Kelly Osbourne reassured fans he was “fine” just weeks before his death.
Speaking at London’s Serpentine Summer Party in June, Kelly was asked how her dad was doing.
“Oh don’t worry, dad’s fine,” she told The Standard.
“I mean he's got Parkinson’s [disease], but he’s fine.”
At the time, her comment seemed to downplay concerns surrounding the Black Sabbath legend’s ongoing health battles but following Ozzy’s death on Tuesday at the age of 76, the update has taken on a more poignant resonance.
Ozzy passed away “surrounded by love,” according to a statement from his family, just weeks after making a final emotional appearance at Villa Park in Birmingham, the city where Black Sabbath was formed in 1968.
The show, part of a special homecoming concert titled Back to the Beginning, saw him reunite with bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the first time in two decades.
Ahead of the performance, Ozzy admitted the toll of his illnesses was weighing heavily.
“By hook or by crook, I am going to make this f**king gig if it is the last thing I do,” he told SiriusXM. “Well, it will be.”
Ozzy, who publicly revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2020, had paused touring in 2023 following major spinal surgery.
His mobility had also been impacted by a 2019 fall that aggravated injuries from a near-fatal quad bike accident in 2003.
In the run-up to the July performance, he also opened up about the mental strain of getting on stage: “My head is crazy. ADHD, I have that badly. I will have done the show and died a death before I even started my exercises, so I try and put it on the back burner.
“I'm not going up there saying: ‘It's going to be great. I'm really confident.’ In my head I will have died on my a**. I remember being in bloody Vegas one time being in the dressing room going: 'I'm going to play, I'm going to die’.”
He added: “I talked myself into blowing the gig. It was only two bloody songs. Sharon goes: ‘Just don't think about it.’”
Following news of Ozzy’s passing, the world of entertainment paid tribute to Black Sabbath singer, just two weeks after he took to the stage one final time with his bandmates.
In a statement, Osbourne’s family announced: “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.”
Sir Elton John said Osbourne was a “huge trailblazer” who “secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods”.
He posted on social media: “He was also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. I will miss him dearly. To Sharon and the family, I send my condolences and love. Elton xx.”
Sir David Beckham shared a picture of him in an Instagram story with the message: “So sad to see Ozzy leave us. Thank you for entertaining us. Sending love to Sharon, the kids and family.”
As frontman of Black Sabbath, he was at the forefront of the heavy metal scene.
His theatrical stage presence, including once biting off the head of a bat, and styling himself as the Prince of Darkness marked him out as a controversial figure.
