Fans, colleagues and friends have being paying tribute to Ozzy Osbourne following his death aged 76.
Johnny Depp made a surprise appearance at an Alice Cooper concert on Friday, July 25. Joining the rocker on stage, he played guitar for Black Sabbath’s 1970 hit Paranoid. “Here’s for Ozzy,” Alice Cooper shouted, after he’d jokingly introduced the actor as “some guy we found in the alley”.
Fellow British musician Phil Collins has also posted his own tribute to Ozzy, alongside a picture of the pair on Instagram. “In happier times, love always PCx” he captioned the photograph.
The first time fans had heard from Sharon Osbourne since her husband’s passing was on social media, reacting to messages.
English musician Gavin Rossdale had taken to his Instagram to mourn the icon.
“RIP OZZY,” he wrote. ” – “A great man -a true legend – i met ozzy through jack just a few times but he was so warm and kind and funny and i love that memory .sending much love to his family at this difficult time. Rest in power.”
Sharon responded to the post saying simply, “Bless you.”
The 72-year-old officially broke her silence in a video shared to Instagram featuring her daughter Kelly as they played with owls and falcons.
“I’m still having trouble finding the words to express how grateful I am for the overwhelming love and support you’ve shown on social media. Your comments, posts, and tributes have brought me more comfort than you know. None of it has gone unnoticed, in fact, it’s carried me through many nights,” she captioned the video.
“Though I’m still finding my footing, I wanted to share some glorious creatures I had the chance to spend an afternoon with. The connection you make with these powerful birds is built entirely on trust and confidence. They’ll choose to perch on you only if they sense you are safe and unafraid of them. It’s a bond I know all too well, and the experience was nothing short of magical.
“I love you all, and I thank you deeply for the otherworldly amount of love you continue to send my way,” she concluded.
The pioneering heavy metal frontman’s death was announced on June 22 by his family, three weeks after his farewell concert performance.
“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” it said. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
Sir Elton John was quick to pay tribute to a fellow British trailblazer he also called a friend.
“He was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods – a true legend,” he posted on Instagram. “He was also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. I will miss him dearly. To Sharon and the family, I send my condolences and love.”
Rolling Stones member Ronnie Wood also took to social media to share his sorrow.
“I am so very sad to hear of the death of Ozzy Osbourne,” he said alongside a photo of them together. “What a lovely goodbye concert he had at Back To The Beginning in Birmingham.”
Black Sabbath co-founder TGeezer Butler posted a photo of their final concert on Instagram.
“Goodbye dear friend- thanks for all those years- we had some great fun,” he said. “4 kids from Aston- who’d have thought, eh?
“So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you.”
Aerosmith called Ozzy “our brother in rock” on X.
“From Black Sabbath to his solo work, Ozzy redefined what it meant to be heavy,” the American band shared. “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.”
Sir Rod Stewart is another who paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne.
“Bye, bye Ozzy,” he posted. “Sleep well, my friend. I’ll see you up there – later rather than sooner.”
Speaking to BBC News Hour, actor and musician Henry Rollins also paid tribute.
“With Ozzy, what you saw was what you got,” he said. “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.”
As more peers take to social media, fans have been laying flowers on the “Black Sabbath bench” in Birmingham in homage of their hometown hero. More flowers are being laid by fans on the Hollywood Walk of fame in tribute.
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