23 Jul – Black Sabbath's frontman and the patriarch of the Osbourne family, Ozzy Osbourne has passed away. The news was announced by the family in a statement that 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." Further information surrounding the cause of death has not been given.
The news came just several weeks after the singer reunite with band members Geezer Butler, Bill Ward and Tony Iommi to perform in his hometown Birmingham in the UK. Making his debut as part of Black Sabbath in the late 1967, Osbourne was known for his many antics, from throwing raw meat at concertgoers, biting the head off a dove during a meeting with CBS Records executives in Los Angeles, and biting the head off a bat that he thought was rubber while performing at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines. However, the previously monikered Prince of Darkness then shed his dark image to be a part of the reality TV circuit in the 2000s with "The Osbournes", which features the domestic life of Osbourne and his wife Sharon, as well as children Jack and Kelly. He was 76.