Following Ozzy Osbourne’s death, many are paying tribute to the legendary rocker and are recalling his legacy.
The Black Sabbath frontman died at the age of 76, surrounded by his family, his rep confirmed to ABC News on Tuesday.
Prior to his death, the singer and songwriter had spoken about how he wanted others to remember him.
Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath performs in London, May 27, 1978.
Gus Stewart/Redferns/Getty Images
In 2018, he told The Guardian, “I’d like to be remembered for the work I did with Black Sabbath.”
“I’m so proud of the music,” he said. “But to be honest, just being remembered would be an achievement to me.”
He also told The San Diego Tribune in 2010 that he wanted to be remembered “as a guy who gave people a lot of smiles.”
“I’ll be remembered as the guy who bit the heads off several creatures, but I supposed that’s what I have to expect,” he said.
The musician was infamous for biting a bat during a 1982 concert, which he thought was a rubber toy, according to his 2009 memoir “I Am Ozzy.” In the memoir, he also recalled biting the head off of a dove.
He added that one of his regrets was “the cruelty to animals.”
“It haunts me all that crazy stuff,” he wrote.
The English singer and songwriter had much to look forward to prior to his death, including the wedding of his daughter, Kelly Osbourne. Ozzy Osbourne was also set to release a memoir in October titled, “Last Rites.” The book, due out Oct. 7, explores Osbourne’s life and career, including his marriage to wife Sharon Osbourne, according to Grand Central Publishing.
Kelly Osbourne got engaged to Slipknot musician Sid Wilson following her father’s final show, the Back to the Beginning farewell benefit concert, which took place July 5 in Birmingham, England, where Black Sabbath was formed.
Ozzy Osbourne was there for the proposal and had a memorable reaction.
“‘F— off, you’re not marrying my daughter,” he exclaimed before Wilson could even get down on one knee, prompting laughter from those in the room, Wilson included.
Ozzy Osbourne speaks onstage at iHeartRadio ICONS with Ozzy Osbourne: In Celebration of Ordinary Man at iHeartRadio Theater, Feb. 24, 2020, in Burbank, Calif.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
The Back to the Beginning benefit concert featured supporting acts including Metallica, Lamb of God and more. It spanned 10 hours and saw Osbourne reunite with all the original members of Black Sabbath — Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward — for their final live performances.
On Monday, the rocker shared a photo on Instagram of a poster from the event. It featured his Black Sabbath bandmates and the words, “The Final Show.”
See how celebrities and musicians are remembering Osbourne here.
