Ozzy Osbourne's sisters, Jean Powell, 85, and Gillian Hemming, 80, have spoken of their devastation following the death of the Black Sabbath star, describing him as 'loving and funny'. The sisters, who stayed up all night reminiscing about their brother, revealed that Ozzy had hoped to return to Birmingham before his death.
Jean told the Mirror: '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.'
The sisters received the news of Ozzy's death in a phone call yesterday. 'He was frail but it still came as a shock,' said Jean. '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.'
Gillian, from Redditch, Worcs, said: '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.' Jean added: 'He was just our John. He used to make us laugh all the time. That’s what I’ll always remember.'
The sisters recalled Ozzy's final gig at Villa Park earlier this month, where they watched from an executive box. 'I got a text off him as he drove down Lodge Road, where we used to live near the stadium,' said Jean. 'He said he couldn’t believe all the crowds were walking down our old street to watch him perform. He was blown away. 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.'
