OZZY OSBOURNE Is 'Forever In Debt' To ROBIN WILLIAMS

The world is reeling from the death of comedian and actor Robin Williams, and among those grieving the Oscar winner is Ozzy Osbourne. The Prince of Darkness once told VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner how great Robin was when Ozzy's wife, Sharon, was sick in 2002.

"I'm forever in debt to Robin Williams, because when Sharon was diagnosed with colon cancer, I'd seen the film 'Patch Adams' and it was a very… I don't know if you ever saw that film he made; it's about a guy who was a male nurse or something in a hospital and he was working with terminal people, and I thought, what a great thing to do, and he's a very funny man, Robin Williams," he said. "I got my agent to contact him and ask if he'd be so kind as to come around and talk to my wife, which he did. It was very nice of him."

In a 2002 interview with National Enquirer, Sharon spoke about being surprised by Williams. "I was in bed when he came by, half asleep and a little woozy from some of the medication the doctors had given me to take," she said. "Suddenly, there's a knock on my bedroom door and I say, 'Come in.' And there's Robin Williams standing in front of me. Well, I thought I must be dreaming. In fact, I thought I was hallucinating from the drugs I'd been given! I couldn't think of what to say, so I said, 'Does Ozzy know you're here?' Then Robin got in bed with me and said, 'Shhh! No, he doesn't, and don't tell him!' Well, that just cracked me up. I was in bed with Robin Williams. I started laughing hysterically. For the next two hours, he just cuddled me."

Williams died on Monday (August 11) at the age of 63 from an apparent suicide.

Williams started his career as a stand-up comic, first achieved fame as the star of the TV sitcom "Mork And Mindy", then delivered a string of iconic performances in movies like "Good Morning Vietnam", "Moscow On The Hudson", "Awakenings", "Dead Poets Society", "The Fisher King", "Good Will Hunting" — for which he won an Oscar for "Best Supporting Actor" — "Mrs. Doubtfire", "Insomnia" and many more.

Sharon tweeted yesterday that "the entire Osbourne family is grieving the loss of a kind, funny, generous and talented man." She told the Enquirer, "He was just the nicest, most giving guy in the world — he did so much for me." Added Ozzy, "Forever and a day, I will love that man."