Sharon Osbourne has thanked fans for their support following the death of her husband Ozzy Osbourne earlier this year.
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The Black Sabbath frontman and iconic soloist died in July, aged 76. It came just 17 days after he played his final-ever live shows at Sabbath’s ‘Back To The Beginning’ event in Birmingham.
Now, Sharon has taken to Instagram to share one of her first public statements since Ozzy’s passing. In a post shared yesterday (September 12), she wrote: “I’m still having trouble finding the words to express how grateful I am for the overwhelming love and support you’ve shown on social media.
“Your comments, posts, and tributes have brought me more comfort than you know. None of it has gone unnoticed, in fact, it’s carried me through many nights.”
Sharon went on to reveal that she has formed a newfound connection with falconry, which her daughter Kelly had introduced her to the day before. Alongside the post, Sharon shared a video of her and Kelly with birds of prey, where an Owl lands on Sharon’s arm.
“Though I’m still finding my footing, I wanted to share some glorious creatures I had the chance to spend an afternoon with. The connection you make with these powerful birds is built entirely on trust and confidence,” continued Sharon. “They’ll choose to perch on you only if they sense you are safe and unafraid of them. It’s a bond I know all too well, and the experience was nothing short of magical.”
She ended her note by writing, “I love you all, and I thank you deeply for the otherworldly amount of love you continue to send my way.”
After the ‘Back To The Beginning’ show, Sharon revealed that Ozzy told her he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love at the concert. “He turned around and he said to me that night, ‘I had no idea that so many people liked me’. Ozzy’s always been in his own bubble,” she said.
“For Ozzy to play with Bill [Ward] again, he was very, very emotional about that. 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.”
It was the first time that the full classic lineup of Sabbath – Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward – had played together since 2005. They played a streamlined four-song set of their classic songs, with Ozzy telling the live crowd: “It’s the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Osbourne’s son Jack recently shared a “personal note” about Ozzy in a video on his YouTube channel. He spoke about getting the news of his father’s death, and spending a “really amazing week” with him the following Black Sabbath’s final show. “Ozzy Osbourne does not end because he passed away on July 22,” Jack told viewers. “He’s just exploding through the universe, and we’re all seeing it.”
Shortly after Ozzy’s passing, their daughter Kelly also paid tribute to her father by referencing Sabbath’s classic ballad ‘Changes’ – which she and her dad covered in 2003 – before speaking more about her grief last month. Ozzy also recently made a posthumous appearance on Kelly’s TV show Lego Masters Jr.
The family took part in a public funeral procession in Birmingham on July 30. Ozzy was then laid to rest in the grounds of his UK mansion after a private ceremony.
Ozzy’s death certificate confirmed his cause of death to be a heart attack, while also mentioning that he was suffering from coronary heart disease and Parkinson’s. The document listed his occupation as “Songwriter, Performer and Rock Legend”.
A biopic of Ozzy and Sharon’s lives is also in the works at Sony Pictures, with negotiations with a director ongoing. The project was first announced in 2021.
