Ozzy Osbourne's official cause of death revealed

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Ozzy Osbourne died at age 76 of a heart attack, according to his death certificate obtained by the New York Times and the U.K. Sun.

The report, which was submitted by the musician’s daughter Aimee Osbourne to a registry in London, lists cardiac arrest and coronary artery disease among Ozzy’s cause of death, also noting that he was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

The document, the Times reports, says Ozzy died as a result of “(a) Out of hospital cardiac arrest (b) Acute myocardial infarction (c) Coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s disease with autonomic dysfunction (Joint Causes).”

His profession was listed as “Songwriter, Performer and Rock Legend.”

When Ozzy’s family announced his death last month, they did not specify a cause of death and asked for privacy in a message shared with the rock star’s legion of fans.

“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy has passed away this morning,” the family’s statement said. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

After previously denying her dad was near death, Ozzy’s daughter, Kelly, paid tribute to her father in a message shared to her Instagram Story this week.

“I’ve sat down to write this a hundred times and still don’t know if the words will ever feel like enough.. but from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” she wrote. “Grief is a strange thing-it sneaks up on you in waves. I will not be ok for a while — but knowing my family are not alone in our pain makes a difference. I’m holding on tight to the love, the light, and the legacy left behind.”

After rumours swirled for years that he was unwell, Ozzy announced he was battling Parkinson’s in January 2020.

His wife, Sharon, told Good Morning America at the time that the diagnosis “was not a death sentence,” but acknowledged her husband had good days and bad days.

Earlier this year, Ozzy announced he would perform one last time in Birmingham, England, with his former bandmates in Black Sabbath, the heavy metal band he helped form in 1968.

“He’s very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this,” Sharon told the at U.K. Sun this past February. “Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. It’s not something you can stabilize. It affects different parts of the body and it’s affected his legs,” she added. “But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.” 

Ozzy, who performed two sets at the Back to the Beginning show, also confirmed that he could no longer walk.

“I have made it to 2025,” he said during a February episode of his Sirius XM radio show, according to The Independent. “I can’t walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I’m still alive. I may be moaning that I can’t walk but I look down the road and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me and didn’t make it.”

Following his death, Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler wrote in a post on The Sunday Times that he was surprised how “frail” Ozzy was in the leadup to the Back to the Beginning concert.

“I knew he wasn’t in good health, but I wasn’t prepared to see how frail he was … he was really quiet compared with the Ozzy of old,” Butler wrote.

But “the strangest part of that show was the end,” Butler, who co-founded the band alongside Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward, wrote.

“Normally, we would all hug each other and take a bow to the audience. But Ozzy was on his throne and we hadn’t thought that out … it was such a strange feeling to end our story like that,” Butler said.

After scrapping various tours due to his ailing health, Osbourne told Rolling Stone UK last year that he was “f***ing pissed off at” that he never got a “chance to say goodbye or thank you” to his fans. 

“If I can’t continue doing shows on a regular basis, I just want to be well enough to do one show where I can say, ‘Hi guys, thanks so much for my life.’ That’s what I’m working towards, and if I drop down dead at the end of it, I’ll die a happy man,” he said.

“My fans are what it’s all about. If I can just do a few gigs … They’ve been loyal to me for f***ing years. They write to me, they know all about my dogs. It’s my extended family really, and they give us the lifestyle we have. For whatever reason, that’s my goal to work to. To do those shows.” 

Ozzy got his wish when he played what ended up being his last live show alongside his original band Black Sabbath on July 5th.

“I don’t know what to say, man, I’ve been laid up for like six years. You have no idea how I feel — thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Ozzy said at the farewell concert. “You’re all … special.”

mdaniell@postmedia.com

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