Family Says Ozzy Osbourne Was Hospitalized Two Weeks Before Final Concert: ‘We Were Terrified That People Were Going to Find Out’

The Osbourne family shared some of their collective grief on this week’s episode of The Osbournes Podcast. Wife Sharon and children Jack and Kelly revealed the secret health crisis Ozzy Osbourne suffered before his final, triumphant Back to the Beginning performance, as well as the kind words of condolence the family received from two world leaders following the rock icon’s death on July 22 at 76 years old.

On the first episode of the podcast since Ozzy’s death the trio talked about the rocker’s difficult final year, his “living wake” curtain call show and the powerful way grief has bonded them even more. They also revealed that after years of health struggles that included a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, pneumonia and a botched spinal surgery, Ozzy took a turn for the worse last December when he took “a little fall.”

Then, just two weeks before the all-star Back to the Beginning show at Villa Park in the rocker’s hometown of Birmingham, England, Jack said Ozzy was hospitalized. “The story, I don’t think even you know it, we had him in the hospital and we were just terrified that people were going to find out,” said Sharon about the unnamed ailment that threatened to derail the triumphant last bow.

“So we had all the security and the hospital… the hospital was amazing, they really were. The people at the front desk were told ‘nobody, if they ask for Ozzy, he’s not here. Nobody’s allowed up’, all of that,” she said during the emotional 90-minute pod that had the trio seated around a large wooden dining table strewn with piles of magazines featuring the rocker on the cover. “They had pictures of all of us who were allowed up, and names, and this guy comes up and says ‘I want to see John Osbourne [Ozzy’s legal name]’ so of course there’s a red light and they go ‘who are you?’ and he goes ‘I’m his brother.’”

When someone from security called up to say that Ozzy’s brother was there to see him, Sharon said she replied that there was “no way” that was true because his brother didn’t even know he was there. “His sisters, his brother didn’t know. So I sent security down and I said ‘find out who this guy is, he’s definitely from the press,'” Sharon said, revealing that, as it turned out, there was another John Osbourne at that hospital and it was that John’s brother. “[We] felt so terrible,” she said.

And while it’s shocking to think that Ozzy essentially went from hospital to stage for his final gig, Jack made it clear that his dad was determined to make it to the massive gig that featured solo and Black Sabbath sets featuring Ozzy, as well as an all-star group of metal offspring, including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains Anthrax and more. “It’s not like we forced him, wheeled him out there… to do this gig,” Jack said. “He was adamant… he was running the show. He said he knew exactly what he wanted. Yeah, and he was determined to do it.”

Amid the torrent of well-wishes and condolences that poured in after Ozzy’s death from friends, fellow rockers and longtime fans was a voicemail from Donald Trump. Sharon — who competed on the 2010 season of Trump’s reality show Celebrity Apprentice — revealed that the American president reached out with kind words before playing the message in which Trump said, “Hi, Sharon, it’s Donald Trump, and I just wanted to wish you the best. Ozzy was amazing. He was an amazing guy. I met him a few times, and I want to tell you he was unique in every way and talented. So I just wanted to wish you the best, and it’s a tough thing. I know how close you were, and whatever I can do. Take care of yourself. Say hello to the family.”

Sharon also noted another message from a world leader: a personal letter the family received from England’s King Charles. “We got a lovely letter from the king,” Jack said, with Sharon adding: “Our king, he’s an amazing person. Not just because he wrote to us when Ozzy passed… if he did it for us, you know he does it for many, many, many people.”

It wasn’t the first time King Charles has reached out to wish Ozzy a happy birthday, according to Sharon. “When Ozzy was sick in hospital with the motorbike accident, he reached out. He’s a good, caring man with a good heart,” Sharon said of the King. “Ozzy, as me… we’re royalists. We respect him, we respect his family. He took the time out of his day to write us, have it hand-delivered to us, a note from the king for Ozzy’s passing with his condolences. And that says so much.”

Watch the Osbournes podcast below.

This article was first published by Billboard U.S.