END OF ERA AS HEAVY METAL GOD FADES OUT

A BEHEMOTH among the monsters of rock music, Ozzy Osbourne will be best remembered for his showmanship and unique sound.

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As frontman of Black Sabbath, he was at the forefront of the heavy metal scene. He was a controversial figure, and breakups fuelled by disputes with fellow members and drug abuse and a well-documented battle with alcoholism cemented that reputation.

Ozzy, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward formed Earth Blues Company later shortened to Earth - in 1968. Initially a Mod who loved soul music, according to his biography on the band's official website, Ozzy crafted his darker image after writing lyrics for a song entitled Black Sabbath after the 1963 Boris Karloff film of the same name.

The name stuck -after they were forced to change it from Earth and the band went on to sell millions of records over the next decade on the back of sound-defining tracks including Paranoid and War Pigs.

A product of their working-class roots and the post-Vietnam War era, the band tackled themes of war, social chaos and the supernatural.

But drug use began to take its toll on Ozzy and his relationship with his fellow band members, and he was eventually fired in 1979.

He launched a solo career, enjoying success during the 1980s, before reforming with Sabbath several times, including in 2016 for a final world tour.

As a group, Black Sabbath are widely credited with defining and popularising the sound of heavy metal.

As a solo artist, Ozzy released 12 albums, with his debut Blizzard Of Ozz issued in 1980, which featured two of his most revered songs, Crazy Train and Mr Crowley.

The Birmingham-born singer sold more than 100 million records worldwide with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist.

In 2014, he was presented with a global icon award at the MTV Europe Music Awards.