Jack Osbourne has paid tribute to Ozzy, saying that he admired how his father “lived his life fully”.

The Black Sabbath frontman, soloist and heavy metal pioneer died on Tuesday July 22 at age 76. The news broke just weeks after he played his final live show in his hometown just weeks before his death, raising “a ton” of money for Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorns Children’s Hospice.

He was laid to rest in the grounds of his UK mansion during a private ceremony that was attended by Elton John, members of Metallica and more last week. Prior to that, his cortege travelled through Birmingham in a procession attended by thousands of fans, and was attended by his emotional family, including wife Sharon Osbourne, and children Jack, Kelly, and Aimee

Now, Jack Osbourne has spoken publicly about the loss, sharing an emotional post on social media sharing what his close bond to his father meant to him.

“I haven’t really wanted to post anything since the passing of my father. My heart has hurt too much,” he began. “I’m gonna keep this short because he certainly hated long rambling speeches.

“He was so many things to so many people, but I was so lucky and blessed to be a part of a very small group that got to call him ‘Dad’. My heart is full of so much sadness and sorrow, but also so much love and gratitude. I got 14,501 days with that man and I know that is such a blessing. I think this quote best describes my father.”

Jack went on to share a Hunter S. Thompson quote that read: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body… but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out,
and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow! What a ride!’”

“That was my dad. He lived and he lived his life fully,” Jack concluded. “I love you dad.”

The post also included a montage of photos and videos of him and Ozzy throughout the years, including an appearance he made on Howard Stern’s radio show as a child, where he explained what it was like to have the metal icon as a father.

His post follows an update from his sister Kelly, which saw her thank fans for the “love, support and beautiful messages” she has received since the death of her father.

“I’ve sat down to write this a hundred times and still don’t know if the words will ever feel like enough,” she wrote on Instagram. “But from the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

“The love, support, and beautiful messages I’ve received from so many of you have truly helped carry me through the hardest moment of my life. Every kind word, every shared memory, every bit of compassion has meant more than I can ever explain.”

According to The New York Times, Ozzy’s cause of death was a heart attack. It also mentioned that he suffered from coronary heart disease as well as Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2003 but didn’t reveal publicly until 2020.

The two of them are among the countless names paying tribute to Ozzy, including Zak Starkey, Adam Sandler, Ghost’s Tobias Forge, Alice Cooper, Elton John, Yungblud, Billie Joe Armstrong, Jack White, Coldplay, Gojira and Jake E Lee. Touching messages have also been shared by his Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler.

Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins also shared that performing with Ozzy at his final show was like “a magical dream”, and added that it didn’t seem like he was “anywhere near the end of his life”.

Since his death, there has been a push from fans for both Birmingham Airport and a stage at Download Festival to be renamed after the late singer. A Change.org petition for the former got over 5,000 signees in less than two days, and currently stands at over 64,000 signatures.

To celebrate the life of the singer, King Charles’ army band also paid their respects by covering Black Sabbath’s classic track ‘Paranoid’, and his family have allowed an exhibition in Birmingham dedicated to the late Prince of Darkness to be extended.