Image source, Getty Images

Metallica just shared another post commemorating Osbourne, after posting a photo and an emoji earlier today.

"It’s impossible to put into words what Ozzy Osbourne has meant to Metallica.

"Hero, icon, pioneer, inspiration, mentor, and, most of all, friend are a few that come to mind," band members Noah Abrams and Ross Halfin wrote on X. "Ozzy and Sharon believed in us and transformed our lives and careers."

The two said they were "heartbroken and devastated" and offered their condolences to the singer's family and friends.

The World Tonight
Radio 4

One of the many iconic bands that performed alongside Black Sabbath at their farewell concert earlier this month was The Smashing Pumpkins.

Billy Corgan, the lead singer, spoke to Jamie Coomarasamy on Radio 4’s The World Tonight about his experience.

"Some of the biggest musical artists in the world travelled from all over the world to be there literally to celebrate the legacy of this band... It’s one of the greatest musical moments of my life," he said

"Both men had a voice that seemed to speak of something greater than the person themselves understood."

Image source, Reuters

Nick Ruskell, an editor at rock magazine Kerrang!, says Osbourne's death marks "a very sad day".

"He was a figure who seemed like he would live forever," Ruskell tells the BBC.

It was only a few weeks ago that Osbourne and Black Sabbath graced the stage at the Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham, which Ruskell attended.

"To think that this happened so close after that is just devastating", he says, describing the performance as "incredible" and "just magic".

"He looked like he was really enjoying himself," Ruskell says.

Asked what kind of legacy Osbourne will leave, Ruskell says "it's sort of on par almost with the Beatles in terms of popular music".

"It's that big, in terms of his influence and his legacy," he says.

Image source, Reu

Aston Villa FC has paid tribute to one of its most famous fans, saying Osbourne "always held a special connection to the club".

"Aston Villa Football Club is saddened to learn that world-renowned rockstar and Villan Ozzy Osbourne has passed away.

"Growing up in Aston, not far from Villa Park, Ozzy always held a special connection to the club and the community he came from.

"The thoughts of everyone at Aston Villa are with his wife Sharon, his family, friends, and countless fans at this extremely difficult time."

Osbourne's support for the club was seen last season when a giant image of the singer was displayed ahead of Aston Villa's Champions League match against Celtic in January.

At the time, Aston Villa said Osbourne "embodies Villa's Aston origins, bridging the worlds of rock metal and football".

Image source, Getty Images

The Instagram account for AC/DC posted a tribute to Ozzy on social media moments ago.

"So sad! A great loss to all that loved him," the post says.

Image source, Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Henry Rollins, who fronted the California hardcore band Black Flag and went on to become a well-known actor, believes one of the reasons Osbourne was so loved around the world was because he "was incredibly genuine".

"With Ozzy, what you saw was what you got," he told BBC's Newshour on the World Service. "The guy on stage, that's really him, and that's how he was off stage as well. Just a genuinely good guy with an incredible amount of charisma."

Referring to Ozzy's famed excesses of drugs, booze and the infamous incident where he bit off the head of a bat, Rollins said he "was a wild guy, but not wild and mean. When Ozzy did stuff like that, you're like, well, you're doing it so I don't have to".

Rollins said underlying Black Sabbath's heavy sound, there was a foundation of genuine love: "The word love came out of his mouth on stage over and over and over again... How can you not like that?"

Variety magazine's senior entertainment editor Jem Aswad says the first time he met Osbourne, he was "nervous" to meet the Prince of Darkness.

"It was just this sort of really bizarre scene," Aswad tells the BBC.

Osbourne entered the room about 11:00 in a bathrobe, having "just woken up", wearing loads of jewellery and accessories and "a lot of gold", Aswad recalls.

But, he says, Osbourne was "perfectly nice, perfectly friendly".

Listen to more of Aswad's memories of hanging out with Osbourne in the video above.

Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward said it's "never goodbye" in a tribute post to Osbourne on social media that included a photo of the two together.

"Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls, no, you’re forever in my heart," Ward said on X.

"Deepest condolences to Sharon and all family members. RIP Sincere regrets to all the fans. Never goodbye. Thank you forever."

Image source, Bill Ward/X

Sony Music has released a statement on Osbourne's death, saying “his music will live on". Osbourne was signed to Epic Records, a label owned by Sony.

"Sony Music is deeply saddened by the passing of our legendary recording artist Ozzy Osbourne," the statement said.

"He redefined the sound and spirit of rock music and became an unmistakable voice and icon for his millions of fans around the world!"

Image source, ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images

US metal band Anthrax paid tribute to the Osbourne, saying it was an "honour" to perform at his farewell concert earlier this month. They said the genre of heavy metal was Black Sabbath's "ultimate creation".

"Like so many around the world, today's news hit us with truly insane shock and sadness," the band wrote on Instagram.

"Ozzy, thank you for everything. Simply put, none of us would be us without you."

Mark Savage
Music correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Metal band band Motörhead have posted a photo of Osbourne and their late frontman Lemmy on social media, along with a tribute.

“We lost our dear friend today today," they wrote in a caption, external. "Ozzy was a pioneer, a guiding force for all in hard rock and metal, and a great guy too.

“Lemmy and Ozzy were brothers in arms who enjoyed many adventures together, and his loss is seismic. RIP Ozzy, we will always love and celebrate you."

The two frontmen were great friends - and fellow hellraisers - who co-wrote several songs together, including I Don’t Want to Change the World, Mama, I’m Coming Home, Hellraiser and I Ain’t No Nice Guy.

Speaking in 2021, Osbourne recalled his final conversation with Lemmy, shortly before the musician died of pancreatic cancer.

"His exact words were, ‘I could have lived a lot longer and taken care of myself, but I lived my life the way I want to live and I ain’t got no regrets’."

Mark Savage
Music correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Those of us who watched The Osbournes - Ozzy's pioneering reality TV show - will remember the star as a permanently-bewildered father of three, with a halting walk and a hunched posture.

Although fans were concerned for his wellbeing, the beginning of his health problems really began in 2003, when he crashed an all-terrain vehicle damaging his spine.

The injury was exacerbated by a late-night fall in 2019 that required several rounds of extensive surgery.

Osbourne later suggested the fall could have been an early indication of Parkinson's, which he was diagnosed with later the same year.

The condition eventually robbed him of the ability to walk but, speaking earlier this year, he put a positive spin on his deteriorating health.

“I have made it to 2025. I can’t walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I’m still alive,” he told the US rock radio station Ozzy's Boneyard.

"I may be moaning that I can’t walk, but I look down the road, and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me and didn’t make it."

Peter Gillibrand
BBC Newsbeat

Image source, Jessica Osborne

Jessica Osborne and her family are self-proclaimed “metal heads” and she tells BBC Newsbeat they were all devastated.

“It’s strange to feel so strongly about someone that you don't personally know,” she says.

"I think you'd struggle to find someone that didn't know who he was," Jessica adds.

Jessica comes from Wolverhampton and says “it adds to the emotion” that Ozzy Osbourne was a local lad.

She was also at Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning concert earlier this month, which saw Ozzy sat on a throne in his home city of Birmingham. She felt it was his last hurrah.

“To know that was towards the end of his life. It’s very emotional to think about it. Especially now to say that I was there.”

“For Ozzy to witness everybody around the world… you know, that outpouring of love from the crowd and from the world. How amazing must that have been for him?”

Helen Bushby
Culture reporter

The singer was famously captured from all angles on MTV reality TV show The Osbournes. While it was entertaining for millions, it was not always entirely flattering.

He was often seen swearing, muttering and bumbling around his house as he was filmed with his wife Sharon, and two of his three children - Jack and Kelly. Their third daughter, Aimee, chose not to take part.

But as for the fame that resulted from the show's success, he wasn't keen.

"I didn't like it because it got too crazy," he told the BBC in 2017.

"I remember stopping at McDonald's with my kids one day and it turned into a lunatic asylum.

"But that is a level of fame you cannot sustain," he added. "It's like people started chipping at you, you know. With that reality thing, people would come up to me and give me advice on how to take care of my dogs and people would start yelling at me.

"It's weird. You become a prisoner of your own success but it's all part of the trip."

Image source, Getty Images

In our previous post we brought you a tribute to Ozzy from Black Sabbath's co-founder Tony Iommi, now we're hearing from the band's bassist.

Terence “Geezer” Butler says he is “so glad” he was able to perform a final time with bandmate Ozzy Osbourne - referring to the band's reunion on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham.

In a social media post, Butler writes: “Goodbye dear friend – thanks for all those years- we had some great fun. Four kids from Aston- who’d have thought, eh?

“So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you.”

Image source, Getty Images

Black Sabbath co-founder Tony Iommi says "I just can’t believe it! My dear dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park".

He adds that Ozzy's death is "such heart-breaking news that I can’t really find the words... Geezer (Butler), Bill (Ward) and myself have lost our brother.

"My thoughts go out to Sharon and all the Osbourne family. Rest in peace Oz. Tony.”

Donna Ford and Sue Peters were in The Old Still pub in Wolverhampton when they heard the news of Ozzy Osbourne's death.

They said the pub stopped the karaoke, played the Black Sabbath song Changes and held a minute's silence, with everybody raising a glass.

They've just bought some flowers and brought them down to the pub.

MTV, where reality TV show The Osbournes aired, has sent condolences to Ozzy's "family, loved ones and many dedicated fans".

"We know his legacy will live on through music-lovers around the world," the post on Instagram reads.

Image source, Getty Images

Osbourne has had many aliases over the years, but one that has been the most longstanding is the "Prince of Darkness".

It is another name for the devil used in works like "Paradise Lost" but the nickname was started by fans after the release of some of his "scarier" songs.

In an interview with NME in 2016, Osbourne said the song "Black Sabbath" originally freaked out some concert attendees.

"They thought we were Satan’s [expletive] friends or something," Osbourne said. "That’s when the whole Prince of Darkness [expletive] started."

Image source, Getty Images

Queen guitarist Sir Brian May has paid tribute to Osbourne, posting on social media about the singer's last performance.

“So sad to hear of Ozzy's passing. His last appearance at Villa Park was a glorious way to say goodbye – the love in that place for him was gigantic."

May said he was "grateful" that he was able to have "a few quiet words" with Osbourne after the show, and happy to know he passed peacefully with his loving family close by.

“But the world will miss Ozzy’s unique presence and fearless talent. My heartfelt consolations to Sharon and their great family.

“And to Bill (Ward) and Geezer (Butler) and my dear friend Tony (Iommi) – for this is family – I know only too well. REST IN PEACE dear Ozzie. Bri.”