STORY: Ozzy Osbourne, frontman of 1970s heavy metal band Black Sabbath, earned his infamy biting the head off a bat on stage and pursuing a drug-fueled lifestyle before reinventing himself as a loveable if often foul-mouthed reality TV star.

Known to fans as "The Prince of Darkness" and the "Godfather of Heavy Metal," Osbourne has died at the age of 76, his family said in a statement on Tuesday (July 22).

"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," his family said, asking for their privacy to be respected.

Osbourne kicked off his career blaring out Black Sabbath's hits, from "Paranoid" to "War Pigs" to "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath." Those plus a string of solo releases saw him sell more than 100 million records worldwide.

The hard riffs and dark subject matter - from depression to war to apocalypse - combined with an instinct for Halloween theatrics. As a performer, Osbourne sprinkled audiences with raw meat and, in 1982, had his encounter with a bat thrown on stage by a fan.

He always insisted he thought it was a toy until he bit into it, realized his mistake and rushed to hospital for a rabies shot. He later sold branded bat soft toys with a removable head.

Osbourne was a regular target for conservative and religious groups concerned about the negative impact of rock music on young people. He acknowledged the excesses of his lifestyle and lyrics - but poured scorn on the wilder reports that he was an actual devil-worshipper.

"I've done some bad things in my time. But I ain't the devil. I'm just John Osbourne: a working class kid from Aston who quit his job in the factory and went looking for a good time," he said in a 2010 biography.

John Michael Osbourne was the fourth of six children. Growing up in Birmingham in central England, he struggled with dyslexia, left school at age 15, did a series of menial jobs, and at one point served a brief prison sentence for burglary. Then came Black Sabbath.

"When I was growing up, if you'd have put me up against a wall with the other kids from my street and asked me which one of us was gonna make it to the age of 60, with five kids and four grandkids and houses in Buckinghamshire and California, I wouldn't have put money on me, no fucking way," he once said.

Britain's Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, a member of parliament representing a Birmingham constituency, said on social media platform X that she was devastated to hear the news of his death.

"One of the greatest gifts my city gave the world," Mahmood wrote. "My thoughts are with his family."

In 2002, Osbourne won legions of new fans as he starred in U.S. reality TV show "The Osbournes."

Cameras followed the aging rock god ambling round his huge house, pronouncing on events in his heavy Birmingham accent and looking on bemused at the antics of his family.

Osbourne's family included wife and manager Sharon, five children including Jack, Kelly and Aimee, and several grandchildren.

In his final concert on July 5 in Birmingham, Osbourne performed sitting, at times appearing to have difficulties speaking as he thanked thousands of adoring fans, some of whom were visibly emotional.

Osbourne's performance followed a number of tributes on stage and on stadium screens from rock and pop music royalty including Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Metallica's James Hetfield and Elton John.

"Thanks for your support over the years. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you," said Osbourne.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: VARIOUS FILE OF BRITISH MUSICIAN AND BLACK SABBATH SINGER, OZZY OSBOURNE

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: CONTAINS AUDIBLE PROFANITY IN SHOT 18

RESENDING WITH UPDATED SCRIPT

SHOWS: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - FEBRUARY 21, 2020) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF BRITISH MUSICIAN AND BLACK SABBATH SINGER, OZZY OSBOURNE HAVING PHOTOS TAKEN

2. POSTER OF OSBOURNE

3. OSBOURNE SIGNING

4. OZZY OSBOURNE'S WIFE SHARON OSBOURNE LOOKING ON

5. VARIOUS OF OSBOURNE SIGNING

6. FANS WAITING

7. PHOTOGRAPHER

8. VARIOUS OF OSBOURNE SIGNING

9. VARIOUS OF FANS IN STORE

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) OZZY OSBOURNE FAN, DAVID MURRIETTA, ON BEING ASKED NOW

IT WAS TO MEET OZZY OSBOURNE, KNOWN AS 'THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS', SAYING:

"Who knows when the prince of darkness is going to disappear? We're not looking forward for it, but it's going to happen, you know, but um..."

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) OZZY OSBOURNE FAN, DEBBIE NICHOLS, SAYING:

"He's got me through a lot of my life, good and bad. Yeah." (Reporter: So this is everything for you?) "Yes, yes he is. I went all the way to England to see him and I'll do it again. Sorry!"

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) OZZY OSBOURNE FAN, PHIL PEDROZA, SAYING:

"I've seen him before and he's still good, he still has it, but I wish him the best." (Reporter: And what makes Ozzy so important to you that you come out here at three in the morning...?) "Well, as a vet, he got me through rough spots through my wartime overseas. His music helped me and all that to forget things that I wanted to forget so with him, it's a lot. It's everything."

13. FANS QUEUING

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - JANUARY 26, 2014) (UNRESTRICTED POOL - Access all)

14. MUSICIAN OZZY OSBOURNE AT GRAMMYS PHOTOCALL

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - MAY 13, 2016) (REUTERS - Access all)

15. MUSICIAN OZZY OSBOURNE SITTING DURING PRESS CONFERENCE

16. OSBOURNE WALKING TOWARDS WIFE SHARON OSBOURNE AND HUGGING HER

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - NOVEMBER 14, 2013) (REUTERS - Access all)

17. VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF ROCK BAND, BLACK SABBATH HOLDING AWARDS (L-R), BASSIST GEEZER BUTLER, LEAD GUITARIST TONY IOMMI AND SINGER, OZZY OSBOURNE

18. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BLACK SABBATH SINGER, OZZY OSBOURNE, SAYING:

"Yes, I can die twice now. I have died once or twice before. It's been the story of my life. When I came off the quad bike a few years ago my heart stopped twice on the way to the hospital. I must have just like a cat seven lives - I hope so anyway. It's been a great journey, this year has been amazing for us. I keep thinking I will wake up and find out it's all been a fucking dream. It's just amazing."

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - OCTOBER 30, 2017) (UK POOL - Access all)

19. OZZY AND SHARON OSBOURNE SHAKING HANDS WITH BRITAIN'S THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE, PRINCE WILLIAM

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - JUNE 25, 2015) (A24 HANDOUT - Access all)

20. OSBOURNE WITH WIFE SHARON POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - JANUARY 27, 2014) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS - Access all)

21. OSBOURNE FAMILY (L-R) JACK (SON), KELLY (DAUGHTER), OZZY, SHARON AND AIMEE (DAUGHTER) AT UNVEILING OF OZZY'S STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - JANUARY 25, 2020) (REUTERS - Access all)

22. OZZY, SHARON AND KELLY OSBOURNE (L) APPEARING FOR FIRST TIME SINCE OZZY'S PARKINSONS DIAGNOSIS WAS REVEALED AT THE CLIVE DAVIS ANNUAL PRE-GRAMMY PARTY

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - JULY 22, 2022) (REUTERS - Access all)

23. VARIOUS OF OZZY OSBOURNE SIGNING ALONGSIDE COMIC ARTIST TODD MCFARLANE AT SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON

24. EXTERIOR OF BOOTH

25. OSBOURNE'S WIFE SHARON OSBOURNE

26. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MUSICIAN, OZZY OSBOURNE, SAYING:

REPORTER: "How are you at the moment because Sharon was saying..."

OSBOURNE: "I'm still in recovery, I'm still finding it hard to walk but I'm getting there."

27. FANS HOLDING UP SIGNED POSTERS

28. FANS LOOKING AT PRODUCT CASE

29. VARIOUS OF OZZY OSBOURNE PRODUCTS, INCLUDING BATS

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (RECENT - NOVEMBER 23, 2023) (REUTERS - Access all)

30. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SINGER-SONGWRITER, YUNGBLUD, ON OZZY OSBOURNE, SAYING:

"My granddad and my dad, like, brought me up on Sabbath, and I found 'Bark at the Moon' myself, and it's just like the definition of a rock n roll star innit."

31. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEMBERS OF BAND BUSTED, (L-R) MATT WILLIS, CHARLIE SIMPSON, JAMES BOURNE, ON OZZY OSBOURNE, SAYING:

WILLIS: "Incredible. Yeah we're fans."

SIMPSON: "You can route most heavy music back to Sabbath like that sort of dark tonal sound, so much of rock music comes back to Sabbath."

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - MAY 13, 2014) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

32. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF OSBOURNE PERFORMING ON STAGE

BRASILIA, BRAZIL (FILE - APRIL 3, 2013) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

33. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF OSBOURNE PERFORMING ON STAGE

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - NOVEMBER 24, 2019) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

34. VARIOUS STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF POST MALONE, OZZY OSBOURNE (C) AND TRAVIS SCOTT PERFORMING AT THE 2019 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - JANUARY 26, 2020) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

35. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF OZZY OSBOURNE AND WIFE SHARON OSBOURNE PRESENTING AN AWARD AT THE 62ND GRAMMY AWARDS

36. VARIOUS STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF OZZY OSBOURNE ARRIVING AT THE 62ND GRAMMY AWARDS, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS DAUGHTER, SINGER KELLY OSBOURNE

37. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF OZZY OSBOURNE

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE - FEBRUARY 8, 1999) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

38. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF OZZY OSBOURNE POSING FOR PHOTOS WITH NEW OZZY ACTION FIGURE AT TOY FAIR IN NEW YORK

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - AUGUST 8, 2022) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

39. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF OZZY OSBOURNE PERFORMING AT THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES

WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (FILE - MAY 4, 2002) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

40. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF MUSICIAN OZZY OSBOURNE AT THE GRAMMYS PHOTOCALL