The Beautiful Death of Ozzy...
Keith Kahn-Harris
Pioneering metal writer Keith Kahn-Harris presents a moving, visionary exploration of Ozzy Osbourne, and of metal music and culture: the potent legacy Ozzy left us.
What is a ‘good death’?
How about this: After years of terrible health, you gather friends and admirers for one last, glorious party. A couple of weeks later, you slip away, surrounded by your loving family. Then, the world comes to mourn. That is how Birmingham’s favourite son, Ozzy Osbourne, died.
By his death in June 2025 – at an age few believed he’d reach – Ozzy was much-loved, far beyond the metal world. Once a feared, demonic figure to some (and a joke to others), his Back to the Beginning farewell concert at Villa Park raised millions for charity.
In concise, arresting chapters moving from Death to Life via Art, Politics, Sex, Bodies, Voice, Family, Myth and more, Kahn-Harris explores how Ozzy – of all people! – attracted such generosity of spirit. The answer, he finds, is deeply embedded within the story and culture of metal – and has lessons for us all.
Blending biography with criticism, Kahn-Harris traces the history of metal music—its styles and genres—to show how dying can become a social story of meaning rather than mere spectacle. This latest, popular study is heavy with insight, offering the best kind of cultural reading for anyone ready to pre-order an up-coming book that treats Ozzy’s myth with clear-eyed care.
For fans of Howard Jacobson (Shylock is My Name), and Jessica Cohen (What Makes an Apple?).
HarperCollins 2026
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