'Brilliant Ozzy Osbourne made my student's life'

A woman with short blonde hair, with a necklace and black top, stands in front of a white wall and smiles while she has her arms folded.Image source, Sue Williams
Image caption,

Sue Williams said Ozzy Osbourne visited her house to meet one of her students

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A woman has revealed how Ozzy Osbourne once visited her house to cheer up a student with cerebral palsy who was desperate to meet the legendary singer.

IT trainer Sue Williams, from Eccleshall in Staffordshire, managed to arrange the meeting in 1983 while the Black Sabbath frontman, who died on Tuesday aged 76, was living in the area.

It came after she noticed one of her students, Don, was "really, really sad" and, while talking to him, she learned one of his ambitions was to meet Osbourne.

Mrs Williams told BBC Radio Stoke she knew the previous owner of Osbourne's house so tried the number she still had for the address and got through to his roadie.

On the day of the visit, Mrs Williams said she and Don were sitting in her lounge when they saw two people walking up the drive – one was Osbourne, wearing a purple jumpsuit and at the time he had short blonde hair.

"He was absolutely brilliant," she said. "He brought Don gifts, he took the t-shirt off his back and gave it to him and he took photographs with him.

"He was just an absolute delight."

A composite image, on the left is Ozzy Osbourne wearing a purple jumpsuit with his arm around a teenage boy with shoulder length black hair, they are both smiling. In the image on the right Ozzy is pictured with the same teenager, this time outside and holding the boy in his armsImage source, Sue Williams
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Ozzy was described as a "perfect gentleman" during the 1983 visit

She said Osbourne stayed for two to three hours, during which he urged Don never to take drugs and asked if there was any scotch when he was offered tea or coffee.

"That was the end of that bottle of scotch," she added.

Mrs Williams said they had a "wonderful" afternoon with him and described Osbourne as a "perfect, perfect gentleman".

"Don was beside himself with happiness, he couldn't believe it," she added.

"I met him in town about 15 years ago and he said straight away 'remember that day with Ozzy?' It absolutely made his life."

Ozzy Osbourne - a man with long dark hair and wearing all black - stands with his hands on a microphone and stand with a wide-eyed expression on his face. Behind him is a drumkit that says "Ozzy Osbourne". Image source, Reuters
Image caption,

Ozzy Osbourne died on Tuesday at the age of 76

After the visit, Mrs Williams said they would often see Osbourne at The Old Brown Jug pub in Bishops Offley.

She said he always came across as an "ordinary" person and they would regularly buy each other rounds.

"He was totally normal and so kind and compassionate," she added. "An absolutely lovely man."

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