Ozzy Osbourne

John Michael «Ozzy» Osbourne (1948–2025) was an English singer and songwriter widely known as the «Godfather of Heavy Metal.» He rose to fame in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of Black Sabbath, whose dark, heavy, riff-driven sound with guitarist Tony Iommi laid foundational groundwork for the entire heavy metal genre. After being fired from the band in 1979 amid struggles with substance abuse, Ozzy, with the crucial support of Sharon Osbourne, launched a solo career that became one of rock's most celebrated comebacks.

His early solo albums, featuring guitarist Randy Rhoads, produced enduring classics like «Crazy Train» and «Mr. Crowley», redefining heavy metal for a new generation with a mix of theatrical showmanship, dark imagery and melodic guitar-driven hard rock. Rhoads's death in a 1982 plane crash was a devastating blow, but Ozzy continued his career with subsequent guitarists, delivering hits such as «Bark at the Moon», «No More Tears» and the ballad «Mama, I'm Coming Home».

Beyond music, Ozzy became a major pop-culture figure through reality television and his outsized, unpredictable public persona. Alongside his work with Black Sabbath, whom he later reunited and toured with, his solo catalog cemented his legacy as one of the most influential and instantly recognizable voices in the history of rock and metal.