ENS

Level-graded English lessons with reading, listening, activities, and discussion.

Lesson Info

Type
Article
Level
3 / B1
Published
Title
Ozzy Osbourne, Heavy Metal Pioneer, Dies at 76
Webpage
https://eslnewsstories.com/articles/2025-07-26-ozzy-osbourne-heavy-metal-pioneer-dies/

Lesson Content

Warm-up, Vocab List, Reading and Audio

Understanding: True or False

Language: Vocab Match

Use It: Discussion Questions

Answers

Think Ahead: What do you think the story shows about Ozzy Osbourne's life?

a) He was only famous because of television.

b) He avoided performing in his hometown.

c) He became famous after a difficult beginning.

Ozzy Osbourne showing his rings and hand tattoos
Ozzy Osbourne.

Ask: (1) What types of music do you know? (2) Do you know any rock or metal bands?

Vocab List

Pioneer (n.) — A person who is one of the first to do something new.
Fine (n.) — Money you must pay as punishment for breaking the law.
Throne (n.) — A special chair for a king or queen.
Image (n.) — The way people see or think about someone.
Equipment (n.) — Things you need to do a job or activity.
Generation (n.) — All the people born around the same time.
Crowd (n.) — A large group of people in one place.
Platinum (adj.) — A special award for selling many copies of an album.
Reading

Ozzy Osbourne died on Tuesday. He was 76 years old. People called him the "Prince of Darkness." He was a pioneer of heavy metal music and a TV star.

This month, Ozzy gave his last concert in Birmingham, England. Birmingham was his hometown. He sat on a black throne and sang with his old band, Black Sabbath. The crowd was very excited.

Ozzy was born John Michael Osbourne in 1948. He had a hard time at school and left when he was 15. He worked many jobs. One job was at a place that killed animals for meat.

After he lost his job, Ozzy started stealing things. The police caught him. His father didn't pay the fine, so Ozzy went to prison for three months. In prison, he decided to change his life.

When Ozzy left prison, his father helped him. He bought Ozzy equipment to become a singer. In 1968, Ozzy met three other musicians. They started a band together.

The band took the name Black Sabbath from a horror movie. They made very loud music with heavy sounds. Ozzy sang about dark things. This was a new type of music - heavy metal.

Black Sabbath became very successful. They made eight albums in the 1970s. Young people loved songs like "Paranoid" and "Iron Man." Ozzy was the lead singer of the band.

Later, Ozzy left Black Sabbath and sang alone. He made 13 platinum albums. Many people bought his music. But Ozzy said his scary image was just for the stage.

"All the stuff onstage, the craziness, it's all just a role that I play, my work," Ozzy said in 1992. "I am not the Antichrist. I am a family man."

In 2002, MTV made a reality show called "The Osbournes." The show was about Ozzy and his family at home. People saw that Ozzy was a loving father. A new generation of fans liked him.

Ozzy went into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame two times. First with Black Sabbath in 2006, then by himself in 2024. He was very important to rock music.

Ozzy Osbourne, Heavy Metal Pioneer, Dies at 76

Level 3 Article · Reviewed Source: nytimes.com, theguardian.com
Warm-up → or → Check Understanding → Language → Use It

Ozzy Osbourne showing his rings and hand tattoos
Ozzy Osbourne.

Ozzy Osbourne died on Tuesday. He was 76 years old. People called him the "Prince of Darkness." He was a pioneer of heavy metal music and a TV star.

This month, Ozzy gave his last concert in Birmingham, England. Birmingham was his hometown. He sat on a black throne and sang with his old band, Black Sabbath. The crowd was very excited.

Ozzy was born John Michael Osbourne in 1948. He had a hard time at school and left when he was 15. He worked many jobs. One job was at a place that killed animals for meat.

After he lost his job, Ozzy started stealing things. The police caught him. His father didn't pay the fine, so Ozzy went to prison for three months. In prison, he decided to change his life.

When Ozzy left prison, his father helped him. He bought Ozzy equipment to become a singer. In 1968, Ozzy met three other musicians. They started a band together.

The band took the name Black Sabbath from a horror movie. They made very loud music with heavy sounds. Ozzy sang about dark things. This was a new type of music - heavy metal.

Black Sabbath became very successful. They made eight albums in the 1970s. Young people loved songs like "Paranoid" and "Iron Man." Ozzy was the lead singer of the band.

Later, Ozzy left Black Sabbath and sang alone. He made 13 platinum albums. Many people bought his music. But Ozzy said his scary image was just for the stage.

"All the stuff onstage, the craziness, it's all just a role that I play, my work," Ozzy said in 1992. "I am not the Antichrist. I am a family man."

In 2002, MTV made a reality show called "The Osbournes." The show was about Ozzy and his family at home. People saw that Ozzy was a loving father. A new generation of fans liked him.

Ozzy went into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame two times. First with Black Sabbath in 2006, then by himself in 2024. He was very important to rock music.

Speaker: American Male  Duration: 2:18  YouTube

Listen Closely

Listen and Fill Gaps

Listen to the audio on eslnewsstories.com and complete the gaps below:

Ozzy Osbourne died on Tuesday. He was 76 years old. People called him the "Prince of Darkness." He was a (1) of heavy metal music and a TV star.

This month, Ozzy gave his last concert in Birmingham, England. Birmingham was his hometown. He sat on a black throne and sang with his old band, Black Sabbath. The (2) was very excited.

Ozzy was born John Michael Osbourne in 1948. He had a hard time at school and left when he was 15. He worked many jobs. One job was at a place that killed animals for meat.

After he lost his job, Ozzy started stealing things. The police caught him. His father didn't pay the (3) , so Ozzy went to prison for three months. In prison, he decided to change his life.

When Ozzy left prison, his father helped him. He bought Ozzy (4) to become a singer. In 1968, Ozzy met three other musicians. They started a band together.

The band took the name Black Sabbath from a horror movie. They made very loud music with heavy sounds. Ozzy sang about dark things. This was a new type of music - heavy metal.

Black Sabbath became very successful. They made eight albums in the 1970s. Young people loved songs like "Paranoid" and "Iron Man." Ozzy was the lead singer of the band.

Later, Ozzy left Black Sabbath and sang alone. He made 13 platinum albums. Many people bought his music. But Ozzy said his scary (5) was just for the stage.

"All the stuff onstage, the craziness, it's all just a role that I play, my work," Ozzy said in 1992. "I am not the Antichrist. I am a family man."

In 2002, MTV made a reality show called "The Osbournes." The show was about Ozzy and his family at home. People saw that Ozzy was a loving father. A new generation of fans liked him.

Ozzy went into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame two times. First with Black Sabbath in 2006, then by himself in 2024. He was very important to rock music.

Listen and Fill Gaps

Loading listening activity...

Discussion Questions
  1. What surprised you about Ozzy Osbourne's life?
  2. Why do you think heavy metal music became popular?
  3. Have you been to any concerts? Who was performing?
  4. Do you think musicians should have a different image on stage? Why?
  5. How can going to prison change someone's life?
  6. Have you watched any reality shows? Give some examples.
  7. Is it hard to be famous and have a normal family life?
  8. Do you like horror movies? Why or why not?
  9. Do you prefer solo artists or bands? Why?
  10. What kind of music is popular in your country now?
Use It

Discussion Questions

  1. What surprised you about Ozzy Osbourne's life?
  2. Why do you think heavy metal music became popular?
  3. Have you been to any concerts? Who was performing?
  4. Do you think musicians should have a different image on stage? Why?
  5. How can going to prison change someone's life?
  6. Have you watched any reality shows? Give some examples.
  7. Is it hard to be famous and have a normal family life?
  8. Do you like horror movies? Why or why not?
  9. Do you prefer solo artists or bands? Why?
  10. What kind of music is popular in your country now?

Answers Ozzy Osbourne, Heavy Metal Pioneer, Dies at 76 / Level 3

Listening: (1) pioneer, (2) crowd, (3) fine, (4) equipment, (5) image

True or False:

  1. False. He gave his final concert in Birmingham, his hometown.
  2. True. The article says he was the lead singer of the heavy metal group Black Sabbath.
  3. True. He spent three months in prison after his father didn't pay his fine.
  4. True. The article says he had 13 platinum albums in his solo career.

Vocabulary:

  1. Pioneer: A person who is one of the first to do something new.
  2. Equipment: Things you need to do a job or activity.
  3. Fine: Money you must pay as punishment for breaking the law.
  1. Image: The way people see or think about someone.
  2. Generation: All the people born around the same time.
  3. Platinum: A special award for selling many copies of an album.

eslnewsstories.com