Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76, his family has announced.

A statement from his family said: “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. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019.

As frontman of Black Sabbath, he was at the forefront of the heavy metal scene, a deeper, darker offshoot of hard rock.

His theatrical stage presence, including once biting off the head of a bat, and styling himself as the Prince of Darkness marked him out as a controversial figure.

Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3rd, 1948, in Aston, Birmingham, he left school at 15 and did odd jobs including factory work before teaming up with school friend Geezer Butler in several bands.

Earlier this month he bid a farewell to fans with a Black Sabbath reunion, telling thousands of heavy metal enthusiasts at Villa Park, Birmingham – a stone’s throw from where Black Sabbath was formed in 1968 – that it was “so good to be on this stage” as he performed his last set from a large black throne.

Osbourne and his fellow original Black Sabbath members – Tony Iommi, Terence “Geezer” Butler and Bill Ward – were the last to appear on stage as part of a star-studded line-up for the Back to the Beginning concert.

Also among the bands performing were Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N’ Roses, and there were messages of thanks from other celebrities, including Jack Black, Ricky Gervais and Dolly Parton.

With Black Sabbath, he made a series of albums considered foundational to heavy metal, with songs such as Paranoid and Iron Man entering the rock canon.

Black Sabbath’s eponymous debut album in 1970 made the UK top 10 and paved the way for a string of hit records.

They went on to become one of the most influential and successful metal bands of all time, selling more than 75 million albums worldwide.

The group were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, and Osbourne was added for a second time last year. Black Sabbath last played in Dublin in January 2017.

In the 1980s, he also established a successful solo career, alongside other sidemen including guitarist Randy Rhoads, with whom he recorded Crazy Train.

A surprise renaissance began in 2002 when The Osbournes, a reality television programme starring the singer and wife Sharon, son Jack and daughter Kelly, was aired on MTV, introducing him to a new generation.

They have another daughter, Aimee, who did not feature in the programme. –PA