Ozzy Osbourne's brave battle with Parkinson's and first symptom son Jack spotted

The late Ozzy Osbourne has been praised by a charity for raising awareness of Parkinson's disease. It comes following the news earlier tonight that the Black Sabbath member died, aged 76, this morning surrounded by his family.

Ozzy's death was announced by his family in a statement issued today, just weeks after he performed at a farewell concert in his hometown of Birmingham. His wife Sharon Osbourne and four of his children signed the statement.

Following the news, tributes have been paid to Ozzy, including from Parkinson's disease charities. The late singer-songwriter had shared with fans that he had been diagnosed with a form of the condition just over five years ago.

READ MORE: Ozzy Osbourne dead UPDATES: Black Sabbath legend dies aged 76 days after final performance

Parkinson's UK chief executive Caroline Rassell said: "News of Ozzy Osbourne's death, so soon after his celebratory homecoming show, will come as a shock to so many. By speaking openly about both his diagnosis and life with Parkinson's, Ozzy and all his family helped so many families in the same situation.

"They normalised tough conversations and made others feel less alone with a condition that's on the rise and affecting more people every day. All of our heartfelt thoughts are with his family, friends and fans worldwide. His memory and the impact he left on the world will live on in all of them."

Helen Matthews, chief executive of Cure Parkinson's, also paid tribute. It had been announced that profits from Ozzy's Back to the Beginning concert earlier this month would be split between Cure Parkinson's and two other charities.

Paying tribute, Helen said: "We are devastated to hear the news about Ozzy and all our thoughts are with Sharon and his family. It seems incredible that a couple of short weeks ago Ozzy, Black Sabbath and all the acts that contributed to Back to the Beginning produced the most phenomenal and vibrant concert at Villa Park. We are so grateful to Ozzy for all he has done to put a spotlight on the work of Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham children's Hospital and Acorns Children's Hospice. On behalf of us all at Cure Parkinson's - thank you."

Ozzy, who has faced various health issues over the years, announced in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The news was shared in an interview with Good Morning America whilst he recalled needing surgery on his neck following a "bad fall" the previous year.

He said at the time: "It has been terribly challenging for us." Ozzy went on to say in the interview: "I had to have surgery on my neck which screwed all my nerves. And I found out that I have a mild form of...." He looked to Sharon, who then said: "It's Parkin 2, which is a form of Parkinson's."

Sharon added: "There's so many different types of Parkinson's. It's not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination but it does affect certain nerves in your body. It's like you have a good day, a good day, and then a really bad day."

Ozzy shared in the same interview that he was on medication for the condition. He also said at the time that he felt "better" for having shared the diagnosis, after having kept it from his fans for some time prior to the interview.

At the time, he noted that he was experiencing numbness in one arm, which he attributed to his surgery, and coldness in his legs. Ozzy and Sharon said that they weren't sure which symptoms were as a result of the surgery, and which were due to Parkinson's.

According to the NHS, physical symptoms of Parkinson's can include nerve pain in the form of coldness or numbness. Other symptoms of the condition include tremors, slowness of movement and muscle stiffness.

It was shared in the interview in 2020 that his son Jack Osbourne was the first to notice signs of the condition. Ozzy's daughter Kelly Osbourne told Good Morning America: "Jack saw it first and then when I saw it myself, it ... it's really strange how this works because there are some days where I will walk in this house and I'm like 'there is absolutely nothing wrong with him'. [...] Then you come back the next day, and nothing has happened, but it's like he can't feel his arm and he can't get off the couch."

Kelly added: "We've all learned so much about each other all over again and it's just reaffirmed how much we all love each other and how strong we are."

Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine in 2023, Ozzy addressed the suggestion that he was "fighting his last battle". Dismissing concerns in the media, he told the outlet: "You know, I don't even think about Parkinson's that much. Every time I scratch my a***, they put it down to Parkinson's!"

It was announced in February this year that Ozzy would return to the stage for his farewell concert Back to The Beginning on July 5. Prior to his performance, his wife Sharon shared updates with fans on her husband's health.

Sharon told the Sun earlier this year: "He's very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this. Parkinson's is a progressive disease. It's not something you can stabilise. It affects different parts of the body and it's affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it's ever been."

Then, whilst speaking to Music Week in June, Sharon said: "[Ozzy's] working with his therapist every single day. He's doing really well, actually. Ozzy's number one thing in life is his fans, so he's working hard to be ready for them, to make this show the perfect way to end things."

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