Sharon Osbourne fulfilled her husband, Ozzy Osbourne’s last wish before he died.
On Tuesday, July 22, Ozzy’s family shared the heartbreaking news of his death. He passed away at the age of 76, surrounded by love.
In 2019, Ozzy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological condition that causes damage to different parts of the brain over time. Additionally, Ozzy had been dealing with other health complications at the time of his passing, but the exact cause of death remains unconfirmed.
Before his death, Sharon made arrangements for Ozzy to visit his hometown in the UK. This was for the “Back to the Beginning” benefit concert where Ozzy performed with Black Sabbath, successfully raising $189 million for charity.
Other participating bands included Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, and Anthrax.
“The only place that we could do it would have been Aston, because that’s where Ozzy was born and grew up, which is right where the Villa ground is,” Sharon told Music Business Worldwide.
She continued, “I thought of having all the bands he’s ever had relationships with perform and maybe do Sabbath songs and Ozzy songs. It became a celebration of the music. All the generations are going to be there that Sabbath and Ozzy have passed the torch down to.”
At that time, she also mentioned to The Sun that Ozzy was “very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this.”
“Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. It’s not something you can stabilize. It affects different parts of the body, and it’s affected his legs,” Sharon explained. “But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.”
After the performance, Ozzy expressed his gratitude to his fans: “You’ve no idea how I feel – thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Following Ozzy’s passing, the family released a statement.
The statement read, “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.”
Ozzy is survived by his wife, Sharon, and their children Aimee, Kelly, and Jack. He also leaves behind Jessica and Louis, from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, as well as his grandchildren.
Tributes have been pouring in for Ozzy, including a heartfelt message from his childhood soccer club, Aston Villa.
Aston Villa Football Club expressed in a Twitter statement: “Aston Villa Football Club is saddened to learn that world-renowned rockstar and Villan, Ozzy Osbourne has passed away. Growing up in Aston, not far from Villa Park, Ozzy always held a special connection to the club and the community he came from. The thoughts of everyone at Aston Villa are with his wife Sharon, his family, friends, and countless fans at this extremely difficult time.”