Ozzy Osbourne’s sisters, Jean Powell and Gillian Hemming, have opened up about the impact of their brother’s passing, sharing that while his health had been declining, his death still left them reeling.
The legendary frontman of Black Sabbath passed away at the age of 76 this past Tuesday.
In an interview with The Mirror, 85-year-old Powell and her 80-year-old sister couldn’t hold back their emotions as they went through cherished memories of their beloved younger brother, who they described as “loving and funny.”
Ozzy, born John Michael Osbourne in 1948 in West Midlands, England, always held a special place in their hearts
Powell reminisced, “We saw him perform in Birmingham just a couple of weeks ago when he received the freedom of the city. It was heartbreaking to see him struggle to stand upright; however, he still retained that spirit—still cracking jokes like our John. To us, he’s just our brother, not some celebrity. It’s overwhelming to witness this monumental wave of love since news of his death broke.”
Unable to fathom the permanence of his absence, she articulated, “We can’t believe he’s truly gone. No more calls or texts, and he would always reach out every week to check in on us. Now, out of six siblings, only three remain—myself, Gillian, and our brother Paul.”
Powell continued, sharing their disbelief at receiving the news of his passing, particularly after he had just completed a farewell concert with Black Sabbath. “He was fragile, but it still hit us hard. He had so many more things he hoped to do. The details surrounding his passing are still too fresh. It’s just incredibly heartbreaking. I thank the stars he was in England when he died.”
“We last shared a moment during that concert at Villa Park. He texted me while gathering on Lodge Road, a place we used to live near the venue. He couldn’t believe all those people were walking down our old street just to watch him perform—he was genuinely amazed. I was in an executive box in the stadium, and to see the ocean of fans waiting for our John had me in tears.”
Powell added, “Our time was a bit chaotic, so we didn’t get to catch up much. His last text said he planned to return to Birmingham soon, saying, ‘I can’t wait to come back.’ We were so looking forward to that reunion this week.”
Echoing her sister’s sentiments, Hemming noted, “We were incredibly proud of him and all he accomplished, yet he never let it go to his head. The John that the world knew was the same John we loved—there was never any facade.”
Back in 2022, Osbourne revealed to The Independent his unwavering determination to perform again one last time, stating, “I will get back on stage if it f***ing kills me.”
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