Black Sabbath posted its first comments on the death of former frontman and metal icon Ozzy Osbourne.
“Ozzy Forever,” the legendary British rockers wrote on Instagram, along with a photo of Osbourne at their farewell final concert on July 5 in Villa Park in the singer’s hometown of Birmingham, England.
Legendary musician and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ozzy Ozbourne has died at 76. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of FameIn a separate post, Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi also offered a tribute on behalf of the rest of the band.
“I just can’t believe it,” Iommi said on X. “My dear dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park.
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“It’s just such heartbreaking news that I can’t really find the words. There won’t ever be another like him. [Terrence] Geezer [Butler], Bill [Ward] and myself have lost our brother.
“My thoughts go out to Sharon and all the Osbourne family,” he added. “Rest in Pease, Oz. Tony.”
Osbourne’s family announced Tuesday that the 76-year-old “Prince of Darkness” had died following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease and other health issues.
Photo of Ozzy Ozbourne with his Black Sabbath band members Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward. WireImageBlack Sabbath burst onto the music scene in 1967 with Osbourne on vocals, Iommi on guitar, Butler on bass and Ward on drums.
Osbourne was fired by the band in 1979, but periodically reunited with his mates, most recently for the July 5 concert, during which he performed seated in a special throne due to his health.
Sabbath’s succinct but heartfelt comment drew more than 12,000 comments and more than 340,000 likes in just 30 minutes — and was part of an avalanche of online tributes.
Among them was a shoutout from Rolling Stone magazine, which called Osbourne “the singular metal legend whose Black Sabbath virtually invented heavy metal.”
Even “Machete” star Danny Trejo shared his grief on X.
“Today we lost one of the wildest souls to ever walk this Earth,” Trejo wrote. “Ozzy wasn’t just The Prince of Darkness, he was pure light to those of us lucky enough to meet him.
“A heart bigger than any stage he ever rocked,” he said.
Another tribute came from actor Adam Sandler.
“Whether we were in our basements with our brothers, in the woods with our buddies, in the car, at a keg party, on a boat, on a football practice, at a sleepover… Nobody was more badass to crank up on our speakers than the one and only prince of darkness,” Sandler wrote. “Loved him.”
