At 10:25 AM on Thursday, July 24, 2025, the quiet streets of Birmingham, England, echo with the loss of a rock legend, Ozzy Osbourne, whose death at age 76 on July 22 has left an indelible mark on music history. Amid the global outpouring of grief, his sisters, Jean Powell, 85, and Gillian Hemming, 80, have broken their silence, offering a poignant glimpse into their brother’s final moments through personal messages and memories. Their tearful recollections, shared in interviews following a devastating phone call on July 22, reveal a man known to the world as the “Prince of Darkness” but to them simply as “our John”—a loving, funny brother whose last words carried both pride and a hint of unfinished dreams. As fans and family process this loss, the sisters’ revelations raise questions about the official narrative of his death and the authenticity of the legacy he leaves behind.
The Final Farewell: A Concert and a Text
The last time Jean and Gillian saw Ozzy was on July 5, 2025, at Villa Park in Birmingham, during Black Sabbath’s farewell concert, “Back to the Beginning.” The event, a reunion of the original lineup—Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, and Ozzy—drew 40,000 fans, marking the end of a seven-decade career that shaped heavy metal. Seated in an executive box, the sisters watched as Ozzy, frail and seated on a black throne due to his Parkinson’s disease and a 2019 fall, performed hits like “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and “Crazy Train.” The sight moved Jean to tears, a reaction she attributed to the “sea of people” honoring her brother.
As Ozzy drove down Lodge Road, near their childhood home, he sent Jean a text: “He couldn’t believe all the crowds were walking down our old street to watch him perform. He was blown away.” The message, a blend of nostalgia and awe, captured his emotional connection to Birmingham, where he grew up at 14 Lodge Road in the Aston area. This was not just a concert but a homecoming, a moment Jean and Gillian cherish as his final public act. Ozzy’s last text to Jean, promising, “I can’t wait to come back,” hinted at plans to return, a hope dashed by his sudden death just 17 days later.
The Devastating News and a Night of Memories
The sisters received the news of Ozzy’s passing via a phone call on July 22, a blow that left them “heartbroken,” as Gillian described during an emotional interview at her Redditch home. Jean, from Aldridge, echoed the shock: “He was frail but it still came as a shock. He still had plans and things he wanted to do.” The lack of details about his death—officially undisclosed but linked to his long battle with Parkinson’s and health complications—adds to their grief. “We don’t know the details, it’s still too early,” Jean admitted, expressing gratitude that he died in England, surrounded by family at his Buckinghamshire mansion.
That night, the sisters stayed up reminiscing, a vigil that highlighted Ozzy’s humanity over his celebrity status. They recalled his childhood antics, like “minding” cars outside Villa Park as a schoolboy, pretending to guard them after matches for small change. Gillian summed him up as “loving and funny,” a sentiment Jean reinforced: “He used to make us laugh all the time. That’s what I’ll always remember.” Of their six siblings, only Jean, Gillian, and brother Paul remain, making Ozzy’s death the third loss, a fact that amplifies their sense of loss.
A Legacy Beyond the Stage
Ozzy’s sisters paint a picture of a man whose fame never eclipsed his family ties. “To us he was our brother, not a celebrity,” Jean said, marveling at the “outpouring of love” since his death. His weekly calls and texts, checking on their well-being, underscored a bond that endured despite his global stardom. Visits to Los Angeles, Malibu, and Las Vegas over the years, where they met Sharon Osbourne and their “lovely kids,” reinforced this closeness. The sisters’ pride in his achievements—Black Sabbath’s pioneering role in heavy metal and his solo success with albums like Blizzard of Ozz—is tempered by their focus on his personal warmth.
Fans have echoed this sentiment, with tributes at his Hollywood Walk of Fame star, Birmingham’s Black Sabbath bridge, and a petition to rename Birmingham Airport after him. Yet, the sisters’ accounts challenge the rock-star mythos, grounding Ozzy in the everyday joy he brought them, from childhood pranks to his final gig’s humor.
A Critical Look at the Narrative
The official statement from Ozzy’s family—Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee, and Louis—describes his death as occurring “this morning” on July 22, “surrounded by love.” Reports of an air ambulance spending two hours at his Welders House mansion suggest a medical emergency, possibly tied to his Parkinson’s or a fall-related complication, though no cause has been confirmed. This vagueness invites skepticism. Ozzy’s 2020 diagnosis and his 2025 declaration to perform “if it f***ing kills me” hint at a man aware of his mortality, yet his final Instagram post on July 21—“Back to the Beginning — The Final Show”—lacked any farewell tone, suggesting either denial or a sudden decline.
The establishment narrative, supported by Sharon’s push for the Villa Park concert, portrays a triumphant end, fulfilled by a return to England. However, the sisters’ shock and Ozzy’s unfulfilled plans—returning to Birmingham, recording projects—suggest a disconnect. Was his health more precarious than reported? The lack of transparency, coupled with the family’s privacy request, fuels speculation about whether his death was “unexpected,” as some outlets claim, or a culmination of known risks. Posts found on X reflect public sentiment, with fans mourning a “shock” loss, though these remain inconclusive.
The royal family’s silence, unlike their presence at other celebrity funerals, raises questions about their engagement with modern icons. The monarchy’s traditional protocol may not extend to figures like Ozzy, leaving his family without broader institutional support, a contrast to the public’s embrace. The media’s quick focus on his antics—biting a bat, snorting ants—risks overshadowing the personal loss Jean and Gillian highlight, a narrative shift that merits scrutiny.
The Final Weeks: A Glimpse of Resilience
Ozzy’s final weeks, as recounted by his sisters, show a man defying frailty. The Freedom of the City ceremony in June, where he received honors alongside Black Sabbath, and the July 5 concert, where he thanked fans “from the bottom of my heart,” reflect his determination. Sharon’s efforts to bring him home, fulfilling a postponed relocation, add a layer of familial devotion. Yet, his struggle to stand straight and the throne’s necessity hint at a physical decline that the concert’s energy masked.
His last social media post, paired with “Mr. Crowley,” now reads as an understated goodbye, a contrast to his flamboyant persona. The sisters’ memory of his jokes amid frailty suggests a resilience that defied his health battles—Parkinson’s, a 2019 fall, and past addictions—yet this strength may have hastened his end if ignored by medical advice.
The Unanswered Questions
As of July 24, 2025, the cause of Ozzy’s death remains unclear, with an autopsy pending. The sisters’ gratitude for his English death contrasts with reports of a UK-based passing, possibly at Welders House, raising questions about his final hours. Was it a peaceful decline, as the family suggests, or a sudden emergency, as the air ambulance effort implies? The lack of details, while respecting privacy, leaves room for doubt about whether his health was adequately managed or if his concert push overextended him.
The sisters’ focus on his personal warmth challenges the rock-star caricature, urging a reevaluation of his legacy. His posthumous memoir, Last Rites, set for October 7, may offer insights, with Ozzy’s words, “I’m not ready to go anywhere,” adding irony to his exit. For Jean and Gillian, the silence of no more calls or texts is the hardest, a void filled only by memories of a brother who remained “our John” to the end.
Ozzy’s death closes a chapter on heavy metal’s birth, but the sisters’ tributes ensure his humanity endures. The mystery of his final moments, like the crowds on Lodge Road, lingers, a testament to a life lived loudly yet loved quietly by those closest to him.
