Ozzy Osbourne, frontman of 1970s heavy metal band Black Sabbath, earned his infamy biting the head off a bat on stage and pursuing a drug-fuelled lifestyle before reinventing himself as a loveable if often foul-mouthed reality TV star.

Ozzy Osbourne has been remembered as a “pioneer,” a “fearless talent” and a “dear friend,” in an outpouring of tributes from fellow musicians and his former Black Sabbath bandmates following his death on Tuesday at the age of 76.