Ozzy Osbourne died at 76 years old on July 22, and he’s survived by his family, including his children from his first marriage to ex-wife Thelma Riley.
Before the legendary rocker was known as the “Prince of Darkness,” he was just starting out in his career. During that time, Ozzy married Thelma, and he adopted her son, Elliot, from a prior relationship, according to his 2009 autobiography, I Am Ozzy.
Less than a year after the couple exchanged wedding vows in 1971, Thelma became pregnant with their first child together, Jessica. Their son Louis followed later. Ozzy and Thelma were married for about a decade before they divorced in 1982.
The Black Sabbath member went on to wed Sharon Osbourne, with whom he welcomed three more kids. Over time, Ozzy’s two main focuses became music and family.
“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,” they told PEOPLE in a statement. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
So who was Ozzy Osbourne’s first wife? Here’s everything to know about Thelma Riley and her relationship with the late rockstar.
She married Ozzy in 1971
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Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath, circa 1971.
Ozzy and Thelma met during a night out, as the Black Sabbath singer recounted in his memoir, I Am Ozzy. While hanging out with his friends, they stopped at an establishment, where he first saw Thelma.
“She was beautiful and I wanted to talk to her,” he wrote. “I pulled her on the dance floor.”
Ozzy continued, “A year or so later, in 1971, we got married in a registry office. I thought it was what you did: get some dough, find a chick, get married, settle down, go to the pub.”
They shared three children
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Ozzy Osbourne at home with his children Jessica and Louis on August 19, 1978.
The couple went on to welcome two kids together: a daughter, Jessica, who was born in 1972, and a son, Louis, who followed in 1975. Ozzy also adopted Elliot, Thelma’s son from a previous marriage.
At the time, Ozzy was still trying to get his career off the ground, and he recalled them struggling to make ends meet.
She and Ozzy divorced in 1982
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Thelma Osbourne with her and Ozzy Osbourne’s children Jessica, Eliot and Louis.
Ozzy and Thelma were married for 11 years, eventually divorcing in 1982. He married Sharon — who was his manager — that same year.
Decades later, Ozzy mentioned Thelma in his memoir, touching on their tumultuous relationship.
Since the end of their marriage, Thelma has stayed out of the spotlight, maintaining a private life.
Ozzy called his split from Thelma “painful”
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Ozzy Osbourne performs at halftime during an NFL game on September 8, 2022 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
In August 2019, Sharon told PEOPLE about Ozzy’s emotional reaction when their son, Jack Osbourne, announced that he and his wife, Lisa Stelly, were splitting.
“When Jack said that he was getting divorced, Ozzy cried. He said, ‘I’m crying for you because I know how painful it’s going to be, because I’ve been through it and I don’t want you to experience that pain,’ ” she recounted Ozzy sharing.
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