This one hurts.

Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary figure of Heavy Metal for decades, passed away this morning after a long bout with Parkinson’s disease.

He was 76.

From Birmingham, England, Osbourne was the front man of the influential band, Black Sabbath, whose hits “Paranoid”, “War Pigs” and “Iron Man” remain metal staples to this day.  Osbourne would break out on his own, churning out bigger hits, most notably “Crazy Train”.  His career experienced a renaissance on reality TV with his family, “The Osbournes,” which introduced Ozzy to a new generation of fans.

The “Prince of Darkness” had been ill for many years, as his condition with Parkinson's was made public in 2019.  In the 70s and 80s, Osbourne was a heavy drug and alcohol abuser, and long credited his wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, for saving him from addiction. 

He last performed (though had to remain seated) with the original Black Sabbath two weeks ago in front of over 40,000 people in England.

Osbourne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, first as a member of Black Sabbath, and then as a solo artist.

We here at notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, friends, and family of Ozzy Osbourne.

The first real Heavy Metal band in the Hall could very well be the most important.  Sabbath took music to dark pounding places and they helped to propel the genre to new heights.  Although they are in the Hall, they should have been a first ballot inductee easily.

Inducted in 2006.  From Birmingham, England 

In the first decade of the new millennium, the medium of television became overrun with reality television. Other portions of this website may discuss the merits of reality T.V., but never have we had felt the need to incorporate that discussion in terms of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With Ozzy Osbourne, we may have to reevaluate that position.