Sharon Osbourne made one final, selfless gesture for her husband, legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne, just weeks before his death. Behind the scenes of the highly anticipated “Back to the Beginning” benefit concert on July 5, 2025, Sharon fought a quiet but intense battle with insurance providers to ensure Ozzy could appear onstage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Ultimately, they\u00a0compromised\u00a0with a unique solution: he would perform while seated on a bat-shaped throne.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The concert, held in Ozzy’s hometown of Birmingham, turned out to be his final farewell to fans. Nicknamed “The Prince of Darkness,” Ozzy took his last bow in front of a sold-out crowd, raising millions for charity and bringing his decades-long career full circle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The show almost didn’t happen. Insurance companies refused to cover the event if Ozzy attempted to walk or stand on stage,\u00a0citing the risk\u00a0of a fall as too severe. This was due to his Parkinson’s diagnosis and long-standing mobility issues, which made him uninsurable under standard concert terms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
At 72, Sharon was undeterred. Determined to fulfill her husband’s wish, she managed to broker a solution \u2014 Ozzy would remain seated throughout the show. While this frustrated the rocker, who had trained for months to regain enough strength to stand, it was the only way forward.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
“It upset Ozzy because he trained for months to be able to stand on stage and perform,” a source\u00a0explained. Even knowing he’d be seated, Ozzy was determined to give it everything he had.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In the lead-up to the concert, he trained seven days a week with a live-in trainer. His health was closely monitored. He wore a finger pulse oximeter to track his blood oxygen levels and pulse, and his blood pressure was checked constantly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
“It drove Ozzy in the last few months because he wanted to go out showing off some of that physicality,” an insider\u00a0noted. “He was grateful to be out there but tinged with disappointment at being sat down.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Thanks to Sharon’s perseverance, Ozzy’s final show became a moment of closure for fans and family alike \u2014 a deeply personal farewell delivered in the only way possible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Ozzy leaves behind a musical legacy that spans decades, but his life was also filled with personal complexities, including his role as a father to six children. He had three children with his first wife, Thelma Riley: Jessica, Louis, and Elliot. With Sharon, he had three more children: Aimee, Kelly, and Jack.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Over the years, Ozzy amassed a considerable fortune. While much of his wealth came from music, it was also boosted by ventures like the Ozzfest festival and his family’s hit reality show, “The Osbournes.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
At the time of his death, he was\u00a0believed to be worth approximately \u00a3162 million, or nearly $220 million. While no formal details about Ozzy’s will have been released, legal experts predict the division of his estate could be complex. Family legal specialist Adam Jones explained the potential complications.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
“While Sharon is likely to inherit at least 50%, there are six children involved, and any disputes could delay things for months,” he\u00a0said. “Unless Ozzy made clear arrangements in a will or trust, UK and US laws would assume his spouse inherits the bulk, but all his children would have a claim.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Adam also warned of possible familial strife if any of the children feel overlooked. “It could trigger a full legal challenge,” he\u00a0added. “This is where you see things get ugly \u2014 and public. This isn’t just about money, it’s about preserving legacy.” In his memoir “I Am Ozzy,” the singer candidly reflected on his wealth and the extravagant lifestyle that came with success.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
When he and the rest of his bandmates hit it big, the legendary rocker\u00a0described\u00a0the experience as having “more money than the Queen.” He added, “…or so we thought, with three hit records in the charts, fans all over the world, and as much booze and drugs and chicks as we could ever want.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
He went on to describe how surreal his financial journey felt decades later,\u00a0writing, “I never would have believed that forty years later, I’d have two million pounds worth of stuff for someone to pinch \u2013 and enough left over to not really notice when it was gone. It’s ridiculous, really.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
As the Osbourne family begins preparations to lay Ozzy to rest,\u00a0details have emerged about the unique and personal wishes he had for his funeral.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Before his passing, Ozzy shared how he wanted the world to view his death on several occasions, and it was rarely in solemn terms. In interviews spanning more than a decade across press and television, he spoke with honesty and sarcasm about his own mortality and what his funeral service might include.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In 2011, The Times featured a special piece where the 76-year-old answered questions from regular people. A woman named Macy, from Kent,\u00a0asked\u00a0if it was “morbid to plan your own funeral?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n She wanted to do something thoughtful, like when Peter Sellers asked for a specific song for his service, which was ultimately a joke because everyone knew he hated that tune.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Ozzy answered with his characteristically blunt humor. “I honestly don’t care what they play at my funeral; they can put on a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and We Are the Diddymen if it makes ’em happy \u2014 but I do want to make sure it’s a celebration, not a mope-fest,” he\u00a0shared<\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The cultural icon then\u00a0explained<\/u> that he would like people to play some pranks at the service, like someone knocking from inside the coffin, or possibly show a video where he demands a “second opinion” from his physician regarding his passing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In short, Ozzy never wanted anyone to dwell on the sadness or bad memories. He\u00a0believed<\/u> planning your funeral was the “right thing,” particularly for the sake of the loved ones left behind.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “It’s worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives. So by any measure, most of us in this country \u2014 especially rock stars like me \u2014 are very lucky. That’s why I don’t want my funeral to be sad. I want it to be a time to say ‘thanks,'” he\u00a0finished<\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A few years later, he revealed another possible option for his memorial. The rock star was interviewed by NME in 2016 for a feature about the soundtrack of his life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The piece included several songs Ozzy would pick for different occasions, like “The Best Band My Kids Introduced Me To” and “The Song I Can No Longer Listen To.” In the section “The Song I Want Played at My Funeral,” he chose “A Day in the Life” by The Beatles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “I really need a few more years to think this over, but probably something from ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ or ‘Revolver,'” he\u00a0clarified<\/u>, adding that he “definitely” doesn’t want his own hits played because he never listened to them, and a happy song wouldn’t work either.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Another possible funeral addition came up during a 2020 interview on “Good Morning Britain,” where Ozzy appeared with his wife, Sharon. Host Piers Morgan\u00a0told him that his legacy would never say he “died an ordinary man.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Morgan then\u00a0asked<\/u>, “But when you do finally leave this earth […] when that time comes, what would you like your epitaph to be? How would you like people to remember you?” Without hesitating, Ozzy\u00a0answered<\/u>, “Bats taste like [expletive].”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n While Ozzy may have joked about his funeral and epitaph, the reality of his death is heartbreaking for the family. One day after his passing was announced, his sisters spoke out about the plans he had been making for the life he still hoped to live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Jean Powell, 85, and Gillian Hemming, 80, were shocked to learn about the rock star’s death through a phone call. Along with their brother, Paul, they are the last surviving members of six siblings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n They told The U.K. Mirror that they had seen Ozzy recently in Birmingham, where Black Sabbath held their farewell concert. The band had explored the city, and although Ozzy struggled with mobility, Jean\u00a0shared<\/u>\u00a0that he was “still our John, still cracking the jokes.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n That’s why the news of his passing was so surprising. “He was frail but it still came as a shock,” Jean\u00a0continued<\/u>. “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.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n They had last seen him at the concert, where they sat in an executive box, and recalled how\u00a0Ozzy<\/u>\u00a0himself was amazed to see crowds walking down Lodge Road, the street where they once lived, on their way to the Villa Park stadium.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “We didn’t really get a chance to chat much because it was such a chaotic visit. But in his last text to me he said he would be coming to Birmingham again,” she\u00a0added<\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Meanwhile, Gillian said that they were both proud of their brother and his success, especially because he stayed down to earth. “What the public saw of John was exactly what he was like in real life. It wasn’t an act,” she\u00a0declared<\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the weeks leading up to this singer’s death, his wife made a critical behind-the-scenes decision that ensured the rock icon’s final wish \u2014 to say goodbye… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2672,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Peter](\"https:\/\/imgproxy.ondoho.com\/s3lRGHueJCjA8C9dCTCGxnqnr4fGgKJOiHIoxSUA6Ag\/rs:fill:375:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vYzNjYmNmYmFmNDYxNjAxOThkY2IxMmFiYWY0ODMxZjdmNTJlNTcyMWI3MzM0NGJiY2Y2MzMzM2IzNmQ3NDUxZC5qcGc_d2lkdGg9MTU5MSZoZWlnaHQ9MjQwMA.jpg)
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