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As tributes continue to pour in, two of Ozzy Osbourne’s children have honored their late father in subtle ways.
The former Black Sabbath frontman and legendary rocker died on Tuesday, July 22 at the age of 76. At the time, the Osbourne family issued a statement to PEOPLE, saying, “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,” they continued.
In the hours since the news broke, both Jessica Osbourne and Louis Osbourne — Ozzy’s eldest children with ex-wife Thelma Riley — have taken to social media to pay their respects.
Jessica reshared On with Mario Lopez’s Instagram post sharing the news that Ozzy had died to her own Instagram Stories. “RIP Ozzy,” she wrote over the image.
Jessica Osbourne/Larry Busacca/Getty
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She also included “Crazy Train,” Ozzy’s debut solo single, which appeared on his first solo album, Blizzard of Ozz, which was released in 1980 — just one year after his departure from Black Sabbath.
Louis, meanwhile, changed his profile image on Facebook and Instagram to solid black.
Prior to Ozzy’s death, the music producer attended his father’s farewell performance with Black Sabbath, which took place on July 5 in Birmingham, England — just weeks before the singer’s death.
Staff/Mirrorpix/Getty
Following the concert, Louis wrote on Facebook that the show was “hugely emotional” for him. “I was sobbing at times. It was everything we wanted it to be and more,” he wrote, per the BBC. “I had been anxious for months about this as I’ve been worried about my dad’s ability to perform with his Parkinson’s disease.”
He added, “I just wanted it to be a dignified send off for him. But as soon as he started singing we knew he was gonna nail it.”
While the rest of Ozzy’s family — wife Sharon and their kids, Aimee, Kelly and Jack, as well as his adopted son, Elliot — have yet to speak out about the patriarch’s death, two of his surviving sisters recalled their final moments with their brother.
Jean Powell and Gillian Hemming said the last time they saw Ozzy — who they referred to by his real name, John — was at Black Sabbath’s farewell concert. “He was frail, but it still came as a shock,” Powell told The Mirror, adding that she and her sister didn’t know the “details of his death” at the time. But she was “thankful he died in England.”
She then recalled receiving “a text from him as he drove down Lodge Road, where we used to live near the stadium.” She added, “He said he couldn’t believe all the crowds were walking down our old street to watch him perform.”
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Powell also detailed their brief encounter with the rocker amid the chaos of the farewell concert. “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 … We were hoping to see him this week,” she shared.
“We were proud as punch about him and everything he achieved,” Hemming said. “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 … He was just great.”
According to the outlet, the sisters received a phone call telling them that their brother had died on Tuesday.
“To us, he was our brother, not a celebrity, so it’s crazy to see the outpouring of love since his death was announced,” Powell said. “We just can’t believe he is gone, and we won’t be getting another phone call or text from him. Every week without fail he would get in touch.”
