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

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 Def Leppard, Soundgarden, and Metallica to Yungblud and Post Malone. Billy Corgan and Tom Morello took inspiration from Black Sabbath’s simple yet powerful riffs. Osbourne’s long reach spanned both years and genres.

As NPR’s Lars Gotrich said in 2025, “Ozzy, for all his flaws, of which there are many, gave permission to five decades of miscreants and cast-offs to lean into their anger, confusion and debauchery, and to do it loudly.”

Family, Friends, and Fans Remember Ozzy Osbourne in the Year After His Death

Several months after Ozzy Osbourne’s death, his family began to open up about him. Sharon Osbourne gave her first interview in December 2025, recalling their last moments together. According to Sharon, he had woken up several times in the night before his death, waking her up as well.

“I said, ‘I’m already bloody awake, you’ve woken me up’,” she said on Piers Morgan Uncensored. “And he said, ‘Kiss me.’ And then he said, ‘Hug me tight’.”

Ozzy died that morning, suffering a heart attack while exercising. “If only I’d have told him I loved him more. If only I’d have held him tighter,” Sharon lamented.

In a more lighthearted tribute, Kelly Osbourne posted a video of her toddler, Sidney, emulating an iconic Ozzy Osbourne moment. The TikTok video, posted in October 2025, showed Sidney holding a plush bat. He ripped the head off the bat with his teeth, then grinned and laughed to the camera.

Fans were quick to spot the incredible likeness between Sidney and his grandfather. And not just because of the obvious homage to Ozzy biting the head off a real, but thankfully dead, bat in 1982. Several comments noted that Sidney “looks like a baby Ozzy.” Clearly, the Osbourne genes are strong.

Meanwhile, on July 5, 2026, Sharon Osbourne reflected on the first wedding anniversary without her husband. She posted the sentiment on social media, but it wasn’t a message of overwhelming grief. Instead, she wrote about her continuing love.

“Today would have been our 46th wedding anniversary. Instead, it is a celebration of a love that even death could not diminish,” she wrote. “I miss your hand in mine, but I carry your love with me every step of the way. Forever my husband. Forever my heart.”

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