We are now pausing our live coverage of tributes to Ozzy Osbourne. If you're just joining us, here's a recap:

• Osbourne, the lead singer of heavy metal group Black Sabbath, has died in the UK at the age of 76
• His family announced the news, saying: "He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time."
• Tributes have poured in, including from other members of Black Sabbath. The band posted a photo of Osbourne with the caption "Ozzy forever"

• Other celebrities - like Elton John, David Beckham, and Rod Stewart - also paid their respects
• Osbourne has been vocal about his struggle with Parkinson's disease since 2019, and he played a farewell concert with Black Sabbath earlier this month

If you want to keep following this story, you can read more here.

Some Black Sabbath fans got commemorative tattoos after the band's final show in Birmingham this month.

40,000 fans turned out at the venue in Birmingham which saw Ozzy singing with his fellow founding fathers of heavy metal while seated on a black throne.

"You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart," he told the crowd.

Image source, Getty Images

At his farewell concert earlier this month, Osbourne received a video message from celebrity friend Dolly Parton. The decorated country star celebrated the metal singer's final show, saying "I love you".

"Are we supposed to be seeing farewell to you? Well, I don't think that's gonna happen. Why don't we just say good luck, god bless you and we will see you somewhere down the road," she said.

She added that she's going to miss him on stage, but "I wouldn't be surprised if you don't show up somewhere else — and I'll be there".

More condolences are coming in from musicians inspired by Ozzy Osbourne.

American rock band Aerosmith calls him "our brother in rock", saying he "changed music forever".

"From Black Sabbath to his solo work, Ozzy redefined what it meant to be heavy," the band has written on X. "He did it all with heart, grit, and that wild spirit only he could bring.

"Our love goes out to Sharon, his family, his band, and the millions around the world who felt his fire."

Image source, Getty Images

Sammy Hagar, the lead vocalist of Van Halen, has paid tribute to Osbourne on social media.

Hagar played at the farewell concert for Osbourne earlier this month.

Posting on Instagram, Hagar says Osbourne "was and will always be a one of a kind true rock legend."

"For him to have been that close to death on July 5 and still get up there and perform like he promised... Wow! That puts him in a category of his own."

"Talk about commitment and loyalty to your fans. Nobody's going to out-do that ever!" he adds. "RIP my brother, you did it all."

Ozzy Osbourne is survived by his wife Sharon and six children, three from each of his two marriages.

Sharon, the daughter of Black Sabbath's manager Don Arden, and Ozzy married in 1982 after the end of his first marriage to Thelma Riley.

But their marriage was at times tumultuous.

In 1989, Ozzy woke up in jail to be told he had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder for strangling Sharon. He could not remember anything about it. She dropped the charges.

Sharon attempted to help Ozzy control his intake of alcohol and drugs. There were periods when he appeared to have quit those addictions - though he often fell off the wagon.

"If it wasn't for Sharon," he told writer Bryan Appleyard, "I'd be long dead."

Image source, Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Fans have been paying tribute to Ozzy Osbourne by leaving flowers at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

"Ozzy Osbourne was more than a rock legend - he was a cultural icon who reshaped music and defied expectations," says Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

"His star on the Walk of Fame will now shine even brighter."

Mark Savage
Music correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

As a solo artist and as part of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne sold more than 100 million records worldwide - so it's almost impossible to distil their catalogue into a digestible list. But here are five songs that should be on everyone's playlists.

1) Paranoid

Written as a last-minute "filler" for Black Sabbath's second album, the group accidentally created their biggest hit: The story of a man battling his inner voices, set to one of rock's most powerful riffs.

"Every now and then you get a song from nowhere," said Osbourne. "It’s a gift."

2) Crazy Train

The song that launched Osbourne's solo career, it's almost atypically upbeat - shrugging off Cold War paranoia and declaring: "Maybe it's not too late to learn how to love." It's only the maniacal laughter in the fading bars that suggests this outlook is the purview of a madman.

3) Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

Black Sabbath's reputation for darkness often overshadowed their melodic capabilities - but Osbourne was a passionate fan of the Beatles. You can hear their influence on the pastoral chorus of this song, before Tony Iommi powers in with a growling guitar line. John Lennon would undoubtedly have approved of Osbourne's seething critique of the music industry, summed up in the line: "Bog blast all of you”.

4) Changes

Sabbath revealed their soft underbelly on this 1972 piano ballad, written about a break-up that drummer Bill Ward was experiencing. "I thought the song was brilliant from the moment we first recorded it," said Osbourne, who later re-recorded it as a duet with his daughter, Kelly, and scored a UK number one.

5) Mr Crowley

Inspired by notorious occultist Aleister Crowley, this track from 1980's Blizzard of Ozz allowed Osbourne to play up to his mock-satanic image. But is also helped him escape from the shadow of Black Sabbath, with a swirling, heavy-psychedelic sound, capped off by a blistering solo from his new foil, guitar virtuoso Randy Rhoads.

Further listening: War Pigs and Iron Man are all-time classics; while Diary of a Madman and Suicide Solution are crucial chapters in Osbourne's solo songbook. Also check out Patient Number 9, the title track of his final album, which ended his career on a high.

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," the band 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.

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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’."