The co-founders of Black Sabbath paid tribute to their doomsayer-in-chief following the news of Ozzy Osbourne’s death at age 76 on Tuesday.

Brittney Griner was among the many in the sports world to react to the death of legendary rock star Ozzy Osbourne. Osbourne, known as the front man for Black Sabbath, passed away this week. He was 76 years old. His family announced the news, just a couple of weeks after his final concert. "It is ...

Black Sabbath formed in 1968, when four lads from Birmingham— Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away on July 22, 2025, at age 76 —came together to change music forever. With a dark sound and darker lyrics, the group created what we now know as heavy metal.

Ward has an on-and-off history with Black Sabbath and was the only original band member who did not play on their final album, 13, which was released in June 2013. The album, which was the English rock band’s first studio release in 18 years, featured Osbourne, Iommi, and Butler with drummer Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine.

Bassist Terence “Geezer” Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi, lead singer Ozzy Osbourne, and drummer Bill Ward were all between the ages of 18 and 20 when they began playing together in Birmingham. Naming themselves after an Italian horror film in early 1969,

As Ward issues a heartfelt thank you to his bandmates and fans, Sabbath’s guitarist admits he likened the drummer’s appearance when topless to an emaciated hobbit