Ozzy Osbourne’s sister has disclosed the poignant text message she received from him before his passing at 76 years old.
On Tuesday, July 22, Ozzy’s family made the sad announcement that he had passed away at 76, surrounded by love.
In the wake of his death, the family issued 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, along with his grandchildren.
Jean Powell, Ozzy’s sister, has shared her final conversation with her brother.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Jean said: “We saw him in Birmingham the other week when he and the rest of the band were given the freedom of the city.”
“It was upsetting because he could not stand up straight, but he was still our John, still cracking the jokes.”
“To us he was our brother, not a celebrity, so it’s crazy to see the outpouring of love since his death was announced.”
“We just can’t believe he is gone and we won’t be getting another phone call or text from him. Every week without fail he would get in touch, either by phone or text, to ask how we were all doing and what was going on.”
Jean also reflected on their last meeting at the concert, Back to the Beginning.
“He was frail but it still came as a shock,” Jean shared. “He still had plans and things he wanted to do. We don’t know the details of his death, it’s still too early. It’s just so sad. I’m just thankful he died in England.”
“We had an executive box in the stadium, and when I saw the sea of people waiting to see our John I just broke down.”
“We didn’t really get a chance to chat much because it was such a chaotic visit. But in his last text to me he said he would be coming to Birmingham again. He said ‘I can’t wait to come back’. We were hoping to see him this week.”
This revelation follows the announcement made by Osbourne’s family members, including Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee, and Louis, confirming the Black Sabbath member’s death on July 22.
His passing occurred just weeks after his farewell performance, where he reunited with Black Sabbath at Villa Park in the UK.
During the performance to a crowd of 42,000 fans, the singer expressed: “You’ve no idea how I feel – thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Back in January 2020, Osbourne had disclosed his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological disorder that mainly impacts movement.