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One Year Later: Remembering the Death of This Heavy Metal Icon 17 Days After His Final Show

Memorials for Ozzy Osbourne haven’t slowed in the year since his death, proving his incredible influence on rock and roll.

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July 22, 2026, marks one year since Ozzy Osbourne’s death at age 76. Just 17 days before, he’d played his final live show, a homecoming in Birmingham with his former band Black Sabbath. The original lineup of Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward hadn’t been on stage together in 20 years, and Back to the Beginning let them close the book on Black Sabbath with fanfare.

After news broke of Osbourne’s death, tributes for the Prince of Darkness rolled in from all corners of the music world. Billy Idol praised his rock and roll spirit, while Robert Plant noted that he changed the face of the genre. Even Elton John recognized Osbourne as a trailblazing figure in heavy metal and rock music in general.

Osbourne influenced artists both old and new. From........

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