Who is Sharon Osbourne? All about Ozzy’s wife as Black Sabbath frontman dies after struggles with Parkinson

As news emerges about the demise of heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne, fans are turning to his wife, Sharon Osbourne.

The Black Sabbath frontman and founder died at the age of 76 after a lengthy battle with Parkinson's disease, and in a statement from his family, it was revealed that he was "surrounded by love" at the time.

“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.”

Ozzy was married to Sharon Osbourne, 72. The two met when the latter was 18 and her father was managing Black Sabbath at the time. When Ozzy left the band in 1979, they began dating, and by July 1982, they tied the knot. Over the years, they welcomed three kids, Aimee, Kelly, and Jack.

She is a television personality and music manager in her own right, having served as her late husband's manager from the 1980s. She and her family gained even more stardom when they appeared on the reality TV show based on their lives, The Osbournes. She also served as a judge on shows like The X Factor and America's Got Talent.

Sharon Osbourne opens up about Ozzy's final performance days ahead of his shocking demise: Read more

Ozzy Osbourne confirmed his Parkinson's diagnosis back in 2020, though according to the New York Post, he had been living with the ailment from the year before that. Just earlier this month, he delivered the final performance of his career, which he said was due to his declining health and inability to perform.

“He’s very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this,” Sharon Osbourne told the Sun of her husband's final performance. “Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. It’s not something you can stabilize. It affects different parts of the body and it’s affected his legs,” she went on. “But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's performance also saw him reunite with the original band members of Black Sabbath after 2 decades. The concert, titled “Back to the Beginning," took place on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, which was Ozzy's hometown.

Sharon Osbourne also spoke with BBC News earlier this month about her husband's status:

“He’s doing great. He’s doing really great. He’s so excited about this, about being with the guys again and all his friends. It’s exciting for everyone. Ozzy didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there’s been no full stop,” she said. “This is his full stop.”

She also spoke to NME about her husband and Black Sabbath's legacy:

“You can’t say goodbye,” Sharon Osbourne said. “Look at what they leave – it’s a huge, great body of work that they’ve left for the world. As long as you’ve got that, it’s never goodbye. It’s there for eternity.” She also said that Ozzy was feeling “very emotional” about the final hurrah, and that it is “what he wants”. “He wants to say thank you to everybody. He didn’t have that chance because of his illness, but now he does have the chance.”

Earlier this month, an AI-generated video of Ozzy Osbourne went viral online, where a character in his likeness can be seen saying:

“I don't need a doctor to tell me that I'm going to die—I know I'm going to die."

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne's daughter, Kelly, caught wind of the same, and she promptly took to Instagram to clap back:

"There's this video going around on social media, and it's supposed to be my dad, but it's AI," she said, according to E! News. “It has a voice like my dad's David Attenborough or something. And it starts out saying, 'I don't need a doctor to tell me that I'm going to die. I know I'm going to die.'”

She went on:

“Why would you spend your time making a video like this? He's not dying. Yes, he has Parkinson's, and yes, his mobility is completely different than it used to be, but he's not dying. What is wrong with you?"

At the time, she also addressed the rumors that Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne had a suicide pact in place if they ever contracted an illness that impacted their brains:

“Stop making articles or posts about how you think my parents are having a suicide pact,” Kelly shared online. “That was bulls--t my mom said to get attention one time. And my dad’s not dying. Stop.”

Stay tuned to Soap Central for more.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback