The music world is mourning the loss of rock icon Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away at the age of 76.

His family, including his wife Sharon, to whom he was married for over 40 years, shared a poignant statement as they gathered around him one last time on Tuesday morning.

The news comes shortly after the Black Sabbath frontman gave his final performance at Villa Park, the home ground of Aston Villa, during his ‘Back to the Beginning’ show.

In a heartfelt announcement, the family said: “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.”

They continued, requesting privacy during this difficult period: “We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.”

Prior to his declining health, Ozzy and Sharon, aged 72, had expressed their desire to move back to the UK from Los Angeles, with Ozzy sharing his eagerness to “desperate to come home”. Although they had planned to make the move earlier, Ozzy’s ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease and multiple surgeries for a spinal injury had postponed their plans.

“It’s time for me to spend some time with my grandkids,” he revealed to the Guardian in May as he geared up for his final performance. “I don’t want to die in a hotel room somewhere. I want to spend the rest of my life with my family.”

The celebrity and his wife Sharon were anticipated to return to their Buckinghamshire residence in line with the farewell concert.

Ozzy had been vocal about his wish to return to Britain, expressing his intentions as early as August 2022 after over twenty years in Los Angeles, where he lambasted “everything’s f***ing ridiculous (in America).”

He also pointed to the rampant gun violence in the States as another motivator for his move. “Everything’s f***ing ridiculous [in America]. I’m fed up with people getting killed every day,” he shared with The Observer.

“God knows how many people have been shot in school shootings. And there was that mass shooting in Vegas at that concert… it’s f***ing crazy.”

Nonetheless, Ozzy’s deteriorating health had postponed the relocation for an extended period.

In a conversation with Planet Rock’s Loz Guest regarding Black Sabbath’s star-studded Back to the Beginning concert on 5th July, Sharon confirmed that the event had finally allowed Ozzy to make the journey home.

She disclosed: “He’s coming over in March. His brothers (in Black Sabbath), he’s excited to be here with them.”

When questioned if they were indeed settling permanently back in the UK post-concert, Sharon affirmed: “Yeah, we are.”

John Michael Osbourne, known to the world as Ozzy, was born on December 3, 1948, in Aston, Birmingham. Leaving school at the tender age of 15, Ozzy took on various jobs including factory work before joining forces with schoolmate Geezer Butler in a number of bands.

The duo eventually teamed up with Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, the other founding members of Black Sabbath, initially forming Earth Blues Company – later shortened to Earth – back in 1968.

Originally a Mod with a passion for soul music, Osbourne adopted a darker persona after penning lyrics for a song titled Black Sabbath, inspired by the 1963 Boris Karloff film of the same name.

After being compelled to change their name from Earth, Black Sabbath stuck and the band soared to fame, selling millions of records and releasing iconic tracks such as Paranoid and War Pigs, ultimately becoming synonymous with the birth of heavy metal.

However, Osbourne’s drug use began to strain his relationship with his bandmates, leading to his dismissal from the group in 1979.

Ozzy then embarked on a successful solo career throughout the 1980s and reunited with Sabbath multiple times, culminating in a final world tour in 2016.

In a nostalgic nod to his roots, Ozzy proclaimed “Birmingham forever,” during an unexpected performance at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in 2022, held in his hometown. The legendary Black Sabbath frontman was among a host of local talents to grace the stage, including Dexy’s Midnight Runners, UB40, and Musical Youth.