Sharon Osbourne has opened up on Ozzy Osbourne’s final few days as the legendary Black Sabbath frontman died last month aged 76. The Prince of Darkness defied the odds just weeks before he died when he made it on the stage for one last time for a Black Sabbath homecoming gig in Birmingham.
Ozzy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019 and was open about his health struggles to raise awareness about the condition. The family issued a joint statement to confirm his death on July 22. It said: “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.”
Sharon and Ozzy were married for more than four decades. The couple celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary on July 4, 2025 – just weeks before Ozzy died.
The pair were first introduced in 1970 when Sharon’s dad Don Arden, worked for Ozzy’s band, Black Sabbath. The couple got serious when Sharon took over managing duties for the band. They got married in Hawaii in 1982 and went on to have three children together, Aimée, Kelly and Jack Osbourne.
Speaking just days before her husband’s death, Sharon said: “He turned around and he said to me that night, ‘I had no idea that so many people liked me.’” She added: “Ozzy’s always been in his own bubble.”
She explained Ozzy was “very emotional” about performing as part of The Back To The Beginning farewell concert in Birmingham. Reflecting on the day, Sharon said: “For Ozzy to play with Bill [Ward] again, he was very, very emotional about that.”
According to The Mirror, Sharon said: “It was a huge success, because it was a phenomenal event. It was the first time, I think, that anybody’s gone into retirement and done it, where the show is streamed and it goes to charity. So it’s the first time anybody has said goodnight like that, it’s the perfect way, when you’ve had such a long career, to end it.
“I never wanted Ozzy to just disappear without some big event. And it’s the best way then to go home to where it all started, to go to his favourite stadium in the world, which is home to his beloved Aston Villa team, and it was just perfect. It was the perfect storm, put it that way. The metal fans are the most loyal fans in the world! When they’re a fan, you’ve got them for life. They don’t go anywhere.”
Sharon said it was extra special as “a lot of our old crew guys were with us who had been with us for years, so it was very, very emotional that way too. It wasn’t just what you saw on stage, but the guys behind the stage had been with us for years and years.”
Sharon said how she had to turn away bands offering to perform: “I had been talking about this two years ago, and then it became a reality. It was just amazing the way it happened. We sold 40,000 seats. It was all the big icons. I mean, we could have gone on and on with more bands, but there just wasn’t any more time.”
The BBC has announced a new show looking at the final years of Ozzy Osbourne. The broadcaster said: “Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home is the moving and inspirational account of the last chapter of Ozzy’s life, told through unique and intimate access to the whole Osbourne family, including Sharon, Jack and Kelly.
“Filmed over three years, it captures the extraordinary roller-coaster of their lives as Sharon and Ozzy attempt to complete their long-held dream of moving back to the UK, Ozzy heroically battles to get fit enough to perform, and the family deal with the dramatic consequences of his ill-health.
“The film is full of love, laughter and tears and the kind of unforgettable family moments that we’ve come to expect from the Osbournes. It’s a remarkably candid and uplifting tribute to one of the world’s true icons, and documents the first family of rock as they are forced to accept, that, as Kelly says in the film, ‘Iron man wasn’t really made of iron’.”
The BBC head of commissioning documentaries was honoured to have been able to document this period of Ozzy’s life. Clare Sillery said: “We are honoured to have had the opportunity to film with Ozzy and his family.
“The film captures an intimate glimpse into their journey as they prepare to return to the UK. It features family moments, humour, reflection and shows the enduring spirit that made Ozzy a global icon. We hope it brings comfort and joy to Ozzy’s fans and viewers as they remember and celebrate his extraordinary life.”