Ozzy Osbourne Revealed How He Wanted to Be Remembered in Resurfaced Interview

Before his death Tuesday at the age of 76, Ozzy Osbourne wanted to be remembered as a survivor.

The Black Sabbath rocker reflected on his “legacy” in a resurfaced 2022 interview with PEOPLE as he shared his determination to tour again despite his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and numerous spinal injuries.

“Survival is my legacy,” Osbourne said at the time, adding, “I mean, I’m 73. People go, ‘Well, you’re 70… why don’t I throw the towel in?’ Why should I? People still want to buy my records. People still want to see me, so why should I? It motivates me to get off my backside and do something. I mean, if my career had gone down the toilet and I knew it was the end, I’d be pretty miserable.”

As for what he hoped that legacy would represent for others, Osbourne said, “Never give up. If you’ve got a passion for something, you’ve got to find a way around it to carry on the passion.”

The five-time Grammy Award winner also looked back on his career when asked to write his own epitaph in 2002 by Rolling Stone. “Ozzy Osbourne, born 1948, died so-and-so,” he said at the time. “I’ve done a lot for a simple working-class guy. I made a lot of people smile. I’ve also made a lot of people go, ‘Who the f—k does this guy think he is?’ But I’ve got no complaints. At least I’ll be remembered.”

Osbourne performed one final time with Black Sabbath on July 5 in his hometown of Birmingham, England, reuniting with his bandmates for the first time in two decades at the fundraising performance.

Tuesday, the musician’s family announced in a statement that he had died. “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,” they said. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family’s privacy at this time.”