An award-winning singer-songwriter who grew up in Alsager has paid tribute to Black Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne who died has aged 76.

Rob Wheeler, who picked up the Songwriter of the Year in the ARC Radio Listener awards in 2021 and has supported The Shires to name a few, says his dad actually visited the late great's heavy rock legend's home.

"At 76, he really did pack a full life in and he'd probably say himself that he could have slipped off the mortal coil more than a few hundred times anywhere between 1970 and when he died on Tuesday.

"The stories are the thing of legend!," said Rob, who grew up in Alsager and went to school there.

"My family have all been Ozzy and Sabbath fans for many years.. my mum worked in Terry Bloods and was bringing home their records fresh off the delivery van.

"My dad actually went to his house and met him and my uncle Neil had the ultimate sin vhs and we'd dress up like Ozzy and Jake E Lee in the living room at my grans .

"Ozzy has been like a member of our family somehow and although most of us have our own personal music tastes, we could all agree Ozzy was cool.

"He (with the rest of the original Sabbath lineup) invented heavy metal - the hard rock sound of the north of England that changed music forever and yet he was inspired every bit as much by the Beatles as I am.

"A sensitive, gentle and greatly troubled soul. They really do not make them like this anymore, and to be truthful they probably don't know how.. the manual and ingredients were lost forever - Thank god!!

"How fitting that he performed one last show, doing the thing that he loved and that defined him - centre stage, eyes fixed on his crowd. RIP Ozzy."