Ozzy Osbourne’s sisters Jean Powell and Gillian Hemming have revealed that while the rock icon was “frail,” his death “still came as a shock.”
The former Black Sabbath frontman died Tuesday at the age of 76.
Speaking to The Mirror, Powell, 85, and Hemming, 80, said they had stayed up all night sharing memories of their “loving and funny” younger brother.
The late singer was born John Michael Osbourne in England’s West Midlands in 1948.
Powell 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,” Powell continued.
“Of the six siblings there’s only three of us left now - me, Gillian and our brother Paul.”
Powell went on to say that they had not been expecting the phone call that informed them of Osbourne’s death so soon after playing his farewell concert with Black Sabbath.
“He was frail but it still came as a shock,” she said. “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 last saw him at the concert at Villa Park. I got a text off him as he drove down Lodge Road, where we used to live near the stadium.
“He said he couldn’t believe all the crowds were walking down our old street to watch him perform. 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.”
Hemming added: “We were proud as punch about him and everything he achieved. 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.”
In 2022, Osbourne told The Independent about his determination to perform for an audience one last time, saying: “I will get back on stage if it f***ing kills me.”
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