Latest news with #LouisOsbourne
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Why Ozzy Osbourne's first wife has airbrushed the rock star from her life: 'Who'd want to be part of that mad family!'
As the patriarch of reality TV show The Osbournes – presiding in potty-mouthed dysfunction over the family antics – he won a new generation of fans, but no one ever really doubted Ozzy Osbourne loved his family, or that they loved him. That affection was reflected in the statement released to mark his death earlier this week, 17 days after the Black Sabbath frontman's farewell concert in his home city of Birmingham. '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,' came the announcement. 'He was with his family and surrounded by love.' What was perhaps striking about the statement was whom it was credited to: Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis. Sharon, of course, is Ozzy's increasingly fragile, ever-colourful and ever-devoted wife; Jack, Kelly and Aimee are their children together. The name Louis, however, would have been unfamiliar to many. A musician, he was the rocker's son from his first marriage. Two names, however, were missing from the family statement – those of Ozzy's eldest daughter Jessica and his adopted son Elliot. For while Ozzy might have been a trailblazer for reality TV fatherhood, he did have another wife and family first. And save for Louis – who bears a striking resemblance to his father – his first family have maintained a silence in the wake of the 76-year-old's death. Louis, 50, who did make a brief appearance early on in The Osbournes, was, it would seem, at his dad's side at the family's Grade II-listed home on the outskirts of Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire when he died. But what of his sister Jessica, 53, who lives just six miles down the road with her husband and their three children? As yet, she has made no public statement. Nor has there been any statement from New Zealand, where his adopted son Elliot Osbourne, 59, who works for a tech firm, lives with his wife. Elliot was five years old when Ozzy married his mother, nightclub hostess Thelma Riley, in 1971, marking an entry into fatherhood Ozzy himself called 'chaotic at best'. As for Thelma, as the Mail discovered this week, despite living in Birmingham since the end of her tumultuous marriage, she has kept her association with him a closely guarded secret. Indeed, on a peaceful street of terraced homes in Harborne, where she lived for more than two decades, it would seem even her neighbours hadn't known she was once married to one of the city's best-known sons. Photographs from the 1970s show Thelma Riley (born Thelma Rees but who was married briefly to Anthony Riley) as a striking young woman with tumbling brunette hair. Now 76, she is silvery blonde but no less striking. She earned an MBA from Oxford Brookes University in 1999 and co-founded a sales and marketing consultancy. A former neighbour Karen, who lived a few doors away until Thelma moved several years ago, remembers her being 'always beautifully dressed'. 'I knew her name, but we never socialised.' But in 2017, following the final appearance of Ozzy's second wife Sharon on ITV's The X Factor, Karen joked with Thelma about her shared surname, asking if she was any relation. Karen recalls: 'I loved The X Factor and when I bumped into Thelma in the street after Sharon's final appearance I had a laugh with her. I didn't really know her but cheekily asked her if they were related and she looked horrified and said, 'No way, who would want to be part of that mad family!' 'Until this day I had no idea I was a neighbour of Ozzy Osbourne's first wife! She never let on and clearly didn't want to.' A short distance away, at a block of flats Thelma is understood to own and manage, one of her fellow directors tells the Mail that he too is shocked. John Fender, an economics professor, tells the Mail: 'I know Thelma, we are both directors of a company, but I had absolutely no idea. I am in a state of shock, she never mentioned it. She kept it very quiet. I am completely astonished. Osbourne is a fairly common name and I never put two and two together.' She was not always so guarded, though. The Mail spoke to one former colleague who says she burned 'red hot' with fury in the wake of her divorce. Thelma, who is thought to have had a brief third marriage, is now happy with a long-term partner, retired and living quietly on the outskirts of Birmingham. She is very much a part of her children's and grandchildren's lives. That she might want to draw a veil over the torment of her second marriage is not surprising. Ozzy himself spoke regretfully of his treatment of Thelma in his autobiography I Am Ozzy. From the 1960s to the 1980s, Birmingham's Rum Runner nightclub had legendary status. And one night in 1970, Ozzy and fellow Black Sabbath member Tony Iommi, rolled in. In the cloakroom was Thelma Riley. 'Who's that?' asked Ozzy, to be told Thelma was a 'lovely gal. Brainy too. But she's divorced and she's got a kid, so watch yerself'. Ozzy unsurprisingly ignored this instruction and, by his account, the night ended with him and Thelma kissing in the back seat of Tony's Ford Cortina. A year later they married at the Birmingham Register Office. 'A terrible mistake,' wrote Ozzy. Black Sabbath were touring; drugs, booze and groupies were beckoning and Thelma, now pregnant, was home alone. 'I would get this crazy restless feeling whenever I was at home, like I was going out of my mind,' wrote Ozzy. 'If I loved Thelma, I certainly didn't treat her like I did. If I've got any regrets about my life, that's one of them. 'I put that woman through hell. I should never have married her. She didn't deserve it; she wasn't a bad person, and she wasn't a bad wife. But I was a f****** nightmare.' Ozzy's worst excesses have been well documented. On the home front, he once took a shotgun to the 17 cats at the couple's home in Staffordshire. He left a stash of cannabis-laced cake in the kitchen that was accidentally given (by Thelma) to the local vicar. And he also shot all the chickens (purchased by Thelma) with a semi-automatic gun then doused the coop with gasoline and set it on fire, finishing off the sole survivor with a sword. In an interview with the Mail, he once admitted his abuse of Thelma was both mental and physical. 'You name it, I did it,' he said. 'I hit her big time and I was a complete idiot.' In the 2011 documentary God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, he revealed he could not remember when Louis and Jessica were born. Louis recalled: 'When he was around and he wasn't [drunk], he was a great father. But that was kind of seldom, really, I just have a lot of memories of him being drunk... It's not good for family life, really.' Jessica made a brief appearance in the documentary, saying: 'I don't remember being put to bed or having a bath by Dad or anything like that. I wouldn't say he was there for us.' Asked if Ozzy was a good dad, she replied: 'No.' Ozzy's divorce with Thelma was agonisingly drawn out – Sharon, his manager's daughter, was already on the scene, but there was a last-ditch holiday with Thelma and the children to Barbados in 1981. Ozzy said: 'We got there at five o'clock and I was legless by six.' The marriage ended the same year. Ozzy would later declare Thelma got the house and 'every last penny I had in the bank'. He also paid for the kids' private school. But he left scars. His relationship with Elliot, who moved from Scotland to New Zealand around five years ago, appears to have always been strained. Ozzy wrote: 'I spent the whole time when I was home screaming at him or whacking him around the ear hole. And it's not like he ever did anything bad to deserve it. I wish I could have been better with him.' The year after the divorce he married Sharon. Their first child Aimee was born in 1983, followed by Kelly in 1984 and Jack in 1985. Kelly and Jack along with their mother were catapulted into the public consciousness, courtesy of MTV's The Osbournes which aired from 2002 to 2005. Aimee chose to remain away from the cameras. Louis once had an apartment in the garden of his father's Beverly Hills home and has always spoken with pride of his dad. He followed, to an extent, in his father's footsteps. He dropped out of university to take a job in a record shop, before getting his big break as a DJ in Ibiza in 1998. Even while a fledgling artist, he was determined to make it on his own, prohibiting use of his father's name, and is now a respected DJ, producer and broadcaster. As Ozzy told the Mail in 2014. 'I was a bad father, an abusive husband and I had an ego the size of India. I spent decades of my life being an absolute idiot. I've got so many regrets I can't even remember half of them. But wives and kids are right at the top.' After so many years of Ozzy's chaotic neglect, how many of his 'first' family will attend any memorials to the late rock star remains to be seen.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ozzy Osbourne's secret kids quietly honor late Black Sabbath frontman after being left out of family tribute
Two of Ozzy Osbourne's lesser-known kids, Jessica and Louis Osbourne, quietly honored the late rocker after being left out of the family tribute. After news that the Black Sabbath vocalist passed away surfaced, both Jessica and Louis, whom Ozzy shared with his first wife, Thelma Riley, took to social media to subtly pay their respects. Louis, 50, simply changed his Facebook profile picture to a black square. Jessica, on her end, took to her Instagram Stories to repost a tribute from the 'On With Mario Lopez' podcast. She wrote, 'RIP Ozzy,' above. On Tuesday, Ozzy's family confirmed he had died earlier that day. He was 76. '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,' the statement read. 'He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time,' they added before signing off as Sharon, Aimeee, Kelly, Jack and Louis. The family did not share any further details about the Prince of Darkness's death. Jessica and Elliot — whom Riley gave birth to during a previous relationship and Ozzy had adopted during their marriage — were notably left off the statement. Although not much is known about Elliot and his relationship with Ozzy, the singer was estranged from Jessica, whom he and Riley welcomed first in 1972. 'My recollection from my childhood with dad is that he'd be away for very long periods of time, and there'd always be a period of adjustment when he came home, and then it'd get to normality and then he'd go again,' she said in the 2011 release of 'God Bless Ozzy Osbourne,' per E! News. 'So, it was a very erratic childhood with dad.' In the years leading up to Ozzy's death, he was suffering from several debilitating health ailments, including Parkinson's disease and a spinal injury. Earlier this month, the rockstar performed his final show with his Black Sabbath bandmates at the Villa Park Stadium in Birmingham, England. Ozzy's final Instagram post was also a tribute to his last show with his bandmates: Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler. After Ozzy's death, the remaining members of Black Sabbath paid tribute to their 'brother' on social media. 'My dear dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park,' Iommi wrote. 'I can't really find the words, there won't ever be another like him,' the guitarist added. 'Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother.' Solve the daily Crossword
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Ozzy Osbourne's secret kids quietly honour late rocker after his death aged 76
As tributes continue to pour in for late rocker Ozzy Osbourne, his two secret kids from his first marriage have also quietly honoured him on social media. In the hours since the news broke of his death on Wednesday, Jessica and Louis Osbourne – who Ozzy shared with first wife Thelma Riley – took to their respective Instagram and Facebook accounts to remember their father. Jessica reposted On With Mario Lopez's tribute post on her Instagram Stories, on which she wrote 'RIP Ozzy' over the image of the Black Sabbath frontman. The 45-year-old also included Crazy Train – Ozzy's 1980 debut solo single which appeared on his first solo album, Blizzard of Ozz – as her post's backing music. Meanwhile, Louis, 50, simply changed his Facebook and Instagram profile pictures to a black circle. Just weeks before Ozzy's death, Louis, a music producer, attended his father's farewell performance with Black Sabbath in Birmingham, England, on July 5. Following the concert, Louis revealed on Facebook that he got 'hugely emotional' during the show. 'I was sobbing at times. It was everything we wanted it to be and more,' he wrote, as 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.' '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.' Although Louis was present for Ozzy's final concert, it is believed daughter Jessica was estranged from her father. 'My recollection from my childhood with dad is that he'd be away for very long periods of time, and there'd always be a period of adjustment when he came home, and then it'd get to normality and then he'd go again,' she said in the 2011 documentary of God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, as per E! News. 'So, it was a very erratic childhood with dad.' The rest of Ozzy's family – his wife Sharon and their kids, Aimee, Kelly and Jack – have yet to share individual tributes, but they did release a statement to announce the rocker's death on Wednesday, aged 76. '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,' they wrote in the post. 'We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.' While Louis was included in the post, Jessica was not. The Prince of Darkness was married to Thelma from 1972 to 1982, during which they welcomed Louis and Jessica. The pair met in 1970 while on a night out. At the time, Ozzy was still establishing his music career with Black Sabbath, while Riley was a teacher. They were married in 1972 two years after Black Sabbath released their self-titled debut album. 'She was beautiful and I wanted to talk to her,' he wrote in his 2010 memoir I Am Ozzy. 'I pulled her on the dance floor.' 'I thought it was what you did: get some dough, find a chick, get married, settle down, go to the pub.' The couple were married for 11 years before splitting in 1982, with Ozzy admitting in his memoir that their union a 'terrible mistake' and he was not the perfect husband or father during his marriage to Thelma. 'I put that woman through it. I should have never married her. She didn't deserve it,' he wrote, taking full responsibility for his shortcomings. 'She wasn't a bad person, and she wasn't a bad wife. But I was a f***ing nightmare.' Osbourne first met Sharon in 1970 while her father, Don Arden, was managing Black Sabbath. She went on to become Ozzy's manager and, although he was married to Thelma at the time, Ozzy and Sharon's professional relationship turned into a romantic one, according to People. The rocker divorced Thelma in 1982 and shortly after married Sharon. In 2022, when celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary, Sharon shared a sweet Instagram message to her husband. '2022 is a special year for me. It marks 40 years of marriage to my darling Ozzy,' she wrote at the time. 'We first met when I was 18, over 52 years we have been friends, lovers, husband & wife, grandparents and soulmates.'
The Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Ozzy Osbourne's little-known son and daughter from 1st marriage pay touching tribute to their rock legend dad
OZZY Osbourne's little-known son and daughter from his first marriage have paid heartwarming tributes to their dad after his death. The rock icon died at home in his stunning mansion in Welders, Buckinghamshire, just weeks after his emotional farewell show. 8 8 8 8 Ozzy passed away aged 76, surrounded by his family on Tuesday morning, after bravely battling against Parkinson's disease. His children Jack, Kelly, Aimee, and Louis, were named along with wife Sharon in the statement. And lesser-spotted Louis chose to pay his respects with his own tribute to his father on social media. Ozzy's son changed his Facebook profile picture to an all-black screen. Before tying the knot to Sharon, Ozzy had married his first wife Thelma Riley in 1971 after meeting her in a Birmingham nightclub. Together, they welcomed children Jessica and Louis, who have been largely away from the limelight. Jessica, who was not included in the family statement, also posted a tribute to rock legend Ozzy on Instagram. Her story featured a pictures of her late father in black and white with the words "RIP Ozzy". The tribute was accompanied by Ozzy's song 'Crazy Train' playing in the background. Jessica made the Black Sabbath frontman a grandparent for the first time but never appeared in The Osbournes' TV show. However, she was mentioned in the episode 'Smells Like Teen Spirits' when Ozzy learned that she had welcomed a daughter. Although his wild behaviour would have been enough to see some artists blacklisted, Ozzy became a loveable rogue who captured fans' hearts across the globe. In 2001, Ozzy appealed to a whole new audience after appearing in reality TV show The Osbournes with his family. Its first series was the most-watched show ever on MTV and propelled Jack and Kelly into stardom, with the latter enjoying a music career of her own. With the family's success growing, they hosted the 30th Annual American Music Awards and later the Brit Awards in London. The family's hugely popular show ran until 2005 and portrayed heartbreaking moments for the family - including Sharon's battle with cancer and the quad bike accident that nearly killed Ozzy. The family later starred in the reality series The Osbournes Want to Believe and special The Osbournes: Night of Terror, which both focused on paranormal investigations. 8 8 8 8
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Ozzy Osbourne's Black Sabbath performance was 'mindblowing', son says
The son of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, Louis Osbourne, has described the band's final appearance as "mindblowing". Posting to his Facebook page on Sunday, he spoke of his father's "emotional" performance - referencing the 76-year-old's battle with Parkinson's disease. He wrote: "The audience showed him all the love that you'd expect and him back to them. An emotional end to a phenomenal 57 year career."Ozzy was joined by the full original Sabbath line-up for the first time in 20 years in Birmingham for what the band said was their last ever show. The event included metal and rock legends Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Slayer, the Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood and Aerosmith's Steven wrote: "I don't really know where to start about the show yesterday. It was hugely emotional for us. "I was sobbing at times. It was everything we wanted it to be and more. 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. "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."Ozzy sang while seated on a black throne in front of 40,000 fans. His son said: "I know he was frustrated as you could see he wanted to get up and tear up the stage like old times. But he did great. "Just perfect. I then sat in his dressing room and witnessed him meeting Axl Rose for the first time and Axl telling him how much he inspired him. Then James Hetfield thanking him for everything and how he had shaped his entire career."Louis said Ozzy seemed "unfazed" by the interactions and when asking the rock legend if he had a good time, he responded with "yeah". Louis said he ended the night by stopping at the house where his dad grew up in the city, finishing the post with: "You couldn't write it! My pride and love are off the scale. What a day! Mindblowing!" Black Sabbath roadie Graham Wright told BBC Radio WM how the atmosphere was behind the scenes, as he watched the show from the back of the stage. He said: "All four of them were 150% up for it. It was incredible - it was goosebump time. I was lost for words."Ozzy was great. After the show in the dressing room, there was hugging and tears. It was in the city, some pubs had to turn away customers after running out of beer - while others hit full capacity sooner than they thought. David Longmate, the owner of well known rock bar Subside, called the experience "mental".He said: "That was by far the busiest weekend we have had in our 18-year history. "We did a one out, one in policy virtually all day and night. We hit capacity on Friday night for the masses of fans attending the Sabbath pre-show. "We were packed from 4pm on Friday until 4am on Saturday."He told the BBC the bar ran out of draft beer by 03:30 BST on Saturday, but they were able to restock by Sunday, adding: "We were so busy trying to make sure everyone was safe and getting served - it was absolutely mental."Meanwhile The Flapper, a well-known rock pub and music venue, had to turn away customers during their live stream of the concert.. Manager Sam Campbell told the BBC: "The Sabbath show was a great boost for The Flapper - it was great at highlighting Brum independents and music venues."We had to close our doors early evening due to being at capacity for the live stream - and ran out of a few beer brands."The vibes were immaculate and the party continued into the early hours after the livestream had finished."Was nice to have Birmingham on the map for the weekend." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
