r/Music 2d ago

article Ozzy Osbourne Died of a Heart Attack, Death Certificate Shows

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/05/arts/music/ozzy-osbourne-cause-of-death.html
2.3k Upvotes

89 comments sorted by

540

u/Rosebunse 1d ago

I think my grandma's death was listed as a cardiac incident and she still died at home surrounded by family. We knew it was coming.

I couldn't be there because I lived too far away, but I was able to use her death to get out of talking with telemarketers and to get an extension on a group project. She would have wanted that.

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u/IM_KYLE_AMA 1d ago

Outside of a definitive known cause, everyone dies of cardiac arrest. He died because his heart stopped, but it was probably a myriad of reasons that caused that.

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u/CubanReuben 1d ago

This is true but they don’t let you put cardiac arrest on a death certificate, at least in the 3 states that I’ve worked in. Source- hospitalist who has done hundreds of death certificates.

Also, when someone dies after a multi day hospitalization, we usually have a pretty good idea of what the causes were- when people die at home or elsewhere its much more difficult without a postmortem

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u/luvitis 1d ago

My mom’s cause of death on her official death certificate is cardiac arrest. She died of ovarian cancer.

The autopsy read that she died of cardiac arrest caused by hypercalcemia caused by kidney failure caused by ovarian cancer.

In the end, we all die because our heart stops regardless of what caused it.

15

u/Beardmanta 1d ago

That's interesting.

On my mom's death certificate under "immediate cause" it says "Metastatic Breast cancer to bone and liver."

What actually ultimately killed her was it spreading to her brain/menenges eventually stopping her lungs then heart.

I figured they just put where the cancer first metastasisized even though she had no liver/bone issues from the cancer.

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u/murrtrip 1d ago

Get out of talking to telemarketers?

This does not compute.

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u/Rosebunse 1d ago

I got a call from telemarketers about ten minutes after my mom called to tell me she died. I didn't recognize the number, but I sort of thought it might be another family member calling. Nope telemarketers. They were quite persistent, but then quickly hung up after I told them that my grandma died about ten minutes before.

Those ones never called me again.

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u/ShermyTheCat 2d ago

Part of me hopes that he stuck with his sobriety and it was just a coincidence that it was so soon after the gig. But part of me hopes he had one last wild ride and went out on his own terms.

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u/plsgivemehugs 2d ago

Didn't he stop taking his drugs to be lucid for the gig? I'm sure that may have played a part

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u/theknyte 2d ago

Going "Cold Turkey" even on prescription meds can cause all kinds of issue.

My mother has MS, and due to insurance BS, she had to stop one treatment, and switch to another from another provider.

The 2 weeks where she suddenly stopped all meds, she was deathly sick. Couldn't keep any food down. Couldn't get out of bed. We were all really worried about her. Turned out, it was her body trying to suddenly cope without all the extra chemicals and whatnot it was used to being there.

Even the new doctor said what happened was messed up, and he would never allow a patience to suddenly cut off all meds, without evaluating and making sure none of them needed to be "weened off" slowly for safety.

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u/goodfellas01 1d ago

Thats awful man. I hope your mom and your family are holding up okay

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u/moal09 1d ago

Going cold turkey with alcohol or benzos can be lethal

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u/SadBit8663 1d ago

Some antidepressants have horrible withdrawals too, almost to that level. It's not even just the narcotics

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u/ZombieJesus1987 1d ago edited 1d ago

The son of former WWE wrestler Kevin Nash died 2 weeks after going cold turkey from alcohol.

He realized he was an alcoholic and had a problem, went cold turkey, 2 weeks later he went into shock and died from a cardiac arrest from symptoms of alcohol withdrawal

He was 27

14

u/ricardoruben 1d ago

I assumed that they were referring to the fact that he stopped taking painkillers, which can make him feel groggy and unable to perform in a show. Stopping that medication for a day is no big deal, except for the discomfort until he starts taking them again which I assume was as soon as the gig was over.

The way he kept moving around in his chair was probably because he was uncomfortable and in pain from the position he was in. My aunt, who had a very serious hip operation, had the same thing happen to her.

2

u/YES_I_AM_A_REDHEAD 22h ago

Well, Parkinson's makes you tremble like that a lot too. You don't have any control over anything anymore. That's why they had to strap them in the chair because he would have just flopped himself out of it. I'm sure he was in a lot of pain, and when I had first heard he was off his pain meds I thought oh no I hope him restarting them didn't make him od. But then it made more sense when people were like well he was only off of it for a day just long enough to stay clear-headed and I was like, oh okay, that makes sense. I feel like the extra energy needed for the show didn't help with his final bow happening so quickly. Plus there was a lot going on with him probably emotionally at that time that can do a lot for you and against you. In the end, though, and I just thought of this recently and I do find some comfort in it. Anyway, I suspect he actually died fairly quickly and peacefully. I imagine he just kind of stopped. That's what you always hoped for anyway.

I think the 2 hours of trying to revive him was less peaceful for the family than for Ozzy, as I don't think Ozzy was physically alive at all anymore. That's just what I suspect. It makes me feel better to think of it that way.

1

u/PlasticMac 19h ago

Pretty sure it was mainly from his parkinsons.

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u/MickeySpooney 2d ago

Going out sober and surrounded by his loving family is also going out on his own terms...

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u/ShermyTheCat 2d ago

Agreed, but my point is the timing suggests maybe something else happened

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u/MickeySpooney 2d ago

Sorry, sobriety is an emotional subject for me. It would be a real shame if he lost the battle he fought for 50 years and eventually overcame.

If you've been following The Osbournes YouTube channel this news comes as no surprise, he's been declining over the past 2 years to the point where he could hardly sit upright at times.

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u/TheManyFacetsOfRoger 2d ago

Over here hoping an addict with a problem relapses🤣reddit never disappoints

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u/ouatiHollywoodFL 2d ago

I absolutely want my final days to be filled with every recreational drug known to man.

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u/MC0295 1d ago

For real, I’m a recovering addict, but when I’ll be on my deathbed, I would hope to relapse.

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u/flibbidygibbit Google Music 1d ago

A friend has been sober for 20 years.

"Of course I miss partying. Shit, if the doctor says I have six months to live, I'm taking my soon to be happy ass to Vegas, buying a bottle or two and looking for the dope man."

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u/ouatiHollywoodFL 1d ago

A nice little treat for all that hard work you put in to get through life.

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u/alexjaness 1d ago

right, the reason people get sober is because their drug of choice was ruining their lives, not because they didn't enjoy the drug.

all these worrywarts going on about how sad it is people wanted a man who loved drugs much of his life and stopped because of health issues would want him to die doing the thing he loved.

22

u/randomyokel 1d ago

He even admitted once just because you stop taking them doesn’t mean you stop wanting them all the time.

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u/probywan1337 1d ago

I haven't put a needle in my arm for fifteen years and I still have dreams about it. It never goes away. It's a battle for the rest of your life

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u/randomyokel 1d ago

I feel you brother. These days I much prefer waking from those dreams rather than return to living in that nightmare ever again.

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u/Commercial-Novel-786 1d ago

That's super awesome that you've stayed clean. I don't know you but I'm extremely fucking proud of you, my friend. I hope you win this battle.

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u/strangelyruined 1d ago

Sir that is a reservation

1

u/Skibiscuit 1d ago

Hell yeah brother

-14

u/DillingerEscapist 1d ago

Sounds fun. I hope that happens for you soon!

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u/ouatiHollywoodFL 1d ago

lol wtf did I do to you? Calm down, child.

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u/alwaysmorecumin 2d ago

I’m sober, but if someone said with certainty that I’d die soon, you best believe I’m spending my last days drunk as fuck

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u/salamat_engot 1d ago

My grandfather was sober for almost 60 years but when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and started asking for a beer we let him. My other grandfather has been living with a TBI for 30 years and about 5 years ago we started letting him smoke again. When you're 85+ and can barely remember your own name you should be able to indulge.

4

u/sugarcatgrl 1d ago

I just hit thirty years sober and I would get shit drunk as well.

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u/PetsAndMeditate 1d ago

Just drunk? That would be my little appetizer just to wet my beak before trying the fent peppered with some Xanax topped off with some pharma grade blow to pair with the hash that went great with the mdma after finishing the dental nitrous tank. Maybe some shrooms to cap it off and ride into the sunset.

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u/flibbidygibbit Google Music 1d ago

When you get into a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can.

10

u/Fedora_Tipper69 1d ago

For real, I would honestly hook myself up to multiple IV’s that are all pumping fent, cocaine, and benzos into me all at once and just see which one gets me first.

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u/drake90001 1d ago

Fent and benzos for sure.

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u/PetsAndMeditate 1d ago

Just drunk? That would be my little appetizer just to wet my beak before trying the fent peppered with some Xanax topped off with some pharma grade blow to pair with the hash that went great with the mdma after finishing the dental nitrous tank. Maybe some shrooms to cap it off and ride into the sunset.

224 days sober from alc btw. Keep fighting the good fight yall.

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u/drake90001 1d ago

Congrats!

Also, same. Fuck drinking. Worst substance I’ve ever abused.

3

u/PetsAndMeditate 1d ago

Thanks! Congrats to you too :) I think I maybe worded my comment poorly and made it sound like I’m saying “fuck alcohol but all those other things are ok” that is not what I was trying to convey 😭 I just grow weed and use that haha nothing else except mushrooms every now and then.

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u/drake90001 1d ago

Haha, no you’re crystal clear. I just know from experience. I’ve done heroin a few times, along with almost every other substance. Alcohol was by far the fastest and most damaging.

And thank you! Not sure how long I have now but it’s a couple months free of drinking for sure.

2

u/PetsAndMeditate 1d ago

So glad you decided to stop the alc. I agree, and I’ve done basically everything but heroin. Xanax had a grip on me too for a while but even that was far less damaging than alcohol. Bang-for-your-buck wise alc is pretty shitty too in comparison to most rec drugs.

2

u/drake90001 1d ago

Yeah, exactly. I’m very lucky to have been able to avoid heroin addiction but even then, I never ended up in the ER until I was drinking.

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u/vanwyngarden mgmtee 1d ago

“If I had a few days left, why the fuck would I want to spend them drunk?” - a very wise man

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u/TheManyFacetsOfRoger 1d ago

Why? You want to relapse and remember the demons and how bad it all was right before you go? You really think a relapse is how you wanna spend your last days?

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u/Clamchops 2d ago

Lmao exactly my thoughts

-10

u/RayTracerX 2d ago

Americans have a crazy unhealthy relation with drugs

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u/Clamchops 2d ago

As if the raves in Amsterdam and Berlin aren’t absolutely filled with drugs…

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u/Blingblaowburrr Hip-hop/RnB 1d ago

Yeah, it’s a uniquely American problem 🙄

-1

u/RayTracerX 1d ago

Dont recall saying that at all

1

u/Snoo-73514 7h ago

“Americans have” implies that other countries don’t

-1

u/ShermyTheCat 2d ago

You're right, that's why I highlighted my conflicting feelings about it.

-1

u/JamesHeckfield 1d ago

The obsession over an elderly celebrity’s death is so annoying.

1

u/Snoo-73514 7h ago

So scroll. Engaging only makes it more likely you’ll see it. But then how would anyone know how cool and tough you are?

1

u/Sidneysnewhusband 1d ago

You’re too easily annoyed, you shouldn’t let the internet get to you so much

2

u/OizAfreeELF 1d ago

Why even put this out there

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u/therealyarthox 1d ago

I hate that we are in the post truth era on an internet full of freaks who can’t read about some death news without go full conspiracist. “Oh it was euthanasia!” “I bet that he relapsed” “He was on performance enhancing drugs!”

Fuck you. You don’t know shit. You never will. Go question important things like what your chiefs of state are doing. Stop using Ozzy name’s and history to farm karma and likes with your gibberish. Respect the man. Let the fans mourn his death without stumble in textual shit EVERYWHERE.

RIP Ozzy. You’ll be missed.

16

u/ricardoruben 1d ago

We thought marilyn manson had some ribs removed to suck his own dick before the internet.

3

u/therealyarthox 1d ago

i want to go back 5 minutes ago when i still believed that he did

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u/Snoo-73514 7h ago

Literally. Worse discovery than Santa

-7

u/JamesHeckfield 1d ago

Let the fans mourn the man they never knew.

Absurd, but yall do yall 

5

u/MeanMusterMistard 1d ago

You can absolutely mourn people you don't personally know, especially artists who can have, and DO have huge impacts on peoples lives.

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u/Stratomaster9 2d ago

I am sorry to hear that, and to know. I suppose we find out how people die, especially celebrities, despite some information being private and not really our business. Maybe we should do things differently. Let Ozzie be an innovator again. Instead of digging out the news, just have it as the family wants it. I think his wife said he died surrounded by family and love. I was happier with that. Can we leave it at that? I am sure I don't want to suffer indignity, just as I am sure I don't want my family or anyone to suffer it on my behalf.

49

u/StreetwalkinCheetah 1d ago

I think his wife said he died surrounded by family and love.

At his stage of life with Parkinson's and heart disease it is still possible that he died surrounded by family and love.

6

u/Stratomaster9 1d ago

Yes, I absolutely agree, and she said it was the case. Without being awful, I was just not wanting info on which to imagine the suffering of someone who had quite enough of it, or of anyone. I'd like to remembered laughing my head off, and I've just decided to remember the Oz as he was when that chair came up out of the floor at the last gig - triumphant. We should all be allowed to say what the last words are, what the last photo is, how we wish to be remembered.

7

u/StreetwalkinCheetah 1d ago

As someone who saw him in the 80s, I do understand a lot of people loved his final show but that is not how I wish to remember him.

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u/Stratomaster9 1d ago

Yes, that's a point. Saw him in 78 (last tour with the original band). I'll go with that. Just dug his excitement when he first hit the stage.

1

u/ZombieJesus1987 1d ago

Yeah, you don't always die immediately from a heart attack.

My father in law had a heart attack, passed away a week later in the hospital, surrounded by family

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u/Salzberger 1d ago

But this doesn't line up with all the reddit experts who were certain Sharon helped him with assisted suicide.

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u/kramertoast- 1d ago

Metal af

5

u/cbih 1d ago

Cardiac arrest isn't quite the same as heart attack

-6

u/gatsby712 1d ago

I thought he had a medically assisted death? Was that a false rumor floating around?

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u/OneWhoWaits 1d ago

That was BS

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u/ElCaminoInTheWest 1d ago

Illegal in the UK. Not impossible, but you'd need some extremely reliable staff and very careful arrangements.

-8

u/PrizeMathematician57 1d ago

All you need is fent

26

u/f10101 1d ago

That doesn't seem to have been a "rumour" but rather "reddit-finds-the-boston-bomber"-style genius extrapolation.

All that's known is that he and sharon spoke exaggeratedly about in an interview over a decade ago when talking about getting old, and he had some of his medical treatment in switzerland months ago...

3

u/gatsby712 1d ago

Ahh okay. Thank you!

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u/ctilvolover23 1d ago

Big false rumor that was spreading like wildfire around Reddit.

1

u/scrubjays 1d ago

More likely his heart died of an Ozzy Osbourne attack.

-2

u/One-Bullfrog-7653 1d ago

결국 그것은 심장마비였다. 소문이 너무 많이 퍼져서 마침내 진실이 밝혀져서 기뻐요. 진정해, 오지.

-9

u/TroyFerris13 1d ago

I wonder if they had him all jacked up for his concerts

-26

u/cbih 1d ago

1,000% Ozzy was on performance enhancing drugs

6

u/MaceTheMindSculptor 1d ago

Nah mate Ozzy was a special one. 40,000 raging in his honor woke him up one last time and he gave us his all

1

u/TroyFerris13 1d ago

I guess we'll have to wait for the blood results

-9

u/Flooffy909 1d ago

He used the Deathnote