Latest news with #GillianHemming
The Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Ozzy Osbourne's sisters open up on heartbreaking texts rock legend sent before he died as they pay tribute to brother
OZZY Osbourne's sisters have opened up on the heartbreaking final texts they received from the late singer shortly before his death. Jean Powell, 85, and Gillian Hemming, 80, revealed how "our John" messaged them, saying he "couldn't wait to come back" to Birmingham, following his iconic final gig in the city earlier this month. 3 3 3 The rock legend passed away this week at the age of 76, surrounded by his family after bravely battling against Parkinson's disease. After learning of his death through a phone call, the sisters said they stayed up all night reminiscing about the "loving and funny" Black Sabbath star. Speaking to the Mirror, Jean explained how they had last seen their brother at his final concert at Villa Park. She said they got texts from him as he drove down Lodge Road - a street where they used to live close to the stadium. Jean said Ozzy "couldn't believe" the sheer volume of crowds who were walking down their old road to watch him perform. She said: "He was blown away. 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." Jean said that although Ozzy was ill, the news of his death " still came as a shock". She added: "He still had plans and things he wanted to do. We don't know the details of his death, it's still too early. Watch touching moment Ozzy Osbourne says his final words to adoring fans just weeks before rock legend died "It's just so sad. I'm just thankful he died in England." Over the years the sisters have travelled to see Ozzy in Los Angeles, Malibu and Las Vegas. In 2019, Ozzy was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, going public with his diagnosis the following year. As well as mobility issues, the condition caused him to suffer nerve pain, depression and blood clots. Jean continued: "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. Ozzy Osbourne's career The singer first pursued his love of music after hearing The Beatles hit She Loves You in 1963, aged 15. After appearing in a handful of school plays, Ozzy joined Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler in their first group Rare Breed in 1967. When that band split, the pair reunited in Polka Tulk Blues alongside Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward. The group later became known as Black Sabbath and went onto shatter the music world with their whining guitar solos, Occult-based lyrics and Ozzy's screeching vocals. In 1970, the group gained a cult following in both the US and UK after releasing their eponymous first album. Black Sabbath saw incredible success with hit tracks such as Paranoid but discord in the group saw most of the original line-up leave. Ozzy himself quit the band in 1978, with a spiral into drug abuse leading to a divorce from first wife Thelma Mayfair, who he had two children with. It was then he first met a young Sharon Arden, who Ozzy at first wrote off as he believed she would think he was a "lunatic". But the singer could not be more wrong and the pair married in Hawaii in July 1982 before going on to have three children together, Aimee, Kelly and Jack. With Sharon's encouragement and help from her music manager dad Don, he began to carve out a successful solo career. His seminal first album Blizzard of Ozz in 1980 became a multi-platinum success thanks to Ozzy's howling vocals and macabre laugh on hit Crazy Train. Coupled with the Prince of Darkness' insane tour that saw him bite the head off a live bat, a string of successful tracks followed - cementing Ozzy as a rock legend around the world. In 1992, the singer announced his retirement but four years later created the beloved annual music festival Ozzfest with Sharon. Ozzy returned to Black Sabbath in 1999, with the band winning a Grammy for best metal performance for the song Iron Man. They later earned the same award in 2013 after releasing single God Is Dead? from album 13. "To us he was our brother, not a celebrity, so it's crazy to see the outpouring of love since his death was announced. "He had an amazing life and wonderful family in Sharon and the lovely kids." Ozzy went public with his diagnosis in an emotional joint interview with wife Sharon back in 2020. The singer told Good Morning America that he couldn't hide his health struggles any longer. As his health struggles limited his ability to perform, the music legend committed to one last gig in Birmingham to celebrate his career. His final performance at Villa Park saw him on stage alongside his old bandmates Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward on July 5. The reunited Black Sabbath lineup played a touching five-song set in a farewell to Ozzy, with the rock icon seated on a giant black throne - as he was unable to stand. The gig was touted as "the greatest heavy metal show ever," with Ozzy grinning to chanting fans as he thanked them for all they had done for him.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ozzy Osbourne's sister reveals the heartbreaking text he sent her before his death aged 76
Ozzy Osbourne 's sister has revealed the heartbreaking text she received from the rock icon before his death aged 76. The Black Sabbath frontman died on Tuesday at his home in Buckinghamshire just weeks after bidding farewell to fans at his final show. His family confirmed the news with a statement, writing: 'It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away.' His sisters Jean Powell, 85, and Gillian Hemming, 80, have now revealed they last heard from the Prince of Darkness on the night of his last show at Villa Park on July 5. Ozzy - whose real name was John Michael - is one of six children, and also has two brothers Paul and Tony and another sister Iris. Tony and Iris have both passed away. Speaking about his final show, his two surviving sisters Jean and Gillian said Ozzy couldn't believe the amount of people who turned out to see him and his bandmates as he drove down Lodge Road in Birmingham, near where his family used to live. Jean said she 'broke down' when she saw the crowds in the stadium waiting to see her brother but didn't get to chat to him much that night - though she got a text from him after the show. 'I got a text off him as he drove down Lodge Road, where we used to live near the stadium,' she told The Mirror. 'He said he couldn't believe all the crowds were walking down our old street to watch him perform, he was blown away.' Jean and Gillian learned of his passing by phone call, and later stayed up all night 'reminiscing' about their 'crazy' brother, who they described as 'loving and funny'. 'To us he was our brother, not a celebrity, so it's crazy to see the outpouring of love since his death was announced,' she shared. '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.' Despite being 'frail' in his final weeks, the sisters said Ozzy's death still came as a shock but they are 'thankful' he died in England. During Ozzy's final hours on Tuesday morning, an air ambulance was called to the family's multi-million-pound country home as paramedics battled to save his life, MailOnline revealed on Wednesday. The Thames Valley air ambulance landed in a field close to Welders House, the singer's Grade II listed mansion on Tuesday morning at around 10.30am. It's thought that calls from Welders House had led call handlers to believe that the Black Sabbath singer's life was in the balance. A chopper was dispatched from Thames Valley ambulance base at RAF Benson in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, some 27 miles from the mansion which is located close to the village of Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire. The crew were airborne for around 15 minutes before landing in the grounds of the mansion and were then with Osbourne for around two hours, trying but failing to save his life, it's understood. Friends believe heartbroken Sharon may now bury Ozzy in the gardens of the 350-acre Buckinghamshire estate in an intimate family funeral, as she is 'too frail' to go through a larger, public service. Rock star Ozzy previously revealed he didn't want his funeral to be a sad occasion but a time to say 'thanks'. 'There'll be no harping on the bad times,' he told The Times back in 2011. 'It's worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives, so by any measure, most of us in this country — especially rock stars like me — are very lucky. 'That's why I don't want my funeral to be sad, I want it to be a time to say ''thanks''.' Ozzy insisted he wanted it to be a celebration rather than a 'mope-fest' and that he didn't care what music was played as long as it made his loved ones happy. 'I honestly don't care what they play at my funeral; they can put on a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and We Are the Diddymen if it makes 'em happy,' he quipped. Known for his humour, Ozzy joked he'd like to play a prank to make people smile, such as a playing a video of him asking a doctor for a second opinion on his death. However, in another interview a few years later, Ozzy narrowed down his song choice to A Day In The Life by The Beatles. Ozzy has previously credited The Beatles for inspiring him to become a musician himself, revealing he became an avid fan after hearing their 1964 hit She Loves You. When asked about his funeral song, Ozzy insisted he would want a Beatles number being played rather than any of his own music on the day. 'I really need a few more years to think this over, but probably something from 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band or Revolver,' he told NME in 2016. 'I definitely don't want my f**king greatest hits album - I never ever play that thing, I'm f**king embarrassed about it. And I definitely don't want a f**king happy song - I'm dead.' The rock star died on Tuesday morning with his family confirming the news in a statement. '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,' they shared. '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.' He is survived by his wife Sharon and his six children. He shares three kids - Aimee, 41, Kelly, 40, and Jack, 39, with Sharon. Ozzy also welcomed two children - Jessica and Louis - from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, while he also adopted her son Elliot from her previous relationship. The musician had undergone seven surgeries in the past five years, including a fourth spinal operation in 2023, and had been battling Parkinson's disease since 2003. Ozzy took to the stage for his farewell concert at Villa Park Stadium in his native Birmingham less than three weeks before his death. The rocker reunited with his original Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the first time since 2005 to bid an emotional farewell to his decades of performing live on stage. After selling out in minutes, over 42,000 fans packed into Villa Park for the aptly-titled Back to the Beginning show, which saw Ozzy and Black Sabbath return to their hometown - 56 years after they formed there. The final photograph of him before his death was taken on stage as he sat on a black throne aptly decorated with a bat to perform his best-known hits for his loyal fans. His final words on stage were: 'It's the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.' A message on screen then read: 'Thank you for everything, you guys are f***ing amazing. Birmingham Forever,' before the sky lit up with fireworks. Before his final show, Ozzy said he hoped to continue recording music after retiring from live performing, but he heartbreakingly died before he was able to do so. He told Metal Hammer magazine: 'I still enjoy doing my own work, I also enjoy singing on other people's work. 'For the foreseeable future, I will keep on recording if the projects interest me, it's very important.' Ozzy's last solo album, 2022's Patient Number 9, featured a long list of guest artists, including hid Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Zakk Wylde, and Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, among others.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ozzy Osbourne's sisters break their silence as they pay tribute to their 'loving and funny' brother after his death aged 76
Ozzy Osbourne 's sisters have broken their silence as they paid tribute to their brother following his death aged 76. The metal legend died on Tuesday just weeks after he took to the stage for his final show with Black Sabbath, with his family confirming the sad news in a statement. His sisters Jean Powell, 85, and Gillian Hemming, 80, stayed up all night 'reminiscing' about their 'crazy' brother, who they described as 'loving and funny'. Speaking to The Mirror, Jean told how the sisters saw Ozzy - whose real name was John Michael - when he was back in Birmingham in June where he and Black Sabbath 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,' she said. '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.' The sisters learned of Ozzy's death by phone call. Jean said Ozzy texted her the night of Black Sabbath's final gig at Villa Park and said he couldn't believe the crowds who turned out as he drove down Lodge Road in Birmingham, near where the family used to live. Jean added that she 'broke down' when she saw the crowds in the stadium waiting to see her brother but sadly didn't get to chat to him much that night. Despite being 'frail' in his final weeks, the sisters said Ozzy's death still came as a shock but they are 'thankful' he died in England. 'We were proud as punch about him and everything he achieved,' added Gillian. 'But it never went to his head. What the public saw of John was exactly what he was like in real life. It wasn't an act.' Ozzy's funeral plans have not yet been made public by his family, but Ozzy previously revealed he didn't want it to be a sad occasion but a time to say 'thanks'. 'There'll be no harping on the bad times,' he told The Times back in 2011. 'It's worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives, so by any measure, most of us in this country — especially rock stars like me — are very lucky. 'That's why I don't want my funeral to be sad, I want it to be a time to say ''thanks''.' Ozzy insisted he wanted it to be a celebration rather than a 'mope-fest' and that he didn't care what music was played as long as it made his loved ones happy. 'I honestly don't care what they play at my funeral; they can put on a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and We Are the Diddymen if it makes 'em happy,' he quipped. Known for his humour, Ozzy joked he'd like to play a prank to make people smile, such as a playing a video of him asking a doctor for a second opinion on his death. However, in another interview a few years later, Ozzy narrowed down his song choice to A Day In The Life by The Beatles. Ozzy has previously credited The Beatles for inspiring him to become a musician himself, revealing he became an avid fan after hearing their 1964 hit She Loves You. When asked about his funeral song, Ozzy insisted he would want a Beatles number being played rather than any of his own music on the day. 'I really need a few more years to think this over, but probably something from 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band or Revolver,' he told NME in 2016. 'I definitely don't want my f**king greatest hits album - I never ever play that thing, I'm f**king embarrassed about it. And I definitely don't want a f**king happy song - I'm dead.' The rock star died on Tuesday morning with his family confirming the news in a statement. '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,' they shared. '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.' He is survived by his wife Sharon and his six children. He shares three kids - Aimee, 41, Kelly, 40, and Jack, 39, with Sharon. Ozzy also welcomed two children - Jessica and Louis - from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, while he also adopted her son Elliot from her previous relationship. The musician had undergone seven surgeries in the past five years, including a fourth spinal operation in 2023, and had been battling Parkinson's disease since 2003. Ozzy took to the stage for his farewell concert at Villa Park Stadium in his native Birmingham less than three weeks before his death. The rocker reunited with his original Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the first time since 2005 to bid an emotional farewell to his decades of performing live on stage. After selling out in minutes, over 42,000 fans packed into Villa Park for the aptly-titled Back to the Beginning show, which saw Ozzy and Black Sabbath return to their hometown - 56 years after they formed there. The final photograph of him before his death was taken on stage as he sat on a black throne aptly decorated with a bat to perform his best-known hits for his loyal fans. His final words on stage were: 'It's the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.' A message on screen then read: 'Thank you for everything, you guys are f***ing amazing. Birmingham Forever,' before the sky lit up with fireworks. Before his final show, Ozzy said he hoped to continue recording music after retiring from live performing, but he heartbreakingly died before he was able to do so. He told Metal Hammer magazine: 'I still enjoy doing my own work, I also enjoy singing on other people's work. 'For the foreseeable future, I will keep on recording if the projects interest me, it's very important.' Ozzy's last solo album, 2022's Patient Number 9, featured a long list of guest artists, including hid Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Zakk Wylde, and Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, among others. Black Sabbath pioneered heavy metal music in the early 1970s with hits such as War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man. Ozzy grew up in Aston, Birmingham, and Black Sabbath - though they were known as Earth at the time - held their first ever gig at The Crown pub in Birmingham in 1968. They renamed the band in 1969 in tribute to their favourite horror film, and the move set them on the path to heavy metal royalty. Black Sabbath's impact on music was enormous and they brought a heavy metal genre that had been in its infancy when they began to the attention of millions of fans. His wife Sharon later came up with the idea for the fly-on-the-wall documentary about her family that was filmed at their Beverly Hills home. It proved a major hit for US network MTV, running between 2002 and 2005. Aimee however refused to take part and criticised her parents for their antics, despite the fact that the show won an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Programme. It covered major events including Sharon's 2002 colon cancer diagnosis and Osbourne's quad bike crash in 2003. Sharon survived the cancer battle despite a poor prognosis. Ozzy admitted that he 'fell apart' during his wife's treatment, whilst Jack tried to take his own life due to the impact of his mother's condition on his mental health. Sharon forged her own career as a TV star, most famously as a judge on hit talent show The X Factor. She now also hosts chat show The Talk on Talk TV. In recent years, Ozzy struggled with his health and he had to cancel shows in 2019 after a fall left him needing surgery on his neck. He began to experience numbness which he thought was connected to his 2003 accident but in January 2020, he was 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 extension was to feature a self-contained nurse's flat as well as 'discreet grab rails and aids' and 'an abundance of stopping and sitting spaces'. The plans also included a 'health and exercise studio' as well as a 'pool house orangery' and 'garden room'. In September 2023, he had yet another operation, this time on his neck once again. He said afterwards that it was his 'last procedure'.
The Sun
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Ozzy Osbourne's sisters pay tribute to their ‘loving and funny' brother after rock legend's death aged 76
OZZY Osbourne's sisters have paid tribute to their "loving and funny" brother after his death aged 76. The Black Sabbath star's death came just weeks after he took to the stage one final time with his band mates at Villa Park in Birmingham. Jean Powell, 85, and Gillian Hemming, 80, were left devastated when they learned about the rock icon's death. They described Ozzy as 'loving and funny' as they reminisced on his legacy as a brother and celebrity. Jean told the Mirror: '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."
