Ozzy Osbourne's Heartbreak: Rock Legend Tried in Vain to Save Def Leppard’s Steve Clark from Booze-Fueled Death
Ozzy Osbourne desperately tried to intervene and help his friend find sobriety.
July 25 2025, Published 7:44 p.m. ET
Ozzy Osbourne did everything he could to pull his best friend back from the brink.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the Prince of Darkness couldn’t stop Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark’s fatal descent into addiction.
Ozzy's Attempt To Help
Ozzy looked frail and walked with a cane in one of his final photos.
Ozzy, who had fought his own war with substance abuse for decades, desperately tried to intervene and help Clark find sobriety.
“I realized Steve had a problem, and I tried to help," Ozzy, who was also a recovering alcoholic, once said. "Steve will be sadly missed. He was a great guy.”
On January 8, 1991, Clark was found dead on his couch by his girlfriend, Janie Dean. He was just 30 years old.
A postmortem examination revealed that he had died from respiratory failure caused by a lethal combination of alcohol and prescription drugs.
His blood alcohol level was an astonishing 0.30, and morphine was found in his system.
The Pressure of Fame
The LP will include live performances and several unreleased demos.
"He found fame very early in life, and it was a lot of pressure," a friend recalled.
“He attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for years, he even went to rehabilitation centers, but nothing worked. He was the most glamorous member of the band, but underneath it all he was very sad."
As Clark's condition deteriorated, Def Leppard made the painful decision to finish their next album in Los Angeles without him.
He died before the record was completed.
Unlike Clark, Ozzy clawed his way back from the edge.
With the unwavering support of his wife, Sharon Osbourne, he stayed clean, relaunched his solo career, and lived to tell the tale, even as whispers of infidelity, suicide scares, and health struggles swirled.
Ozzy's Death
Wife Sharon Osbourne was the brains behind making a deal for Ozzy to perform seated.
Now, with the world mourning Ozzy’s death at 76, the weight of losing Clark lingers in his legacy.
In his final years, Ozzy suffered from advanced Parkinson’s disease, underwent grueling surgeries, and was pushed back onto the stage despite barely being able to walk.
He also faced millions in tax debt as financial pressures mounted in his last chapter.
Still, the rocker never forgot the friend he couldn't save.
Ozzy's death was confirmed by his devastated family, who issued a brief but emotional statement: "It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning.
"He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.
"Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee, and Louis."
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Ozzy's Resting Place
The family surrounded Ozzy as he passed.
Ozzy's final resting place has become a source of intrigue in recent days, with plans underway to bury him in the English countryside at the home he shared with Sharon.
And while the final years were marked by frailty and illness, Ozzy never lost the dark, defiant spirit that made him a legend.
From Black Sabbath to his final tour, he lived on the edge and refused to go quietly.
