Ozzy Osbourne’s sisters break their silence as they pay tribute to their ‘loving and funny’ brother after his death aged 76

In simpler terms, after the death of Ozzy Osbourne at the age of 76, his sisters have spoken up for the first time, expressing their tribute to him.

On Tuesday, the legendary metal musician passed away, merely weeks following his last performance with Black Sabbath. His family made this heartbreaking announcement in an official statement.

Instead of “reminiscing,” you could use “sharing memories” or “looking back on old times.” Instead of “described as ‘loving and funny‘,” a more natural way to put it might be “they spoke highly of him, praising his loving and humorous nature.

In conversation with a mirror, Jean recounted that the sisters had an encounter with John Michael Osbourne (also known as Ozzy) during his return to Birmingham in June. It was there that Ozzy and Black Sabbath were bestowed the honorary title of being free citizens of the city.

In my perspective as a lifestyle guide, I find myself reflecting on these poignant words: “It was disheartening to witness him struggle with his posture, but he remained our beloved John, always ready with a joke.” To us, he was family, not a star, so the global outpouring of affection since his passing has been truly astonishing.

It’s hard for us to accept that he’s no longer around, and there will be no more calls or messages from him. Every week, without fail, he’d reach out to check on us – either with a phone call or a text message – asking about our well-being and what was happening in our lives.

The sisters found out about Ozzy’s passing via a phone call. Jean mentioned that Ozzy had texted her after Black Sabbath’s final concert at Villa Park, expressing his disbelief over the massive crowds and reminiscing about driving down Lodge Road in Birmingham, close to where their family used to reside.

Jean shared that she became emotional when she witnessed the crowd in the stadium eagerly awaiting her brother, unfortunately, they didn’t have much time to talk that evening.

Although he was quite weak in his last few weeks, his sisters shared that Ozzy’s passing came unexpectedly. However, they expressed gratitude that he passed away in England.

Gillian remarked, “We were as thrilled as could be with him and all his accomplishments.” Yet, John remained humble. The persona he presented to the public was a true reflection of his genuine character. It wasn’t a performance, it was simply who he really was.

It hasn’t been announced by his family when or how Ozzy Osbourne’s funeral will take place, but he had expressed in the past that he wanted it to be less of a somber event and more of a time for expressing gratitude.

‘There’ll be no harping on the bad times,’ he told The Times back in 2011. 

It’s important to keep in mind that many individuals spend their entire lives surrounded by hardship. By any standard, most of us living in our nation, including celebrities such as myself, are incredibly fortunate.

‘That’s why I don’t want my funeral to be sad, I want it to be a time to say ”thanks”.’

Ozzy emphasized that he preferred the event to be a joyous occasion instead of a sad gathering, and he didn’t mind the type of music played as far as it brought happiness to his dear ones.

He jokingly mentioned that he doesn’t have a preference for the music played at his funeral, as long as it includes a mix of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle, and We Are the Diddymen, since he knows this will bring joy to those organizing it.

Renowned for his wit, Ozzy humorously proposed pulling a practical joke intended to bring smiles, possibly by sharing a video where he pretends to seek a second medical opinion about his own demise from a doctor.

Yet, during a subsequent interview several years on, Ozzy Osbourne specified that A Day In The Life by The Beatles was the song he had in mind.

Earlier, Ozzy Osbourne acknowledged that The Beatles sparked his interest in music, confessing that he turned into a devoted fan upon listening to their 1964 song “She Loves You.

Instead of playing one of his own songs, Ozzy prefers The Beatles’ tunes to be played at his funeral instead.

In 2016, he shared with NME that he needed some additional time to mull it over, but he leaned towards songs from either ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ or ‘Revolver.’

I absolutely abhor my so-called greatest hits album – I never listen to it, and I feel mortified when I think about it. Moreover, I have no desire for a cheerful tune – I couldn’t be more somber.

The rock star died on Tuesday morning with his family confirming the news in a statement.

With a heaviness in my heart and tears streaming down my face, I must share the devastating news that the legendary Ozzy Osbourne has left us today.

He was spending time with his loved ones, enveloped in affection. At present, we kindly request that everyone grants our family some privacy. The members of the family are Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee, and Louis.

He leaves behind his spouse Sharon and six offspring; Aimee (age 41), Kelly (40), and Jack (39) are among those he co-parents with Sharon.

Besides having Jessica and Louis, who were born during his union with Thelma Riley, Ozzy is also the adoptive father of Elliot, a child from Thelma’s past relationship.

Over the past five years, the musician has gone through seven operations, one of which was his fourth spinal surgery in 2023. He’s been dealing with Parkinson’s disease since 2003.

Or:

Since 2003, the musician has been coping with Parkinson’s disease and, during the past five years alone, he’s had seven surgeries, one of which was his fourth spinal operation in 2023.

In simple terms, just about three weeks before his passing, Ozzy performed onstage for what seemed like a goodbye concert at Villa Park Stadium, which is his hometown, Birmingham.

In 2005, their paths had last crossed, but in a remarkable reunion, the lead rocker once more joined forces with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. This time, it was not for a joyous occasion, but to express heartfelt emotions as they bid adieu to decades of electrifying live stage performances.

Within minutes of going on sale, more than 42,000 enthusiastic fans filled Villa Park for a concert called “Back to the Beginning.” This event marked the highly-anticipated return of Ozzy and Black Sabbath to their home city, which had been 56 years since they first formed there.

Just prior to his passing, the last photo captured him seated on a fittingly adorned black throne on stage, surrounded by a bat motif, as he delivered his most popular songs to his devoted audience during a performance.

In simpler terms, he said on stage, “This is our final song. Your support has given us an extraordinary life; we’re truly grateful.

The following text is a rephrased version of your sentence that retains the original meaning but uses more polite and family-friendly language:

A message appeared on screen saying, ‘Thank you for everything! You’ve all been absolutely fantastic. Long live Birmingham,’ as the sky erupted in fireworks.

After his last performance, Ozzy expressed his wish to keep producing music even after ceasing live performances. Unfortunately, he passed away before he had the chance to fulfill that dream.

He shared with Metal Hammer magazine that he continues to take pleasure in working on his own projects, as well as lending his voice to the works of others.

For as long as possible, I plan to continue selecting projects that catch my interest, as they hold great significance for me.

On his most recent solo album, Patient Number 9 (released in 2022), Ozzy Osbourne collaborated with a variety of talented musicians, such as his Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Zakk Wylde, and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, along with several others.

Back in the groovy ’70s, I was part of the music scene, and let me tell you, Black Sabbath truly blazed a trail with their heavy metal anthems. They were the ones who kicked off this genre with tunes like War Pigs, Paranoid, and Iron Man that still echo today.

In his childhood, Ozzy hailed from Aston, a district of Birmingham, and it was there in 1968 that Black Sabbath (originally named Earth) performed their inaugural concert at The Crown pub in the city.

In 1969, they changed the name of their band as a homage to their preferred horror movie, which paved the way for their ascension towards heavy metal nobility.

Black Sabbath significantly shaped the landscape of music, as they nurtured a nascent heavy metal genre into global prominence, capturing the hearts of countless music enthusiasts.

Later, it was Sharon who thought of the concept for a ‘fly-on-the-wall’ documentary focusing on her family, which was recorded inside their residence in Beverly Hills.

The show on U.S. network MTV, which aired from 2002 to 2005, was a significant success. However, Aimee chose not to participate and even criticized her parents’ behavior, although the program won an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Program.

The account detailed significant incidents such as Sharon’s 2002 cancer diagnosis from colon cancer, and Ozzy’s accident involving a quad bike in 2003. Remarkably, Sharon managed to overcome her cancer battle despite being given a grim outlook.

Ozzy confessed that he broke down emotionally during his wife’s treatment, while Jack contemplated suicide as a result of the toll his mother’s health condition took on his mental wellbeing.

Sharon paved her own path to stardom in television, achieving great fame as a judge on the popular talent series The X Factor. Currently, she is also the host of talk show The Talk on Talk Television.

Over the past few years, I’ve personally faced some health challenges that required me to take a step back from my usual lifestyle. Most notably, an unfortunate fall in 2019 necessitated surgery on my neck, leading me to postpone several performances.

In 2003, he had an accident that led him to feel a numb sensation, which he associated with it. However, it wasn’t until January 2020 that he was officially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

The star underwent major spinal surgery in June 2022, which Sharon later said had been a success. 

To help him recover, the family lodged plans for a rehab wing at their Buckinghamshire mansion.

The addition included a standalone apartment for a nurse, along with subtle handrails and assistive equipment, and numerous areas for rest or seating.

Additionally, the blueprint encompassed a multi-purpose area for health and fitness activities, along with a structure that could serve as either a pool house or greenhouse, and a room specifically designed for enjoying the outdoors in the garden.

In September 2023, he underwent another surgery, specifically on his neck. Later, he stated that it was his final operation.

Read More

2025-07-23 14:07

Previous post Maxine Peake fans will want to catch up on her “surprising” British drama with Stephen Graham
Next post ARK Invest Goes All-in with BitMine: A $182 Million Odyssey!