LONDON: Ozzy Osbourne, the heavy metal icon and frontman of British rock band Black Sabbath, has died at the age of 76, the BBC reported on Tuesday (Jul 22), citing a statement from his family.Nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness" and the "Godfather of Heavy Metal", Osbourne rose to fame in the 1970s with hits such as Paranoid, War Pigs and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Known for his distinctive voice, theatrical performances and dark, riff-driven sound, he sold more than 100 million records worldwide across his career.Osbourne earned notoriety in 1982 after biting the head off a bat thrown on stage by a fan – an incident he said he mistook for a toy before rushing to hospital for a rabies shot. He later embraced the moment, selling bat-themed merchandise including plush toys with removable heads.His wild lifestyle, fuelled by years of drug and alcohol abuse, made him a target for conservative and religious groups, who accused him of promoting harmful messages. Osbourne denied accusations of devil worship, saying in his 2010 biography: “I've done some bad things in my time. But I ain't the devil. I'm just John Osbourne: a working class kid from Aston who quit his job in the factory and went looking for a good time.”Born John Michael Osbourne, he grew up in the working-class neighbourhood of Aston in Birmingham, England, the fourth of six children. He struggled with dyslexia, left school at 15, and cycled through a series of jobs before serving a brief prison sentence for burglary. His life changed when he joined Black Sabbath in 1969.“I wouldn’t have put money on me making it to 60,” he said later. “No way.”A new generation came to know Osbourne in the 2000s through the reality TV show The Osbournes, which chronicled his domestic life with wife Sharon and children Jack, Kelly and Aimee. The show, which premiered in 2002, portrayed the rock star in a softer light and gained a large following.He is survived by Sharon, their children, and several grandchildren.