything, for all the music," read one. 

"Even recently at your last gig you brought us so much happiness, it's unreal," added another.

- Bandmates' tributes -

Original bandmates led the tributes on social media, with guitarist Tony Iommi saying, "there won't be another like him".

Bassist Geezer Butler added: "So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you."

And drummer Bill Ward said Osbourne would forever be in his heart, signing off his post with "Never goodbye. Thank you forever."

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".

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.

"It was good for all of us...  we didn't realise it was going to be this final," he added. 

- 'So much more than metal'

US rocker Alice Cooper hailed Osbourne on Instagram as "an unmatched showman and cultural icon".

Music icon Elton John praised him as "a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods --  a true legend".

"He was also one of the funniest people I've ever met. I will miss him dearly," John wrote on Instagram.

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.

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".

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.

- Rabies shots -

He gained huge notoriety along the way for his outlandish stunts, many of them fuelled by his hard-living style, which included the lavish use of drugs and alcohol.

His live performances at the height of his hedonism have gone down in rock folklore, particularly a 1982 gig in Des Moines, Iowa, when he bit the head off a bat on stage.

Osbourne said he thought a fan had thrown a fake rubber bat onstage, and it was not until he took a bite that he realised it was real.

"I can assure you the rabies shots I went through afterwards aren't fun," he told US TV host David Letterman in 1982.

His public persona took a new turn with the reality television series "The Osbournes" in the 2000s, which followed the ups and downs of his family life alongside wife Sharon, whom he married in 1982, and their three children.

Osbourne, who had been battling ill health for over 20 years, went public with his Parkinson's diagnosis in 2020.

He reportedly died at his mansion in Buckinghamshire, northwest of London.

Caroline Rassell, chief executive of the charity Parkinson's UK, said by "speaking openly" about his diagnosis he and his family had helped many in the same situation.

"They normalised tough conversations and made others feel less alone with a condition that's on the rise," she said.

Osbourne brought the curtain down on a wild career on July 5, when Black Sabbath rattled through their most iconic songs in front of 40,000 adoring fans at Villa Park, home of Premier League football club Aston Villa.

Stylish to the very end, he held court from a giant leather throne, topped with a bat.

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Originally published as Tributes flood in for Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne