Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of Black Sabbath and undisputed “Prince of Darkness,” handed away on July 22 on the age of 76, abandoning a legacy that endlessly reshaped the world of rock ‘n’ roll.

As followers across the globe mourn the lack of a real icon, they’re additionally celebrating the person who made “darkness” not solely mainstream, however cool.

From the second he stepped onto the scene within the early ’70s because the haunting voice of Black Sabbath, Osbourne’s eerie tone and rebellious vitality helped start the style we now know as heavy metallic.

With tracks like “Iron Man,” “Paranoid,” and “Conflict Pigs,” Ozzy Osbourne led a sonic revolution that was heavier, darker, and louder than something the world had heard earlier than.

Born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham, England, Ozzy’s working-class roots and uncooked vocal fashion resonated with followers who had been craving one thing extra actual, and extra rebellious. His haunting wail grew to become the soundtrack for generations of outsiders and rock lovers alike.

Whereas Black Sabbath was the spark, Ozzy’s solo profession cemented his legacy. With albums like “Blizzard of Ozz” and “Diary of a Madman,” he delivered hits like “Loopy Practice” and “Mr. Crowley,” songs that mixed theatricality with true emotional grit.

His stage presence was wild, unpredictable, and unforgettable.

However Ozzy’s affect prolonged far past the music charts.

Dubbed “The Prince of Darkness,” he turned the taboo into the fashionable, making gothic style, macabre themes, and demonic symbolism a part of the mainstream. The place others feared to tread, Ozzy leaned in, reworking heavy metallic into an aesthetic and perspective embraced throughout popular culture.

After which got here “The Osbournes.” The early 2000s actuality present starring Ozzy, spouse Sharon, and their children gave followers a peek behind the scenes, exhibiting the chaos, humor, and coronary heart behind the bat-biting legend. The collection was a cultural reset, proving that even rock’s darkest determine may be… a doting dad who couldn’t work the distant.

Whether or not it was via his eerie stage presence, outrageous style, or brutally sincere lyrics about ache, worry, and chaos, Ozzy constructed a legacy on saying the issues others had been too afraid to. He didn’t simply carry out. He poured his soul into each phrase, making followers really feel seen of their darkest moments and understood of their most chaotic ones.

From his early days with Black Sabbath to his prolific solo profession, Ozzy’s lyrics had been uncooked, emotional, and sometimes deeply reflective. His phrases lower via the noise of glam rock and disco, providing one thing deeper, corresponding to anthems for the misunderstood, the damaged, and the daring.

In “Paranoid,” he voiced the interior torment so many saved hidden:

“Folks assume I am insane as a result of I’m frowning on a regular basis.”

Within the apocalyptic “Iron Man,” he crafted a tragic, time-traveling antihero who embodied rage and revenge:

“He was turned to metal within the nice magnetic discipline / When he traveled time for the way forward for mankind.”

And in “No Extra Tears,” he channeled the darker and poetic corners of his thoughts:

“The sunshine within the window is a crack within the sky / A stairway to darkness within the blink of an eye fixed.”

These weren’t simply lyrics. They had been lifelines. For generations of followers, Ozzy’s music gave them permission to be offended, messy, emotional, loud, totally different, and above all…actual.

Even after many years of dominating the music world and incomes the nickname “The Prince of Darkness,” Ozzy Osbourne remained shockingly humble about his place in rock historical past.

Throughout a candid second on his SiriusXM present, “Ozzy Speaks,” earlier this 12 months, the legendary frontman revealed that he nonetheless struggles to simply accept reward, even from his fellow musicians.