23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Sharon fulfils Ozzy Osbourne's final wish in heartbreaking move
Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne has died with the heartbreaking news confirmed through a brief yet poignant statement released by his mourning family.
The announcement revealed that the Black Sabbath icon's loved ones, including his devoted wife Sharon of more than four decades, had assembled around him one last time as he peacefully passed away on Tuesday morning aged 76.
The tragic news comes mere weeks after the frontman took to the stage for his final performance during his Back to the Beginning concert at Aston Villa's home ground, Villa Park.
The family's statement confirming his passing 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. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis," reports the Mirror.
The family's message included a location marker reading: "Birmingham, England July 22, 2025" - confirming that Ozzy had returned to his homeland one final time. Ozzy Osbourne. Sharon, Kelly, Ozzy, Aimee and Jack Osbourne arrive at the 2000 Grammy Awards. (Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
Ozzy and Sharon, 72, had previously discussed their desire to relocate back to the UK from Los Angeles amid the rocker's declining health. Ozzy had expressed he was "desperate to come home".
Although they had hoped to make the move earlier, Ozzy's ongoing health struggles delayed their plans as he fought Parkinson's disease and endured multiple operations for a spinal injury. "It's time for me to spend some time with my grandkids," he told the Guardian in May as he prepared for his final show.
"I don't want to die in a hotel room somewhere. I want to spend the rest of my life with my family."
The rock legend and wife Sharon were set to return to their Buckinghamshire residence to mark the farewell performance.
Ozzy had been open about his longing to relocate back to England, discussing his ambition as far back as August 2022 following more than two decades in Los Angeles. He slammed "everything's f***ing ridiculous (in America)."
He also pointed to gun violence in the nation as another factor behind his wish to depart. "Everything's f***ing ridiculous [in America]. I'm fed up with people getting killed every day," he told The Observer.
"God knows how many people have been shot in school shootings. And there was that mass shooting in Vegas at that concert. ... it's f***ing crazy."
Nevertheless, the relocation was postponed for years owing to Ozzy's deteriorating health.
Chatting to Planet Rock's Loz Guest regarding Black Sabbath's star-studded Back to the Beginning concert on July 5, Sharon confirmed that the performance had provided Ozzy with the opportunity to return home finally.
She said: "He's coming over in March. His brothers (in Black Sabbath), he's excited to be here with them."
When asked if they were still permanently relocating back to the UK following the gig, Sharon replied: "Yeah, we are."
Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948 in Aston, Birmingham, Ozzy departed school at 15 and took on various jobs including factory work before joining forces with school mate Geezer Butler in several bands.
The duo then connected with the other founding members of Black Sabbath, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, to establish what was initially called Earth Blues Company – later abbreviated to Earth – in 1968.
Originally a Mod who adored soul music, Osbourne developed a more sinister persona after penning lyrics for a track titled Black Sabbath after the 1963 Boris Karloff film of the same name.
The moniker remained – after they were compelled to alter it from Earth – and the group proceeded to shift millions of albums over the following decade thanks to genre-defining numbers including Paranoid and War Pigs.
The band became extensively recognised for establishing the blueprint of heavy metal.
However, substance abuse started to impact Osbourne and his rapport with his bandmates, and he was ultimately dismissed in 1979.
He embarked on a solo venture, achieving acclaim during the 1980s, before reuniting with Sabbath on multiple occasions – including in 2016 for a farewell world tour.
In 2022, Ozzy proclaimed "Birmingham forever," during a shock appearance at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in his hometown.
The Black Sabbath legend was among numerous Brummie performers to take the stage, including Dexy's Midnight Runners, UB40, and Musical Youth.
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