John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne was an influential English heavy metal singer, songwriter, and media personality. Born in Marston Green, United Kingdom, Osbourne was influenced to become a musician after becoming a fan of the Beatles in his teens.

Osbourne joined his first band in 1967 as lead singer, though the it broke up after only two shows. Shortly after that, Osbourne joined the Polka Tulk Blues, which would go through two name changes, eventually settling on the name Black Sabbath in August 1969.

The band found commercial success with their first two albums, and their third album, Master of Reality, would go on to be certified gold in less than two months. Rolling Stone would put the album at number 298 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2003.

By the late 1970s, Osbourne would leave to start his solo career with his band alongside Randy Rhoads and Bob Daisley, and release his first two albums, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. Osbourne would perform throughout the decade, drawing fame and ire from the mainstream due to his darker and macabre aesthetic.

Osbourne remained wildly successful with a dedicated fanbase of both his works on Black Sabbath and as a solo artist. Osbourne has sold over 100 million albums combined with his solo music and Black Sabbath. Osbourne continued to tour well into the 21st century and even managed to perform onstage despite his declining health.

Outside of his music, Osbourne and his family had a variety of reality TV shows, including MTV’s The Osbournes, Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour, and The Osbournes Want to Believe.