Sharon Osbourne Discovers ‘Deep Roots’ in Fall River

Did you know that a famous rock 'n’ roll family has ties to Fall River?

While it is well-known that Central Congregational Church was the setting for an Aerosmith music video, it turns out that Ozzy Osbourne's wife also has ties to a church just a few blocks down: St. Mary’s Cathedral.

On an episode of the popular UK television series Who Do You Think You Are?, Sharon Osbourne’s trip to Fall River in 2019 revealed that not only was her great-grandmother born in Fall River, but her great-great-grandparents tied the knot at St. Mary’s in the late 1800s.

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After several years, the entire hard-to-find episode landed on YouTube in 2024.

The episode shows Osbourne first meeting Fall River historian Stefani Koorey in Newport, Rhode Island, where she talks about learning of a family connection to a place called "Fallen Rivers." Koorey corrects Osbourne on the name before taking her to the city.

In a particularly notable moment, Koorey shows Osbourne a traveler's pamphlet created to entice people to the city. It reads, in part:

[Fall River's] streets are handsomely adorned with shade trees, adding much to the comfort and beauty of the place. Sunset views from here are said to rival those of Italy.

Osbourne's response to that description? "If I read this, I would come. It must have been like heaven. I can see people just, you know, closing their eyes and imagining what it would be like."

Phil Devitt, a tour guide for the Lizzie Borden House -- and Fun 107's digital managing editor -- often brings groups by St. Mary’s, which is across the street from the Borden house, and tells his guests the Osbourne history.

“In the 1860s, it was the setting of Sharon Osbourne’s great-great-grandparents' wedding,” he said of the church. “She learned this while taping the show. She came to the city for the taping, walked into the church and marveled that Ozzy would really love the place.

"If he shows up and it turns out he's a fan of the place, I think it would be cool to put a sign out front that says the church is Prince of Darkness-approved."

Truth be told, the wedding was one of the few highlights for the Osbournes, as Fall River was rather unkind to them. The reality was different than the pamphlet.

Osbourne’s great-great-grandparents, Catherine Dowd from England and Thomas O’Donnell from Ireland, moved to the United States in search of a better life but were met with poverty, disease and death.

It's a far cry from the life that Sharon  lives these days with Ozzy. No matter where she goes in life, her roots will always be intertwined with the SouthCoast.

As Koorey put it in the show, this famous woman has "deep roots in Fall River."